So Raiders running back Darren McFadden said after the June minicamp that this could be his best year yet. He might be right.
The Raiders have refocused their offensive scheme to put McFadden back in a system he likes with a power rushing attack. And with a lack of weapons on offense -- Carson Palmer, Darrius Heyward-Bey and Brandon Myers left with no significant upgrades -- McFadden is going to see plenty of touches.
But the key for McFadden, as always, is health. He missed four games last season with an ankle injury and has yet to play in more than 13 games in any season of his career. When you draft him, you do so with the expectation he's going to sit out a portion of the season for some sort of ailment.
Still, based on where McFadden will be drafted in most formats -- figure on Round 3 at the earliest or even Round 4 -- he's worth the risk. If he plays 13 games he will post top 15 stats among Fantasy running backs because he's done it before (see 2010).
We'll just all keep our fingers crossed that McFadden doesn't get hurt because then he will live up to his latest proclamation of having the best season of his career.