Is Darren McFadden Worth the Fantasy Football Draft Day Risk?

Eric StashinAug 10, 2010

Drafted fourth overall in the 2008 draft by the Oakland Raiders, the expectations on Darren McFadden have been extremely high.

What would you expect? He was coming off a junior year where he rushed for 1,830 yards and 16 TD in just 13 games at the University of Arkansas.

You have to wonder if things may have been different for McFadden if he had landed on a team with more stability. Instead, he has been labeled a bust after rushing for just 856 yards and 5 TD over his first two years in the NFL.

Things in Oakland do appear to be improving, however. Jason Campbell was brought in, by far the best QB that will be under center during McFadden’s NFL tenure.

After the JaMarcus Russell debacle, the fact that the Raiders have improved at QB has to be music to fantasy owners' ears.

While there may be some question marks surrounding the wide receivers (click here to view my breakdown of the group), the threat that they can move the ball down field has got to loosen things up a bit.

Last season for the Redskins, Campbell completed 64.5% of his passes for 3,618 yards, 20 TD and 15 INT. That kind of threat will hopefully force defenses to respect the passing game, keeping the extra man out of the box. Immediately, running the football will become easier.

Then, you have the offensive line. Bruce Campbell may not open the season as a starter, but many projected him as a first round draft pick prior to the 2010 draft. He has plenty of talent and really could help solidify the line long-term.

Also, Robert Gallery was held to just six games last season due to a multitude of injuries. Consider him a bust or not, he’s still an important aspect of the Raiders offensive line. Also hurt last year was Khalif Barnes, who played in just six games after coming in from Jacksonville.

If they can stay healthy, the Raiders line should be improved. That, along with the improved quarterback play, should certainly help the running game produce.

McFadden has not always been the starting running back in Oakland, but this appears to be his year to take the reins. The other backs on the roster are:

Michael Bush
Rock Cartwright
Michael Bennett

Yes, Michael Bush actually led the team in carries last season, rushing the ball 123 times for 589 yards. You could argue that the Raiders should hand him the ball more often, but giving up on McFadden now would be a huge mistake.

They have him surrounded with the best offensive group they’ve had since drafting him. Now is the time to find out if he is for real or a complete bust.

There’s a huge risk involved in selecting him, but as the saying goes, big risk, big reward. I certainly could see the scenario developing where he reaches 1,000 yards on the ground with 8 TDs.

Considering his current ADP according to Mock Draft Central is 79.18, or the seventh round, he’s certainly worth the gamble.

Don’t draft him as a starter (or earlier then the seventh round), because it’s probably 50/50 on if he develops into a fantasy starter or fantasy bust, but at that point in the draft he’s worth the risk.

What are your thoughts on McFadden? Is he worth the gamble or would you ignore him on draft day?

Make sure to check out Rotoprofessor’s 2010 rankings:

Also, make sure to check out our recent rookie rankings:

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