Fantasy Football Week 1 Projections: Darren McFadden Will Shine Against Broncos

Darren McFadden lives in the nightmares of the Broncos and their fans.

In 2010's two meetings, McFadden torched the Broncos for 284 yards and four touchdowns (three rushing, one receiving).

It's true that the second game was the weaker of the two, but he was still a fantasy giant in that one.

Now, Denver has made improvements on defense, but the unit is still comparatively inexperienced and unfamiliar with each other.

Yes, John Fox is a defensive coach. I fully expect the Broncos defense to be a strong unit by the end of the year. But if we're looking at the season opener, McFadden is set for a big day.

The Raiders and Broncos play in Week 1's last game. If you are a fantasy owner with a slight lead but are playing the team that has McFadden, I wouldn't be sitting all that comfortably.

There is nothing really bold about what I am saying. McFadden was a fantasy stud last year, especially in the era of platooning backs.

In 13 games played, he rushed for 1,157 yards and seven touchdowns while receiving for 507 yards and three touchdowns. If you're in a PPR league, he caught 47 passes. Those numbers aren't quite on par with Adrian Peterson, Chris Johnson or Arian Foster, but they are very good.

The deterrent to McFadden is that he splits time with Michael Bush. Bush is the "Thunder" in the "Thunder and Lightning." What that means is that while McFadden gets the majority of the carries, he tends to be neglected in scoring spots.

Touchdowns are a big deal in fantasy, as a one-yard touchdown is equal to a 60-yard run in most leagues. But seven is still a strong total, and it’s not like McFadden is incapable of running inside of the 10-yard line. The pass reception ability also adds a lot to his value.

Look for McFadden to have a big game against the Broncos on Monday night. Predicting 100 yards and at least one touchdown is not going overboard at all.

If your opponent comes back to beat you on the back of a strong game from McFadden, remember that it’s just the first week.