Should I Pick Up Latavius Murray? Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Outlook

Veteran running back Latavius Murray has been well-traveled of late, having played for the Baltimore Ravens, New Orleans Saints, and Denver Broncos since the beginning of the 2021 season.

His most recent stop has been in Denver after the Broncos signed him off of the New Orleans practice squad ahead of Week 5 following the devastating Javonte Williams knee injury in Week 4.

The nine-year veteran has been involved in a timeshare in the Denver backfield since Williams was lost for the season, splitting snaps primarily with Melvin Gordon III and Mike Boone. Should fantasy managers be adding Murray off of waivers ahead of Week 8? Let's dive in and take a look.

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What Did Latavius Murray Do In Week 7?

Murray turned in a slow effort in Week 7, although he salvaged his afternoon with a two-yard touchdown run in the first quarter. In all, he carried the ball eight times for 24 yards and the score while losing one yard on two receptions.

Overall, he saw 34.7% of Denver's running back carries in the contest, checking in with three fewer than starter Melvin Gordon.

His work in the passing game was similar as he drew three of seven total running back targets in the 16-9 loss to the New York Jets.

Should I Add Latavius Murray Off the Waiver Wire in Fantasy Football?

Murray has drawn some interest in fantasy as he has been productive in all three of his games played in 2022. While with the Saints, he went for 11 carries, 57 yards, and a touchdown. He then picked up 66 yards on 15 carries in his first game with Denver before his previously mentioned 24-yard, one-score outing against the Jets in Week 7.

The Denver backfield has been a bit sketchy from a fantasy perspective as it has been a three-way committee since Williams went down. As Rotoballer's own Michael Florio notes, things have been messy.

#Broncos Week 7 RB Usage

- Melvin Gordon: 52% snaps, 11 carries, 4 targets (50 yards)
- Latavius Murray: 37% snaps, 8 carries, 3 targets (23 yards)
- Mike Boone: 12% snaps, 4 carries, no targets (23 yards)

It's a mess

— Michael F. Florio (@MichaelFFlorio) October 23, 2022

While there was initially some hope for Murray to see a larger role moving forward after Mike Boone was placed on injured reserve with an ankle injury on Monday, that quickly dissipated after the team signed Marlon Mack off of San Francisco's practice squad that same day.

Mack expected to sign with #Broncos means corresponding move needed. Mike Boone left Sunday’s game with an ankle injury. Could be for Boone. And trade speculation has surrounded Melvin Gordon since he was benched vs Chargers. Team added Latavius Murray a few weeks ago. #Denver7 https://t.co/03Z5EX5Hy1

— Troy Renck (@TroyRenck) October 24, 2022

The truth is that the Denver rushing attack has not been very good this season, ranking 27th in the league in rushing offense according to the grades over at PFF. Murray is worth a speculative add as depth at the end of fantasy rosters but he is not likely to be a consistent source of fantasy production moving forward, unless Gordon ends up getting traded by the November 1 trade deadline.

Murray should be rostered in leagues of 12 teams and larger in case Gordon does get traded or if there is an injury. That being said, fantasy managers interested in Murray should bid no more than 5% of their FAAB budget this week as he is not a must-stash at this point of the season.

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