The Dallas Cowboys didn't panic when they lost the NFL's leading rusher in DeMarco Murray to free agency this offseason because they boasted arguably the league's best offensive line. As a result, they completely eschewed the position in the draft, opting instead to sign veteran Darren McFadden in free agency and trade for backup Christine Michael in September. Between them, Joseph Randle and Lance Dunbar, owner Jerry Jones was convinced the team had enough at the position to get by given the strength of their OL.
Was he right?
Randle and Michael were both released following disappointing stints with the team in which they failed to make a real impact. Dunbar suffered a torn ACL early in the season and will be sidelined until next year. None of those options have worked out and the Cowboys have since gone out and added rookie Rod Smith for depth purposes.
But McFadden, perhaps the biggest question mark of them all given his immense struggles in Oakland over the past few years, has actually surpassed all expectations. He's been a surprising contributor for both the Cowboys and for fantasy football owners this year.
But can he keep it up?
"Despite a fairly attractive matchup against Tampa Bay in Week 10, Darren McFadden managed only 58 scrimmage yards and failed to score a touchdown," ESPN Fantasy Football Insider Mike Clay wrote. "That's the bad news. The good news is that Dallas' feature back was on the field for 44 of the team's 54 offensive snaps and racked up 20 touches. Dallas has averaged a pathetic 1.6 offensive touchdowns per game during the seven games missed by Tony Romo, but the team's MVP will be back under center this week against Miami. McFadden is already a workhorse back and Romo's return will add scoring opportunities to his plate. McFadden is a mid-pack RB1 and his ceiling is massive."
Over his last five games, McFadden has had two 100-yard performances and two games with at least six receptions. For the season, he has carried the ball 130 times for 494 yards (3.8 YPC) and two touchdowns with 24 receptions for 192 yards. No, those stats aren't eye popping, but they're decent considering who was under center for the Cowboys. With Romo back, teams won't be able to stack the box as often which should open up a few more running lanes for McFadden.
And it's not as if the Dolphins boast the best defense in the league. Five different RBs have topped 100-yards against them while 10 different ball-carriers have seen the endzone. Overall, opposing RBs are averaging 21.2 total fantasy points per against Miami, second-highest mark in the league. McFadden should be in line for a bounce-back performance.
