Darren McFadden's Instant Fantasy Reaction After Week 8

After a big game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Darren McFadden has reminded fantasy owners why they drafted him in the first place.

The Oakland Raiders won 21-18 over the Steelers thanks to some big plays by McFadden and Terrelle Pryor.  McFadden finished with 73 yards rushing and two touchdowns, giving him 19 fantasy points in ESPN's standard scoring leagues.

Before Sunday, McFadden had run for just 267 yards and two touchdowns on the year, averaging 3.9 yards per carry.  He had three straight double-digit fantasy outings to start the season, but a nagging hamstring injury kept him from being very productive.

Fortunately for McFadden, he had a bye last week and looks much better.  He is an explosive running back when healthy, and he's always capable of putting up big fantasy numbers.

Going forward, things are looking up for McFadden.  The Raiders will be playing the Philadelphia Eagles and the New York Giants in their next two games, which means McFadden will have a chance to run over two struggling defenses and string together a few great games.

He's certainly a risky play, but it's hard to keep McFadden out of your starting lineup.  He may not be a RB1 guy, but he's certainly worth a flex or RB2 spot in almost all leagues.