Oft-injured Oakland Raiders running back Darren McFadden used the team's bye week to get his hamstring as healthy as possible, according to the Contra Costa Times, and head coach Dennis Allen said he "looks explosive." McFadden expects to be a big part of the team's offense in its 4:05 p.m. ET game Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Darren McFadden looks ‘explosive;’ fantasy value rising
The running back comes off the Raiders’ bye with his hamstring improving. We break down the fantasy implications.
Joe Robbins
McFadden missed the Raiders' Week 5 game against the San Diego Chargers with the hamstring injury before returning to action in Week 6 and going for 83 all-purpose yards. On the year, he has 267 rushing yards and 77 receiving yards, with two rushing scores.
Fantasy impact: Considering injuries and byes, McFadden is a high-end RB2 at worst this week. The rest in the bye week should have McFadden as close to full strength as a football player can reasonably be expected to be in Week 8 of the NFL season.
With McFadden back to health, the values of backup running backs Marcel Reece and (especially) Rashad Jennings plummet. While McFadden is a veritable must-start, the other two should only be used in desperate situations.
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