Can Darren McFadden bounce back with the Cowboys?
You were ready to move on. But just when you thought these running backs had nothing left to offer in fantasy, they find reasons to make you love them all over again in 2015.
DARREN MCFADDEN
The Raiders drafted McFadden 4th overall in 2008, which is basically a running back death sentence. Just ask Marcus Allen, a generational talent nearly forgotten while playing in Oakland. McFadden has been a fantasy fools gold for years. Last season was his only fully healthy campaign, which had more to do with his splitting carries with Maurice Jones-Drew and Latavius Murray than anything else. And let’s be honest, by the 2014 Fantasy Draft, McFadden wasn’t expected to be of any use, as evidenced by his average draft position, 199th overall, 61st among running backs.
Well, Darren McFadden is on the Cowboys now. He’s running behind the best offensive line in the NFL. Just ask DeMarco Murray, who rode his O-line all the way to the 2014 rushing title.
If Darren McFadden opens the season as the Cowboys starting running back, he is poised to shock the world and redeem himself in both fantasy and reality. And that’s a big if, so keep an eye on the NFL Draft to see if Dallas adds a rookie into the mix. But if McFadden is the starter, draft him as your sneaky RB2 near the end of round 3 and head of round 4. Then, pray he stays healthy.
FRANK GORE
Gore, 31 years young, left San Francisco for a variety of reasons, most notably the emergence of last year’s rookie RB Carlos Hyde. Not to mention team owner Jed York turning the 49ers into hot garbage after firing a winning coach, Jim Harbaugh.
The Colts nightmare that was Trent Richardson is over. Gore’s the man in Indianapolis now. And if you need any evidence of how productive a talented veteran running back can be playing with Andrew Luck, just ask Ahmad Bradshaw, who was an every-week RB2 with upside in fantasy before getting injured the past 2 seasons. Unlike Bradshaw, Gore hasn’t missed a game since 2010.
Last season, on a struggling 49ers offense, Gore carried the ball 255 times for 1,106 yards and 4 touchdowns, averaging a decent 4.3 yards a carry. Expect those numbers to improve significantly as Gore upgrades to the Colt’s offense. In Andrew Luck’s high-powered attack, with T.Y. Hilton stretching the field, brace yourself for Gore’s fantasy resurrection.
The Colts finished 22nd in rushing attempts last season. Coach Chuck Pagano and offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton want to run more. Now, with Gore, they will. The veteran is likely back as a top-10 fantasy running back.
Feel confident drafting Gore as a strong RB2/low end RB1 early in the 2nd round of re-draft leagues. Forget Gore’s age. His situation is too good to pass up with limited running back options. Let the other fantasy owners in your league make the mistake of passing on Gore because he’s 31, and capitalize on it.
C.J. SPILLER
Spiller is finally out of Buffalo, allowing him to come out from behind Fred Jackson’s shadow. He’s able to escape the team where he struggled to overcome injuries, poor coaching and misuse of his talents as an outside runner and receiver out of the backfield. Spiller has signed with the Saints and Drew Brees, and he’s poised to bounce back.
Despite splitting carries with Fred Jackson back in 2012, Spiller managed to put together a strong RB2 season. Factor in the loss of Jimmy Graham and Kenny Stills, and understand that starting power running back Mark Ingram has a defined role as a power back. What you’ve got is a bounce-back pass-catching threat in Spiller for 2015. Expect Spiller’s numbers to outperform a similar RB in his prime in the same Sean Payton offense, Darren Sproles.
Darren Sproles’ 2011 Stats (with Saints):
Rushing: 87 carries, 603 yards, 2 TDs averaging 6.9 yards per carry.
Receiving: 86 catches on 111 targets, 710 yards, 7 TDs.
Translation? Spiller, if healthy, will be an every-week flex RB in standard leagues and a strong RB2 in PPR leagues. He’s been over-drafted for the past few years based on breakout potential alone. This could be his year to do just that in a system in need of a pass-catching threat. Go ahead and draft Spiller early in RD3 in 12-team standard leagues and as early as the end of RD2 in PPR leagues. In a very shallow running back position, Spiller projects to finish top 12.
Isaac Leicht is a correspondent at FantasyPros. To read more from Isaac, check out his archive and follow him on Twitter @Fantasy_Dude.
