Fantasy Football: 8 Players With Tough Early-Season Schedules
DeMarco Murray, RB, Tennessee Titans
| Week | Opponent | Projected Defensive Rush NEP Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Raiders | 21 |
| 2 | Jaguars | 12 |
| 3 | Seahawks | 1 |
| 4 | Texans | 7 |
DeMarco Murray's return to fantasy prominence in 2016 was inspiring after his season in Chip Kelly hell with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2015.
All indications point toward Murray having another solid season in 2017, with head coach Mike Mularkey making no bones about the fact that he will remain the team's workhorse, despite promising signs from Derrick Henry's rookie campaign.
But Murray's season could start slowly, particularly from Week 2 to Week 4. After getting a cushy matchup against the Oakland Raiders in Week 1, Murray faces three straight top-12 projected run-stopping units, per our defensive metrics, in the Jacksonville Jaguars, Seattle Seahawks and Houston Texans.
Last season, Murray failed to top 4.0 yards per carry in any of the four games in which he faced top-12 run defenses.
While improbable, it's fair to wonder whether Henry will carve out more of a role for himself in the backfield should Murray struggle in the face of these matchups. After all, Henry's 0.03 Rushing NEP per rush bested Murray's 0.02 Rushing NEP per rush last season. And Henry's 48.18% Rushing Success Rate bested Murray's 44.03% Rushing Success Rate, too.
Things do lighten up significantly for Murray after Week 4, with only one projected top-10 run defense on his schedule during the months of October and November. Assuming Mularkey cuts Murray some slack for the tough defenses he'll be trying to run through in September, he could be a great buy low candidate after some early-season struggles.
