When the Dallas Cowboys walked away from the 2015 NFL Draft without a running back, I think a few Fantasy Football players panicked.
Emmitt Smith pleased with Cowboys’ stable of running backs http://t.co/2QE0NkeVZX
— Clarence Hill (@clarencehilljr) May 6, 2015
Running back Darren McFadden signed a two-year deal with Dallas in March, but he’s burnt many of his Fantasy Football owner’s bridges during his seven-year career. Aside from McFadden, the Cowboys are filled with unproven commodities in Joseph Randle, Lance Dunbar, Ryan Williams and Synjyn Days.
Dallas Cowboys Running Backs in 2015 Fantasy Football Leagues
Last season, DeMarco Murray touched the ball an insane 450 times. Don’t expect that from any back in 2015 Fantasy Football leagues, as Dallas will most likely take a committee approach at running back.
There of course are also the rumors that Adrian Peterson may find his way to Dallas, although the logistics make that seem highly unlikely. With all the rumors and uncertainty at the position, it’s easy to see why Fantasy players are eager to receive more concrete answers about a starting running back in Dallas.
Joseph Randle Fantasy Football Profile
“The Cowboys expect Joseph Randle to be one of their breakout stars.” – @RapSheet on @NFLTotalAccess right now! pic.twitter.com/o0TPCTDAg4 — NFL Network (@nflnetwork) May 6, 2015
Randle is a fifth-round draft pick from the 2013 NFL Draft. He finished his 2012 season at Oklahoma State with 1,417 rushing yards, 14 rushing touchdowns and 224 rushing yards. He finished as a top performer at the 2013 NFL Combine in the broad jump, but he recorded a 4.63 40-yard dash time. His big knocks from his draft profile was that he ran too upright and he doesn’t have an elite burst.
In two years with Dallas, the 23-year old back has compiled 507 rushing yards, five rushing touchdowns and 84 receiving yards. This isn’t a lot of information to base a decision on, but ESPN staff writer Todd Archer believes Randle is a better fit in the Cowboys’ system. Archer also made the bold prediction that Randle would finish the 2015 season with 1,200 rushing yards.
Joseph Randle’s ADP
As you can see, Randle’s average draft position has made a big jump over the last few days. He went from the 11.06 pick on May 4th to a 10.5 pick on May 12th. I think that’s a pretty nice spot to snag him now, but as the season approaches I’m sure he will be drafted much earlier.
It’s important to start preparing for your draft now, but until the spot is a little more finalized and the rumor mill quiets down it’s hard to judge Randle’s Fantasy Football value for 2015. If you look at the early drafts though, McFadden is a fifth-round pick which makes Randle a much less risky investment. Pay attention to reports indicating who blocks better, as the running backs will be relied on heavily to keep an aging Tony Romo from hitting the ground too often.
Jack Delaney is the owner of Your Fantasy Football Coach. Connect with him on Twitter and Facebook, and make sure to check out his new ebook The Zero RB Theory to start planning for your 2015 Fantasy Football season.
Categories: 2015 Fantasy Football
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