Darren McFadden will miss another game, fantasy owners should look to Rashad Jennings

Oakland Raiders running back Darren McFadden (20) rushes for a touchdown against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the second quarter at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports

The Oakland Raiders running back situation was an extremely interesting one at the beginning of the season, and it’s still pretty interesting overall. But right now, it looks like Rashad Jennings is the better fantasy back due to McFadden’s lack of health and Jennings’s own play. Even when McFadden comes back, I expect Jennings to remain the Raiders No. 1 back, and the Raiders stated earlier that they are going to give an increased workload to Jennings in order to appropriately award him for his play.

McFadden hasn’t carried the ball since Week 9 due to a hamstring injury, and he reportedly won’t be playing this week either. According to the San Francisco Chronicle’s Vic Tafur, Darren McFadden was seen running on the side of the practice field, which means that he isn’t practicing for the third and final session of the week. The fact that he’s even running on the side represents a step up in his regimen, but it would be beyond shocking for him to be out there. Raiders beat writers like Tafur are telling us that McFadden will miss this week’s game against the Houston Texans, and these guys should definitely be trusted.

Even when healthy, McFadden has been ineffective due to an average of just 3.6 yards per carry. Jennings has looked better, and, more importantly, he has ran the ball with more consistency than McFadden. If Jennings is somehow still available in your fantasy league, then you need to scoop him up. He’s obviously the better fantasy back when McFadden is injured, and he’s still likely going to be the better fantasy back when McFadden comes back.

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