Fantasy Football: 4 Things We Learned From Week 8
The Raiders Backfield Is Still Annoying
Back in Week 4, our own JJ Zachariason recommended fantasy owners sell Latavius Murray in his weekly 15 Transactions column. The logic was solid.
Murray really was balling out at that time, possessing the highest Rushing NEP total and Rushing Success Rate in the NFL. However, he was also averaging only 10.6 carries per game up until that point, with rookies DeAndre Washington and Jalen Richard getting significant work.
But when he came back from injury in Week 7, things looked different. He carried the ball 18 times, handling 67% of the team’s carries, easily his highest workload on the season.
And it wasn't crazy to think the Oakland Raiders would continue with Murray as the primary back moving forward. Heading into Week 8, he was still the most productive running back on the team despite missing two games. And even though he had a lower Rushing Success Rate than his rookie backfield mates, a 43.10% success rate is still a good bit above league average (40.70%).
| Player | Rushing NEP | Rush NEP per Rush | Success Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Latavius Murray | 3.83 | 0.07 | 43.10% |
| Jalen Richard | 2.37 | 0.08 | 45.16% |
| DeAndre Washington | -2.66 | -0.06 | 45.65% |
But in Week 8, Murray handled only 11 of the team's 22 running back carries. The Raiders are already a pass-heavy team, ranking 12th in the league in pass-to-run ratio, a ranking that's sure to rise after Derek Carr's 59 pass attempts against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
So without more team rushing volume, and with the Raiders' coaching staff determined to keep their rookies involved in the running back rotation, Murray's back to being a touchdown-dependent RB2. And it's likely it will remain that way the rest of the season.
