Training camp opened with most assuming that Joseph Randle was the starting running back for the Cowboys, with injury-prone veteran Darren McFadden serving as a capable backup. McFadden missing reps during OTAs and the beginning of camp with an injury seemed to solidify that narrative.
Not so fast, though. McFadden started yesterday with the first-team ahead of Randle, according to ESPN Dallas’ Todd Archer.
Cowboys Considering Adding RB Depth
Darren McFadden with a TD run on a delay. Fast. He opened with first team today too
— Todd Archer (@toddarcher) August 19, 2015
“Boy, if we can keep him out there, he’ll tear their you know what up,” Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said of McFadden, 27, who was once expected to become one of the NFL’s best running backs.
Despite his injury history, McFadden is younger than most fantasy owners realize, and the wear and tear on his body is limited by his lack of carries over the years. Combine that with Randle’s almost non-existent track record, and off-the-field concerns, and McFadden could easily find himself a starter behind the best offensive line in football.
Tyrod Taylor, Matt Cassel Clearly Ahead Of EJ Manuel
McFadden’s not the only backup making major noise in camp either. Here are three other backups that might be starters come Week 1. All average draft position (ADP) data is courtesy of FantasyPros.com.
Tyrod Taylor, QB, Bills (ADP: N/A)
Taylor literally doesn’t have an ADP right now, but he could be the starting QB for Buffalo. Rex Ryan has talked him up since training camp, he’s splitting reps with the completely uninspiring Matt Cassel, and he’s already buried a former first-round pick in EJ Manuel. The Bills coaches constantly talk up Taylor’s speed, and if he’s really that scary on the ground, he can be fantasy relevant.
Taylor is starting to sound like a cheap source of points in two-QB formats, especially leagues with four-point passing touchdowns. Running quarterbacks see their value spike in those leagues, so Taylor may join those ranks.
Ameer Abdullah, RB, Lions (ADP: 77)
Abdullah is a rookie RB, and by definition that makes him hard to trust. But he turned heads in his first preseason game by running for 67 yards on only seven carries vs. the Jets. He was already expected to steal carries from incumbent Joique Bell, but Bell hasn’t been practicing because of knee and Achilles issues.
Those are BAD issues for a running back to have, and Bell was more plodding than explosive to begin with. If Abdullah can catch the ball, he may be a three-down type of runner, relegating Bell to goal-line duty, or worse, pure backup status.
David Cobb, RB, Titans (ADP: 144)
Cobb is another rookie who is getting no love based on his ADP. The question for fantasy owners, however, is this: Do you like starting running backs? If so, take a flier on Cobb, whose path to being a starter simply requires him to outperform the forgettable Bishop Sankey.
Cobb is going 26 picks later, and it’s hard to imagine he won’t be an upgrade. In his first preseason action Cobb looked great, chewing up 53 yards on 11 carries. Sankey was putrid, rushing eight times for 15 yards. This is an easy one.
Ray Rice, RB, Free Agent (ADP: 233)
Ray Rice doesn’t have a team yet, but he has an ADP. That’s because fantasy owners know he’ll eventually get picked up, and when he does it’ll be to play. The teams reported to be most interested are the Cowboys and Browns.
We’ve discussed Dallas: they’re debating between Randle, who is inexperienced and arrest-prone, and McFadden, who is simultaneously talented and composed of glass.
In Cleveland, Johnny Manziel was their leading rusher in their first preseason matchup. He rushed for 14 yards. Rice will be a problem for their running backs if he’s brought in.
Terrelle Pryor, WR, Browns (ADP: N/A)
Pryor is currently listed as the seventh WR on Cleveland’s depth chart (Rosterresource.com), but aside from maybe Dwayne Bowe, there’s nobody on that depth chart with anything close to Pryor’s upside. Dynasty leaguers in particular should think about spending a late pick on him; like Antonio Gates when he transitioned from basketball to tight end, sometimes the athleticism is great enough to overcome what’s lacking in refinement.
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