Is Darren McFadden Turning Into JaMarcus Russell?
No, I donโt expect Darren McFadden to put on a bunch of weight and start sippinโ sizzurp. He is, however, starting to enter Bust Territory. In two seasons, McFadden has run for a mere 856 yards with five rushing touchdowns.
He has salvaged some of his reputation by adding 530 receiving yards, but 1,386 total yards should be a single-season output for a guy that ran for 4,590 yards (nearly 5,000 total yards) with 41 touchdowns at Arkansas (plus two receiving and seven passing) and became the fourth pick of the 2008 draft.
McFadden missed his second straight preseason game because of a hamstring injury, which is troubling for a guy that has missed seven games in his first two seasons. Not only is he missing the games, but heโs missing practice, which could cement Michael Bush as the Raidersโ primary ball carrier.
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Bush was the better runner last year, averaging 4.8 yards on 123 carries compared to McFaddenโs 3.4 average on 104 carries. McFadden is better at catching the ball out of the backfield, but if heโs not careful, he could find himself relegated to third-down duty. Bushโs size (6โ1โณ, 245 lbs) already makes him a better fit for the tough carries near the goal line. Rock Cartwright could also get some of those carries.
Despite the lofty expectations everybody has for McFadden, he has only topped 74 rushing yards once in his career, and that came in Week Two of his rookie season. Only twice in his career has he had more than 14 carries. Itโs like they donโt even know how to use him.
For some reason McFadden has yet to attempt a pass in the NFL. Correct me if Iโm wrong, but he was running the WildHog formation in college, so why not play to his strengths? Makes no sense to me, especially when your starting quarterbackโs passer rating and completion percentage were hovering around 50.
I would love to see McFadden get his act together, but my optimism is wearing thin. That sentiment isnโt shared with fellow fantasy footballers though, as his ADP is 78 (32nd RB). Itโs actually a few spots higher than Michael Bush (83, 34). Iโm sorry, but the sixth pick of the seventh round needs to offer a little more certainty for my tastes.
Currently I have McFadden as my 43rd ranked running back (click to see my rankings), but that number will go even lower if he doesnโt get his act together. Plus people will start using air quotes when they call him โRunโ DMC.
What are your thoughts on Darren McFadden?
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