Rashad Jennings is getting pretty used to filling in for Darren McFadden. Once again, the Oakland Raiders running back is injured, making Jennings the quiet MVP of the team. The Raiders are preparing for their Sunday matchup against the New York Giants that could possibly see McFadden missing another game this year.
McFadden aggravated a lingering hamstring injury against the Philadelphia Eagles that caused him to depart the game early in favor of Jennings. Given McFadden's history, head coach Dennis Allen notes that this recent setback has the team concerned of what it could mean for the veteran going forward.
"Obviously, with hamstrings, you never know, with Darren," Allen said via CSNBayArea.com. "So, probably a little more concern with Darren than there'd be with Terrelle but we'll see how both of those guys are doing in the morning and that will probably dictate what their availability is going to be on Wednesday."
McFadden has yet to play more than 13 games a season since entering the NFL five years ago. The running back is currently playing out the final year of his rookie contract and will be in search of a new deal either with Oakland or somewhere else. His string of injuries does very little to gain the confidence of any team questioning whether McFadden is worthy of some kind of long-term deal.
Meanwhile, fantasy owners of Jennings are reaping the benefits and will continue to as the backup is clearly the better option in place of McFadden. After stepping in for the starter, Jennings totaled up 176 yard and a touchdown on Sunday. He also caught seven passes for 74 yards. Jennings averaged 6.8 yards per carry, receiving the entire work load in place of McFadden. So far, Allen is loving what he sees from the backup.
Jennings is barely owned in leagues so fantasy players should take the hint and scoop him up while available. Jennings was a large factor in the entire offense, not just the run game. He received a team-high 11 targets passing while doing all the rushing. He is more appealing than any other player for the Raiders. There is a good chance that McFadden will sit out at least one game after the injury, making Jennings poised for another big day.
