Player: Latavius Murray
Position: Running Back
Team: Oakland Raiders
2016 Statistics | Rush | Yards | AVG | Rec | Yards | TD | Points | Ranking |
| 195 | 788 | 4.0 | 33 | 264 | 12 | 191.70 | 13th |
2016 Review
Murray missed two game to injury, but was still able to put up his second consecutive 1,000-plus total yard season. He averaged a decent 4.0 yards per rush and ranked among the league leaders in rushing touchdowns with 12. In addition to finishing as a top-end RB2 option, Murray found himself as the 18th-most consistent fantasy running back.
That's a solid level of consistency for someone, especially if you were relying on him as nothing more than a RB2 option in 12-team leagues.
The issue with Murray was overall touches in Oakland. He averaged less than 14 rush attempts per game with DeAndre Washington and Jalen Richard combining for 170 rush attempts themselves. That will likely continue to be an issue in Oakland should Murray return. This is to say that a committee approach is the death nail for a running back when it comes to high-end fantasy production.
Dynasty Outlook
On the other hand, there promises to be a nice amount of interest in Murray's services on the open market. Here's a guy that's put up over 2,300 total yards with 18 touchdowns over the past two seasons. He's just 26 years old and has his best football ahead of him.
Should the Raiders retain Murray with the interest he's expected to see on the open market, it won't come cheaply. If that's the case, the team will likely rely on him to be a three-down back, giving him more consistent touches than we've seen in each of the past two seasons. A return to Oakland likely suggest RB1 upside for Murray.
Free Agency Outlook
As we mentioned above, there promises to be a ton of interest in Murray's services when free agency gets going in March. Rarely do 26-year-old running backs with two consecutive 1,000-yard seasons under their belt hit the open market. That's usually reserved for players that are on the back end of their careers.
With the NFL as it currently looks, nearly half the teams out there could be in the market for new starting running backs. That's an amazing realization to come to as we enter the offseason.
Outside of Oakland, Murray's best fit has to be considered the Denver Broncos. They run similar blocking schemes and the Broncos are likely going to find themselves in the market for a veteran after struggling big time on the ground this past season.
Potential Suitors: Denver Broncos, New England Patriots, Cleveland Browns, Washington Redskins, New Orleans Saints, Detroit Lions