In the fallout of the Javonte Williams ACL tear, the Denver Broncos signed veteran running back Latavius Murray off the New Orleans Saints practice squad to their 53-man roster. Murray is a familiar name as a former member of the Saints, Baltimore Ravens, Minnesota Vikings, and the Las Vegas Raiders (Oakland Raiders at the time.)
The 230-pound back has had fantasy football value as a bruising running with touchdown upside in the past, so he immediately enters the fantasy radar, especially after a solid performance with the Saints in his season debut in Week 4.
However, he's not guaranteed touches in Denver, so is the 32-year-old running back worth picking up in fantasy football? Let's dive into it.
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How Did Latavius Murray Play in Week 4?
In the absence of Alvin Kamara (ribs), Murray carried 11 times for 57 yards and a touchdown in the loss to the Minnesota Vikings in London. His opportunity was also opened by Mark Ingram II getting banged up, but he looked fresh and was ready to handle a decent workload.
Latavius Murray runs in for the #Saints touchdown. pic.twitter.com/G4j9L8JBGj
— NFL Unlimited (@NFLUnlimited) October 2, 2022
Ultimately, he played well enough for the Broncos to take notice, so it was a successful season debut for Murray.
Should I Pick Up Latavius Murray in Fantasy Football?
Even with Williams out for the reason as the Broncos RB1, Murray will share a backfield with Melvin Gordon and Mike Boone. Gordon was benched in Week 4 after fumbling for the fourth time this season, but he'll surely be the lead back in the Denver offense.
Boone should slot in at the RB2 and could see as much as around 50 percent of the running back opportunities. That leaves Murray with an unclear role. For now, he should only be picked up in deep leagues, as there's a good chance he's merely a handcuff to Gordon or Boone. In shallow leagues, Boone is the clear target.
However, Gordon (neck) has been limited in practice so far this week leading up to a Thursday night game against the Colts, so things could get interesting. If he's out, Murray could be a desperation play in deep leagues as an RB2 or flex, but Boone would be a must-start as the Broncos' lead back.
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