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Marshawn Lynch: In line For A Monster Fantasy Football Season?

By Willie Lovato

Sep 13, 2015; St. Louis, MO, USA; Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch (24) walks off the field after the first half against the St. Louis Rams at the Edward Jones Dome. The Rams defeated the Seahawks 34-31 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 13, 2015; St. Louis, MO, USA; Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch (24) walks off the field after the first half against the St. Louis Rams at the Edward Jones Dome. The Rams defeated the Seahawks 34-31 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports /
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Nov 22, 2015; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch (24) sits on the bench during the fourth quarter of a 29-13 Seattle victory against the San Francisco 49ers at CenturyLink Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 22, 2015; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch (24) sits on the bench during the fourth quarter of a 29-13 Seattle victory against the San Francisco 49ers at CenturyLink Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports /

After months of rumors of a possible return to football it looks like “Beast Mode” Marshawn Lynch will in fact be suiting up for the Oakland Raiders next season. According to Ian Rapoport, Lynch’s representatives and the Raiders have agreed to terms on a contract. So what kind of value could Lynch carry in fantasy football next season?

 Marshawn Lynch: A Shaky Ending In Seattle

Let’s start with the past few years as Lynch decided to hang the cleats up after a disappointing 2015 season in which he struggled to get things going early and had to get surgery for a sports hernia. Marshawn ended up starting in six games and totaling 417 yards in what many thought would be his final season.

In the 4 years prior to his final season with the Seahawks, Marshawn stayed true to his nickname Beast Mode by averaging 1,339 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns in each of those years. Lynch was a fantasy first round lock in those years, finishing on average as the #5 running back in PPR scoring and #4 in standard scoring.

So how does he fit with Oakland? Great in my opinion.

Marshawn Lynch: On To Oakland

The Oakland Raiders were one of just six teams to average 120 or more rushing yards per game and finished ranked 6th in rushing offense. A lot of that credit should go directly to that offensive line. Lynch will be lining up behind a group of mostly free agent signings that have become one of the leagues most dominant groups.

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According to Pro Football Focus, the Raiders were the 4th best offensive line in the NFL last season and could have been higher if not for injuries at the right tackle position. Read full article here.

A great offensive line and a year of rest may just be what the doctor ordered. Lynch carried the ball a whopping 1,181 times from 2011-2014 and did so with a running style as violent as any.

Former Raiders starting running back Latavius Murray managed to score 12 touchdowns last season. Eleven of those came inside the 20 yard line and nine came inside the 5 yard line. These opportunities will now go to Beast Mode. Not only can Lynch capitalize on them but he may be able to do more with them than Murray could.

When Murray left town to join the Minnesota Vikings he took 228 touches with him. While the young duo of DeAndre Washington and Jalen Richard will see some of those, Lynch looks to be in line to see the majority of them.

If I had to guess where Lynch’s ADP will be come fantasy draft time I’d guess somewhere around the late 3rd round, which could end being a steal for a back that carries RB1 potential. Opportunities on a powerful offense will be there for Lynch and I expect 2017 to be a much different story than 2015.

Next: Fantasy Football Dynasty Trades to Target

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