Yeah, yeah. We all know about the Oakland Raiders and adding Aldon Smith this weekend is the most Raider thing of the season. Bad stigma aside, they have themselves a bell cow at running back. Running back Latavius Murray is going to get the lion’s share of the carries.
Fantasy football start/sit advice, Week 1: Latavius Murray is solid RB2
The Raiders are set to give Latavius Murray a heavy dose of carries. Should you start him this week in fantasy football?
Roy Helu will back him up and get some work on passing downs, but he won’t get many chances to score in the red zone and still has some concerns of being a between-the-tackles guy. After Helu, there’s just Taiwan Jones, who is now returning kicks and shouldn’t be involved much — ESPN even has him as a cornerback for fantasy owners in IDP leagues.
The Cincinnati Bengals will come to town this week and it’s not as bad of a matchup as one might think. They were just 20th in rushing yards and allowed the sixth-most rushing touchdowns in the NFL last season. Plus, they don’t have linebacker Vontaze Burfict and defensive end Michael Johnson isn’t healthy either.
Fantasy impact: Yes, there’s some risk here, but there’s a really nice ceiling for Murray. Fantasy owners should view him as a rock-solid RB2 in what could be an improved offense at home this week.
