DeMarco Murray, Lance Dunbar, Joseph Randle's Post-Week 14 Fantasy Reaction

DeMarco Murray, still good at football. The Dallas Cowboys running back sent an early message to the Chicago Bears early Thursday night, scoring a second-quarter touchdown in their 41-28 victory. 

Murray was the driving force of the Dallas offense throughout the game, receiving 41 touches (32 carries, nine receptions) and gaining 228 total yards. The Cowboys ran the ball 35 times, while Tony Romo attempted just 26 passes. Murray's ability to churn consistent yardage allowed Dallas to control the game's pacing, at one point opening a 35-7 lead. 

This, of course, is nothing new. Murray is on pace for an incredible season that will look even more like an outlier five years down the line. His 179 yards on Thursday gives him 1,606 for the season. That puts him about 23 yards off a 2,000-yard pace, likely needing at least one more standout game to become the eighth player in history to touch that hallowed number. 

Player	Carries	Yards	YPC	TD	Receptions	Yards	YPC	Targets
DeMarco Murray	32	179	5.6	1	9	49	5.4	10
Joseph Randle	1	17	17.0	1	0	0	0.0	0
Lance Dunbar	0	0	0.0	0	0	0	0.0	0

The Cowboys also have Murray on pace to nearly touch 400 carries, a relic of a number in today's more fractured running back culture. While it's unclear if that's good for his long-term health (spoiler: no), it's been a never-ending gift to fantasy owners. Murray produced nearly 400 rushing yards more than any other back coming into this week, and his second-quarter touchdown was his ninth of the season.

Some have theorized that Dallas would work to lessen Murray's workload as his carry numbers reached scary heights, but that hasn't been the case. Backups Lance Dunbar and Joseph Randle have had about as much fantasy value as you or I this season—a trend that won't change anytime soon with the Cowboys battling for a playoff spot. 

Randle had a 17-yard touchdown Thursday, but it was his only carry. Dunbar received neither a carry nor a reception. 

Nothing about Thursday night has done anything but affirm what we already knew. Murray is the best running back in football, the Cowboys don't care if his legs fall off and fantasy owners will keep reaping the rewards until they do.

Also: Ignore Dunbar and Randle.

Follow Tyler Conway (@tylerconway22) on Twitter