Latavius Murray, RB Oakland Raiders Fantasy Football Rookie Spotlight
Dorian “The Trashman” Colbert, Rosterwatch.com

Photo via Latavius Murray Twitter

Height: 6’2″

Weight: 223 pounds

40-time: 4.38

Drafted: 6th Round

 

The Trashman’s Scouting Notes:

Tall and extremely quick, as evidenced by his Combine time, Murray has drawn comparisons to fellow Raider Darren McFadden. Fortunately, Murray isn’t as top heavy as McFadden, and seems much more sturdy, so he shouldn’t be as prone to leg injury. With 43 collegiate touchdowns under his belt, Murray has a nose for the end-zone and terrific straight line speed when he gets going. On the downside, he’s not very evasive, but he does have power to spare, something that the Raiders sorely need. Murray lacks burst in small spaces and showed a tendency in college to go down on first contact despite his bruising size and athletic body.

The Trashman’s Fantasy Outlook:

Murray’s best shot at being productive in Oakland right now is as a short yardage and goal-line back. That could lead to some usefulness fantasy-wise, but he’s got to beat out Rashad Jennings and Jeremy Stewart first. There is also Marcel Reece to contend with for touches. While not a “traditional” RB, the Raiders staff views the pass-catching H-back as an absolutely integral piece of their game plan. If Murray wins Mike Goodson’s old RB2 spot in Oakland, he will be playing right behind Darren McFadden, which is a cherry spot to be in considering the now-veteran’s injury history. In his six NFL seasons, McFadden has still yet to complete one healthy.