In Oakland’s third preseason game against the Green Bay Packers, Maurice Jones-Drew provided a flashback to his glory days in Jacksonville, breaking past the Packers defense for a 40-yard touchdown. It was something you would have seen often between 2006-2011, when Jones-Drew was one of the NFL’s best backs and a key component of many successful fantasy teams. The last two years have not been kind to Maurice, as he played just six games in 2012 and suffered through a precipitous drop in production last year, averaging 3.4 yards per carry, easily the lowest total in his career. Were the past two years the beginning of the end for Jones-Drew, or merely a bump in the road?
2014 Upside
Jones-Drew was born in Oakland and played his college ball at UCLA. Coming back to California could provide some added motivation for the veteran, who wasn’t lacking in that department after Jacksonville cut ties with him in favor of largely unproven Toby Gerhart. With fast-fading Matt Schaub and rookie Derek Carr expected to get most of the playing time at quarterback, Oakland will need a strong running game. Jones-Drew is an iron man compared to backfield mate Darren McFadden and is far more suited to handle the heavy lifting between the tackles. Nagging injuries may have been the sole reason he was ineffective in 2013. The preseason provided evidence of improved health.
2014 Downside
There were times in Jacksonville where Jones-Drew was all the Jaguars had, which is a big reason why his fantasy numbers were so good. It’s not like the Raiders are loaded with weapons, but McFadden (when healthy) and Marcel Reece will take touches away from Jones-Drew. Oakland’s offensive line is lacking in dependability and the Raiders are facing an intimidating schedule. That hurts even more when you consider defenses will have no problem crowding the line of scrimmage and daring Schaub or Carr to beat them. The overall environment in Oakland could be poor, with questions regarding job security for head coach Dennis Allen and speculation about the franchise moving to San Antonio or Los Angeles.
Bottom Line
Considering that Jones-Drew has an ADP in the seventh/eighth round range at the moment, he has some moderate sleeper appeal. However, expectations should be tempered when accounting for his recent track record and the terrible team he now plays for. It would be hard to rely on Maurice as a regular starter, but as a part-time fill-in or flex, he can help your team.
