Oakland Raiders running back Maurice Jones-Drew has been an afterthought in the offense, but that could be changing soon. Interim head coach Tony Sparano said on Thursday that he wants to get Jones-Drew more carries going forward.
Maurice Jones-Drew could get more carries, still carries no fantasy value
Raiders interim coach Tony Sparano wants to get MJD more involved in the running game. We break down the fantasy implications.
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The Raiders signed Jones-Drew over the offseason to split carries with Darren McFadden, but Jones-Drew has been invisible so far. Through six games, he has just 18 carries for 48 yards, adding five receptions for 24 yards. Jones-Drew also missed two games with a broken hand.
Fantasy impact: McFadden has been slightly more effective, rushing for 279 yards and two touchdowns, but he's still averaging only 3.8 yards per carry. Jones-Drew has almost nothing left in the tank, and the Raiders giving him more carries will just cut into what little fantasy value McFadden has. It seems like only a matter of time until the Raiders turn to rookie Latavius Murray, but that doesn't appear to be happening soon. Oakland's entire backfield should be considered hands-off in fantasy.
