A 15-carry performance on Monday Night Football has thrust Latavius Murray into the waiver wire limelight for fantasy football managers. The big question is whether this performance was a sign of things to come or simply a product of circumstances for the Denver Broncos.
Let’s look at Murray’s waiver wire credentials for fantasy managers in Week 7 and see where he sits among priorities this week.
Is Latavius Murray Someone Fantasy Managers Should Target on the Waiver Wire in Week 7?
The 2022 season has been a bizarre one for Murray. The New Orleans Saints didn’t sign him until after Week 1, and even then, it was only to the practice squad. His first elevation to the active roster came in Week 4 when the Saints faced the Minnesota Vikings in London.
Immediately after returning from London, the Denver Broncos signed Murray following the injury to Javonte Williams. He was inactive on the short week in Week 5 before not only being active in Week 6 but leading the backfield in snaps and touches.
Murray had 15 rushing attempts for 66 yards in the game. He added one target, with one reception for negative two yards. In the first half, Murray rotated drives with Melvin Gordon, who started the game.
Mike Boone was also involved on third downs and in the two-minute drill. However, in the second half and overtime, Murray dominated the touches. He had 14 of the 15 rushing attempts handled by Broncos RBs after halftime.
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This usage makes Murray an extremely intriguing waiver wire option for Week 7. However, there could be somewhat of a mitigating factor. Gordon came into the game with rib and neck injuries that had him limited in practice and questionable entering the game. Therefore, an element of this usage could be Nathaniel Hackett and the Broncos’ coaches being cautious with Gordon as he deals with those injuries.
After the game, Gordon didn’t indicate his lack of playing time was injury-related. When talking to NFL Network’s Bridget Condon, Gordon said it hurt “sitting watching the whole game, knowing that I could be out there.”
Additionally, Hackett did not list Gordon as having suffered an injury in his postgame press conference. When asked if Gordon was injured in the second half, Hackett responded with, “not that I know of, no.”
That phrasing seems odd from the offensive play caller. The underlying message would appear to be that Murray carrying the load in the second half was about performance as opposed to injury.
Hackett was also asked about Murray earlier in the press conference, “I thought he did a good job. It looked like he went in there and was running very hard, running downhill. He was making contact and falling forward, so that was good to see, and I’ll have to look at the tape and see how the other two guys did, but he definitely got into a rhythm.”
All of the messages coming out of Denver after the game Monday would suggest this is Murray’s job to run with for the time being. The opportunity to be a 10-plus-touch lead back in the NFL does not come around often. Consequently, Murray is certainly a waiver wire target for fantasy managers in Week 7, but where does he sit on the priority list?
How Should Fantasy Managers Prioritize Murray on the Week 7 Waiver Wire?
It is somewhat of a weird week for the RB position on the waiver wire. The main options coming out of the weekend are Kenyan Drake, Deon Jackson, Phillip Lindsay, Ronnie Rivers, Malcolm Brown, and Latavius Murray.
In shallower leagues, there is also the potential that Brian Robinson might be available after he scored a touchdown while leading the Commanders’ backfield all the way back on Thursday Night Football.
Really, three backs are fighting it out to be the top waiver wire priority right now: Robinson, Murray, and Drake (in case we hear that Dobbins could miss extended time). Robinson and Murray both appear to have taken command of their team’s respective RB1 roles. Meanwhile, Drake is more of an upside play after he finally looked to be back healthy following his ankle injury.
The balance here is tough because Drake will likely be in a timeshare, even if Dobbins is hurt. Meanwhile, Gordon and Robinson are dealing with less-than-ideal offensive line situations.
Both the Commanders and Broncos are in the bottom 10 in yards before contact per attempt at 2.5 yards or fewer. While we did not see any goal-line opportunities for the Broncos in Week 6, Murray did handle four short-yardage touches, suggesting he would see goal-line work when it arises.
Equally, both Murray and Robinson will seemingly lose touches to other backs. The Commanders have J.D. McKissic and Antonio Gibson mixing in across different situations, while Mike Boone still appears to be the main third-down and two-minute back based on Week 6 usage.
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Right now, you could make the case for either Robinson or Murray as your top waiver priority. Both are in similar situations and have the potential to be valuable contributors. Robinson’s grip on the lead-back role appears a little more settled, but Murray’s Week 6 numbers have a better look to them.
Per Next Gen Stats, Murray’s efficiency, which measures yards gained compared to total yards covered, was significantly better than Robinson’s. Murray also had the lowest time behind the line of scrimmage of any back in Week 6. Additionally, he outperformed the expected rushing yards on 60 percent of his carries, the third-highest number of the week.
Murray would be my top waiver wire claim this week. Gordon has struggled with fumbles this year, and it is seemingly clear the Broncos do not trust the Gordon-Boone duo. The opportunity to add a bell cow is rare.
Therefore, now is not the time to skimp with your FAAB budget (or waiver priority). Spending anywhere in the region of 30-35 percent of your remaining budget is a solid move for a player who could be a weekly starting RB going forward.
The only reason that FAAB isn’t more? Trying to read the mind of Nathaniel Hackett is a dangerous proposition. We could easily see Gordon mixing back in next week or when he gets healthier.
