The Oakland Raiders may look at signing free agent running back LaMichael James after his release from the 49ers, as they may need some support if Maurice Jones-Drew, Darren McFadden and Latavius Murray struggle and fantasy football owners should keep an eye on James, as he could be a sleeper pickup if any of the other RBs end up as busts, as he has prime speed and skills out of the backfield.
According to Pro Football Talk, the 49ers gave James his release after it was requested and it comes after he was previously shopped in trades. The Niners have not used James much apart from special teams and he was in the dog house for quite a while. James was behind Frank Gore and Carols Hyde as well as Kendall Hunter in the rotation and now he could be an option for a number of teams, including the Raiders. The Giants did not look great to start in Week 1 and neither did the Cowboys and they also could be fits for the free agent back.
McFadden and Drew have dealt with injuries before and Murray is untested and it likely would not cost much for James to get brought in. McFadden ended up with four carries for 15 yards in the opening loss to the Jets, while MJD had nine carries for 11 yards and two catches for 12 yards. Drew and McFadden should get more touches as the season goes along, but with Derek Carr under center and Murray doing nothing, adding a player with explosive seed in the backfield isn't a bad idea.
McFadden comes in after missing games once again and he has never played in more than 13 games in any season in the league. McFadden has had one 1000 yard season and he has missed 10 games over the past two seasons and now he could be dealing with some more this season unless he can stay healthy. MJD is getting older and while he can be a solid option for the team, he too is coming off of an injury season and he is coming off of a year with just 803 yards, although he played in 15 games. The season before MJD had played in just six games and now he is hoping for a big season.
James has not had much action in his career, playing in 10 games last season and rushing or just 59 yards, but he has explosive speed and can also catch the ball out of the backfield. James could also be a factor on special teams and that makes him a solid option for teams. The Raiders are coming off of a 4-12 season and now they have lost their opening game and that was to the Jets and now they will try and get things going in Week 2.
