Fantasy Football: What Is The Value Of Latavius Murray And Dan Herron Going Forward?

Two high end waiver wire running backs this week are Raiders RB Latavius Murray and Colts RB Dan Herron. Both backs experienced a large bump in their fantasy value in the past week. Murray went off last Thursday against the Chiefs for 112 yards and two touchdowns, and Herron is receiving the starting role this week against the Washington Redskins. Both backs could be important assets to your fantasy teams that could provide extra running back depth for your team during the playoffs.

Nov 20, 2014; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders running back Latavius Murray (28) carries the ball against the Kansas City Chiefs at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Latavius Murray took the fantasy world by storm last week when he rolled over the Chiefs on prime time. Murray is finally getting his chance, and he is making the most of it. Murray is a big, physical back who has tremendous straight line speed. He is very comparable to Raiders RB Darren McFadden in his prime. Like McFadden, Murray excels at hitting the holes with vicious explosiveness with the speed to out run most defensive backs. If Murray hits the hole and none of the defenders can get their hands on him, then Murray will break off a big gain. Murray is a load at 6’3 225 lbs and he can catch the ball very well, which makes his fantasy appeal very exciting, especially in PPR leagues.

Murray has a tough schedule ahead of him. He has the Rams, 49ers, Chiefs, Bills, and Broncos.  All of those teams are good against the run. Murray will be out this week due to a concussion he suffered last week against the Chiefs, but I look for him to be back in the line up next week against the 49ers.  Even with the tough schedule, I’m still very high on Murray for the remainder of this season. The Raiders are going use Murray a lot to see what they have in him because they need to decide whether they need to invest in another running back for next year or stick with Murray as their guy. Murray is worth being rostered, and he is worth starting as a flex or RB2.

In dynasty leagues, Murray is more than likely not available on the waiver wire, but if your league still hasn’t had its trade deadline yet, then I’m not against trading for him if the price is right. I would pay a late 2nd round rookie pick or an aging player (like Greg Jennings) for him.

Like Murray, RB Dan Herron is getting his opportunity to shine. Herron is a different type of running back. He does everything well, but not great. Herron is getting his chance due to RB Ahmad Bradshaw being out for the year due to a season ending injury, and Trent Richardson providing mundane production.

Herron has a favorable schedule going forward with the Redskins, Browns, Texans, Cowboys, and Titans to finish out the season. Herron isn’t an athletically gifted runner, but he’s good enough to provide fantasy points for your team. Herron is starting on your teams as a flex or RB2, especially if your team is in dire need of a running back.

In dynasty leagues, if your league hasn’t hit the trade deadline yet and you own Herron, I recommend selling him to the highest bidder. I would try and sell Herron to a playoff contender for a late 1st round rookie pick, but I would settle for a mid 2nd if I had to. The reason why I’m willing to sell Herron is that I believe that there’s a good chance the Colts will bring in another running back, either in free agency or through the draft.

Both of these running backs are getting their chance to prove their worth. You should invest in these backs and pluck them off the waiver wire if possible. These backs are going to get a decent sized workload and will score fantasy points on a weekly basis.

If you need line up advice, please contact me in Twitter (@bmatz08), I’m very interactive and I like helping people with their fantasy teams.