McFadden had just five carries for 16 yards in Sunday's loss to New England, but caught 9-of-10 targets for 62 yards.

McFadden was bottled up as a runner, but was able to shake free a bit on check downs from QB Brandon Weeden. Meanwhile, starter Joseph Randle had 15 carries for 60 yards and caught 4-of-4 targets for just 13 yards. Youngster Christine Michael ran only one time for six yards, although it wouldn't be surprising to see him get more work, at the expense of Randle, over the next few weeks. The season-ending injury to Lance Dunbar (knee) has opened up more playing time for McFadden, but for now, it's not an ideal situation, especially with an offense that is missing major pieces (Tony Romo (shoulder) and Dez Bryant (foot). Make sure McFadden is on your bench next week, as the Cowboys will have their bye.

ESPN's Ed Werder suggests that McFadden is a candidate to replace Lance Dunbar (who is now on IR) as the Cowboys' preferred backfield option in passing situations.

While that doesn't change the fact that Joseph Randle remains on hand to see a good portion of the Cowboys' carries, Dunbar did manage 21 catches for 215 yards in four games prior to suffering his season-ending injury, so if McFadden does end up absorbing some added work as a pass-catcher, it could result in a degree of added fantasy value for him, notably in PPR formats.

McFadden had 10 carries for 31 yards in Sunday's 26-20 loss to the Saints.

Joseph Randle didn't fare any better, carrying 11 times for 26 yards and a touchdown, also without any targets. Either Randle or McFadden, if not both, will have to take on an expanded role in the passing game, as Lance Dunbar appeared to suffer a severe knee injury during Sunday's game.

McFadden ran the ball six times for 35 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's loss to the Falcons.

It was a solid performance on a per-touch basis, but with Joseph Randle erupting for three TDs of his own in the game, McFadden is clearly stuck as the second option in the Dallas backfield.

McFadden carried the ball 10 times for 31 yards Sunday, adding two catches on two targets for 21 yards.

The Cowboys vaunted offensive line hasn't quite found its stride yet, so McFadden's production has been limited as the second option in the backfield behind Joseph Randle. If he can keep getting 8-12 touches a game though, McFadden could still be useful in deeper leagues with a favorable matchup.

McFadden gained 16 yards on six carries and 19 yards on one reception (one target) in Sunday's 27-26 win over the Cowboys.

Joseph Randle got the start and had 65 yards on 16 carries and 43 yards on three receptions (three targets), with Lance Dunbar adding eight catches for 70 yards on eight targets. McFadden will head into Week 2 against the Eagles as the clear No. 2 option on early downs, though it's still possible he could get extra touches if he outplays Randle.

Although Joseph Randle worked with the first-team offense during the media portion of Wednesday's practice, coach Jason Garrett did say that the Cowboys don't intend to restrict McFadden's workload this season in an effort to keep him healthy, the Dallas Morning News reports.

While Randle still appears to be in the lead to start Sunday, anyone who invested in McFadden can at least be confident that if he gets hot, the Cowboys coaching staff won't be afraid to ride him as long as he's effective. Any back running behind the Dallas offensive line has the potential for value even in a committee situation, so in deeper formats McFadden could be be worth using in Week 1 even if he isn't named the official starter.

Although Joseph Randle is listed as the starter on the team's official depth chart ahead of McFadden, the coaching staff hasn't actually decided who will start Sunday's game against the Giants, the Ft. Worth Star-Telegram reports. "We won't outline anything before the game," coach Jason Garrett said. "We'll give each of those guys a chance over the course of the week to show us that they're worthy of opportunities."

It's still likely that Randle is the first back out of the huddle Sunday, but game flow and situation should dictate who among Randle, McFadden and Christine Michael gets the most touches and has the most value. A clear starter could emerge as the season progresses, but for now using any member of the Dallas backfield in your lineup should be considered a high-risk play, albeit one with potentially high rewards as well.

The Cowboys seem content to use a true committee approach with their backfield this season rather than name McFadden, or anyone else, as the "starter", ESPN Dallas reports.

The most important thing for McFadden is to stay healthy, but assuming he does it seems like he'll see most of his snaps on passing downs due to his blocking skills, while Joseph Randle handles early-down and short-yardage action. That puts a definite ceiling on McFadden's fantasy value if that committee structure holds, but the Cowboys are trying to replace DeMarco Murray and his 449 touches in 2014, so there will be plenty of work to go around for both Dallas backs.

McFadden gained 37 yards on four carries and six yards on one reception (one target) in Saturday's preseason game against the Vikings.

McFadden had the best night of any Dallas running back, but it was Joseph Randle who got the start, as well as most of the early-down snaps with the first-team offense. The roles will likely be similar to start the season, with McFadden mixing in on early downs and Lance Dunbar handling most of the passing-down work. If Randle struggles early in the season, McFadden may get a shot to lead the Dallas backfield.

McFadden (neck) was a full participant in Wednesday's practice, taking second-team snaps behind Joseph Randle, DallasCowboys.com reports.

Assuming he can stay healthy, that's likely where he will begin the regular season, behind Randle on the depth chart. If he can wrest the starting job away, McFadden would have significant upside running behind the Cowboys' impressive offensive line, but given his injury-prone track record and miserable last few seasons in Oakland, he also carries significant risk if you add him to your fantasy roster.

McFadden missed Tuesday's practice due to neck stiffness, Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports.

Despite McFadden's extensive injury history, this ailment doesn't appear to be a particularly concerning one. Depending on his status for the next couple of days, McFadden could be in line to play in Saturday's preseason tilt with the Vikings, but it still appears that Joseph Randle is set to garner the start at running back for the Cowboys in Week 1.

McFadden gained four yards on three carries and three yards on one reception in Sunday's preseason game against the 49ers.

McFadden played the first two drives before giving way to Joseph Randle, who finished with 30 yards on seven carries. Randle is still the favorite to lead the Cowboys' backfield, but McFadden and Lance Dunbar are also vying for roles.

McFadden will play in Sunday's preseason game against the 49ers, but isn't expected to see much action, Brandon George of The Dallas Morning News reports.

McFadden battled a hamstring early in training camp, but debut with his new club Sunday. Even when healthy, he'll need to beat out the likes of Joseph Randle, Lance Dunbar and possibly Gus Johnson for touches out of the backfield. The veteran backfield, who have a history of injury issues, will finally get a chance to make his first impression with the Cowboys on Sunday.

McFadden is expected to play in Sunday's preseason game against the 49ers, The Dallas Morning News reports.

McFadden was slowed by a hamstring injury to begin training camp, but is now back healthy and ready to incorporate himself in the Cowboys' offense. Given Dallas' running back situation, it's possible McFadden's snap count will be monitored closely Sunday, as injuries have often impeded his career.

McFadden looked good during 11-on-11 drills in Tuesday's practice both as a runner and a receiver, DallasCowboys.com reports.

He seems to have recovered from the hamstring injury that kept him off the field for the early part of training camp. McFadden is likely ticketed primarily for passing-down work at this point, but he could still wrest the starting job away from Joseph Randle if he stays healthy and out-performs the younger back through the remaining preseason schedule.

McFadden (hamstring) was a limited participant in Saturday's practice, David Helman of DallasCowboys.com reports.

The Cowboys signed two new RBs (Ben Malena and Michael Hill) this weekend to provide some depth in camp, so they won't need to rush McFadden back into action. Once the team deems him ready though, look for him to get plenty of reps as he competes with Joseph Randle for the top spot on the depth chart.

McFadden (hamstring) will be "full-go" at practice Saturday, Brandon George of the Dallas Morning News reports.

After suffering a strained hamstring prior to training camp, McFadden will make his first appearance in the 12th practice, fulfilling the expectation of head coach Jason Garrett in the aftermath of Thursday's preseason tilt. While it's unclear if McFadden will achieve the stated goal of a full practice Saturday, he'll nonetheless ramp up his reps in preparation for the Cowboys' next exhibition on Aug. 23 in San Francisco.

Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett confirmed after Thursday's preseason game that McFadden (hamstring) was on schedule to return to practice Saturday, the Dallas Morning News reports.

Lance Dunbar (ankle) is also expected to rejoin the backfield Saturday, so the battle for snaps with Joseph Randle appears ready to begin in earnest. McFadden still has plenty of time to prove he isn't the broken-down player he appeared to be in Oakland over the last few years, but if he can't stay healthy in camp the team may have little choice but to look outside the organization for another running back.

McFadden (hamstring) is scheduled to return to practice Saturday, Todd Archer of ESPN Dallas reports.

Hinting at a bit of progress, McFadden is doing his rehab work in shoulder pads Tuesday afternoon. His Saturday return to practice is no sure thing, but it seems he should be healthy in time to play two or three preseason games, potentially pushing Joseph Randle for touches. Randle, the favorite to lead the Dallas backfield, returned to the field Tuesday after missing one practice with a minor oblique issue.