When it became clear that DeMarco Murray wouldn't be back in the Dallas Cowboys locker room, fantasy owners waited with bated breath to see who his heir apparent would be.
Fantasy football draft strategy 2015: Joseph Randle makes no sense in the 4th round
Joseph Randle may be atop the depth chart in Dallas, but it doesn’t mean he’ll make a huge impact in fantasy leagues. We break down the fantasy implications.
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And then they waited, waited and waited some more.
And now, on Sept. 3, Dallas has a backfield with Joseph Randle, Darren McFadden and Lance Dunbar atop the depth chart. It's a bold move for a front office to do next to nothing in the wake of losing one of the league's best running backs, but it's somewhat understandable given how good their offensive line is.
Fantasy Spin: Though the offensive line remains arguably the best in the NFL, fantasy owners shouldn't be so bullish on Randle's prospects. He is currently being drafted in the fourth round, over backs such as Chris Ivory, Andre Ellington, T.J. Yeldon, and Jonathan Stewart, all of whom will likely have stronger holds on their lead back duties than Randle's tenuous one.
Randle in the fourth round is an unnecessary risk, especially when reports of a committee backfield have surfaced, as well as him being limited to 10-15 touches per game. That’s nothing to scoff at, but it hardly justifies his current draft position. Dallas’ backfield remains a murky one, and fantasy owners would be better suited to address it in the middle rounds of the draft instead of the early ones.
