DFS: Debate Team - Is Darren McFadden a Top-10 RB Option in Week 8?
Each week, two of theScore's DFS experts weigh in on a contentious daily fantasy topic. This week: Is Darren McFadden a top-10 running back option in Week 8?
Josh Ghatak: The real question here is whether he will be a top-3 or top-5 back this week - consider top-10 a given.
McFadden is the hottest commodity on the market - and with good reason. He has usurped Joseph Randle for the starting role in Dallas - and with that offensive line in front him, expect the Cowboys to revert back to their 2014-15 running game. McFadden had a league-high 29 carries in Week 7; he should be looking at another week of around 25 carries.
With a workload of that nature, McFadden is likely going to break 100 yards rushing and will hopefully see a touchdown.
The main argument against McFadden is obviously his matchup with the Seattle defense. This will hinder his performance - no doubt. But with 20+ carries, McFadden should still thrive behind that offensive line.
Esten McLaren: Considering McFadden turned in the No. 4 RB performance in non-PPR leagues in Week 7 - the No. 5 performance in PPR formats - I wouldn't call a top-10 performance in Week 8 "a given." Especially considering the New York Giants rank 18th in the league in yards against per attempt (4.1) and the Seahawks rank fifth (3.7).
With Randle ruled out due to an injury, McFadden's 29 carries in Week 7 were the most he's received in a single game since Oct. 28, 2012, while a member of the Oakland Raiders. He only had 37 carries this season before the Week 7 breakthrough. It will take more than the one week for a 28-year-old injury riddled running back to gain the trust of DFS owners.
My next concern for McFadden is his lack of guaranteed work in the passing game. He has two or fewer receptions five times this season. While his workload may increase in Randle's absence, it won't make much of a difference against a Seahawks defense allowing just 6.5 targets and 31.9 receiving yards to pass-catching running backs this season.
That stout offensive line in Dallas allowed last season's rushing champion DeMarco Murray to rush for 115 yards and a touchdown on 28 attemptsagainst the Seahawks. It was a solid performance for sure, but it was his worst of the season to that point in terms of yards per attempt, and his second-worst rushing yards total.
Comparing McFadden's 2015 season to that of Murray in 2014 is a fool's errand.
Josh Ghatak: In no way did I compare McFadden's 2015 with Murray's 2014. I simply stated that Dallas is clearly returning to its 2014 style of handing the ball off 20+ times, which is exactly what happened last week.
If you wish to commit the "fool's errand" in comparing 2014 Murray to 2015 McFadden by looking at Murray's 2014 performance as a way to predict McFadden's upcoming week, then I will happily guide you down that road.
Since you are into analyzing Murray's 2014 game against Seattle then I will compare McFadden's performance last week against the Giants to Murray's 2014 game against in the Giants to counter.
In Week 7 last season, Murray rushed for 128 yards on 28 carries for a 4.6 YPC. Last week, McFadden rushed for 152 yards on 29 carries averaging a superior 5.2 ypc. Furthermore, the Giants ranked 30th in rush defense last year while they rank 21st this year; McFadden had a better week than Murray against a slightly improved defense.
Regardless of comparisons, any DFS player would take a performance of 115 yards and a touchdown from McFadden considering his lower ownership and likely contrarian play against the Seattle defense.
Esten McLaren: McFadden's best performance in over three years only netted him the No. 5 RB performance of the week. With the likes of Jeremy Hill, Matt Forte, Eddie Lacy and Giovani Bernard returning to the field in Week 8, that number would figure to be pushed down, even with a duplicated performance.
The Seahawks' rush defense is worse than it was last season, but in back-to-back weeks it held Jonathan Stewart and Carlos Hyde below their season average for YPC. The Seahawks' six rushing TD allowed is the league median, while their four forced fumbles is tied for the sixth most in the NFL. They haven't allowed a single 100-yard rusher this season.
Could McFadden be the first? Sure, it's the NFL. It's an unfair expectation of someone who hasn't accomplished consecutive 100-yard weeks since 2010.
Josh Ghatak: Lacy isn't even on the fantasy radar anymore, while Bernard and Hill limit one another's potential to produce.
Asking McFadden to post back-to-back 100-yard games is a tall task - but with the opportunity presented to him and the talent in front of him, his opportunity has never been better. Murray and that offensive line put up 12 100-yard games last year and eight in a row to start the season. McFadden is not taking on the Seahawks alone here; he has elite talent in front of him.
DFS players should expect to see glimpses of the Cowboys 2014 run game, only with a different guy in the backfield. With Randle and Lance Dunbar out of the way, the highly talented McFadden will lead this rejuvenated group against the Seahawks.
Esten McLaren: Each of the four running backs I named earlier has produced at least one top-10 fantasy performance this season - the exact number McFadden has to date.
While the line is the strength of the Cowboys, another factor in Murray's favor last year was the play of QB Tony Romo and WR Dez Bryant. McFadden will have to make due with QB Matt Cassel, and he'll need to hope Bryant can as well, in his first game back from a broken foot.
We seem to be asking for a lot to go right for an aging running back who hasn't had much go according to plan in his career.