Another week, another round of excuses for the Oakland Raiders and Darren McFadden. At his press conference Monday, coach Dennis Allen insisted that McFadden was the same player he was in 2011, saying he's "still explosive." He also says that the team tried to use more gap plays against the Jaguars, but that clearly didn't take.
Raiders say Darren McFadden ‘still explosive’ as fantasy woes continue
The Raiders have more excuses for why they can’t get Darren McFadden going. We break down the fantasy implications.
Kevin C. Cox
McFadden rushed for just 53 yards on 19 carries in his latest fantasy dud last Sunday. He’s averaging just 3.1 YPC in offensive coordinator Greg Knapp’s zone blocking scheme.
Fantasy Impact: There is one common denominator in the Raiders’ offensive woes, and it all comes down to Knapp. DMC thrived in a power-blocking scheme, has never been a zone runner, but the team insists on jamming this square peg into a round hole and keep acting shocked when it doesn’t fit. If he can’t figure out how to utilize a talent like DMC, he has no business running an offense in the NFL.
DMC is too talented for fantasy owners to bench, but how long can this charade keep up? If he can't get going against the Jags' poor run defense, when will he get going? I honestly have no answer. The Raiders take on the Chiefs in Week 8. Whatever you decide to do with DMC at this point is entirely up to you, we won't blame you.
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