Dallas Cowboys running back DeMarco Murray practiced Wednesday and is fully expected to suit up for Sunday's Week 17 game against Washington. The Cowboys plan on playing their starters despite clinching the NFC East.
DeMarco Murray practicing Wednesday, still a fantasy risk for Week 17
Murray is practicing and expected to play in Week 17 despite his hand injury. We break down the fantasy implications.
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Murray underwent surgery on his hand last week. He didn’t miss a game, but was in obvious pain in Week 16. Murray finished that game with 58 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries, playing on 31 of 63 offensive snaps. He later checked out of the game in the second half with the Cowboys holding a comfortable lead. Murray has 1,745 rushing yards -- just 28 yards from tying Emmitt Smith’s Cowboys’ regular-season rushing record -- and 12 touchdowns on the year.
Fantasy impact: Murray is clearly less than 100 percent, and his fantasy value will mostly depend on game flow Sunday. The Cowboys can still clinch a first-round bye, but they need lots of outside help to do so. If they take an early lead on Washington, it’s possible Murray’s usage gets scaled back. He’ll still be a fantasy RB1, but the floor is a lot lower than usual.
