Fantasy Football: 4 Things We Learned From Week 4
DeMarco Murray Could Be the RB1 of 2016
Many could be forgiven for not trusting DeMarco Murray headed into the 2016 season. In 2014, he tallied 2,239 total yards from scrimmage, the 13th-highest total among running backs since 1970.
After posting those numbers, Murray signed with the Philadelphia Eagles, and fantasy owners were excited about the prospects of his landing on Chip Kelly's fast-paced offense.
But the experiment failed.
Among running backs with at least 150 carries, Murray finished 28th out of 29 in Rushing Success Rate. As a result, many were convinced that the Dallas Cowboys had killed Murray's legs in 2014.
| DeMarco Murray Metrics | Rushing NEP per Rush | Success Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2011-2014 | 0.04 | 47.48% |
| 2015 | -0.03 | 33.51% |
| 2016 (through Week 4) | 0.04 | 43.94% |
But Murray has experienced a renaissance since joining the Tennessee Titans. His efficiency has ticked back up to his pre-Eagles average. And his Success Rate, while not quite as high as it was when he was running behind Dallas' vaunted offensive line, is still an impressive 43.94%. Last year, the league average was around 39%.
Head coach Mike Mularkey seems content to ride out Murray as his bell cow, as Murray has out-touched rookie Derrick Henry 87 to 27 since the beginning of the season. And he's also been heavily involved in the passing game, garnering an average of 5.25 targets per game.
Perhaps most importantly, Murray's usage in the red zone has been encouraging. Per Pro Football Reference, of the 27 total plays the Titans have ran in the red zone, Murray has touched the ball on 13 of them, contributing to 5 of his 6 total touchdowns.
If Murray continues seeing the bulk of the Titans’ backfield work despite Henry’s presence, he -- improbable as it may have seemed months ago -- stands a chance to finish as the RB1 for the second time in three seasons.
