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As of yet.
That's what is important to remember amid Murray's blistering start to the 2014 campaign. Fantasy owners who took a chance on the all-purpose back have been rewarded for their faith so far, but it's still early. To expect Murray to continue at his stunning current pace is a tad unrealistic.
Cale Gundy, Murray's running back coach from his college days at Oklahoma, outlined what makes Murray so special, per Fox Sports' Ross Jones:
I think he's just scratching the surface. There's no doubt that he has the tools. He's extremely fast; he's got great quickness, the ability to make you miss. He's a very physical player. A great pass protector and can catch the ball easily. There's no doubt that he's well-rounded.
In the NFL, the enviable skill set that's allowed Murray to lead the league in rushing with 385 yards on 75 carries thus far might be a blessing and a curse.
Cowboys coach Jason Garrett doesn't want to take him off the field too often, yet that also leaves Murray more susceptible to being in harm's way.
I know, it's football, one of the most violent sports mankind ever created.
But NFL.com's Dan Hanzus poses a simple, important question:
Murray may well end up as one of the top five backs in fantasy football this year. It's just hard to expect the type of production he's had for an entire 16-game season.
Why is this? For one, because Murray has never made it through the 16-game season without missing at least two games. Now he is in his fourth year as a pro, so there is enough of a track record there to be alarmed.
Check out the elite company Murray has joined through three brilliant performances, per the NFL on ESPN:
Will fantasy owners determine their expectations of Murray in 2014 by his complete body of work, or by what they've seen in a three-game stretch, as impressive as it's been? The former seems to be the more realistic approach.
Being mentioned in the same breath as the legends Murray has joined in starting the year with three 100-yard games is an honor, no doubt. However, his style and history of durability issues are concerning.
An ankle injury landed Murray on IR toward the end of his rookie year in 2011, a foot injury sidelined him for six games in 2012 and a nagging knee kept him out for two games last season (h/t KFFL.com).
Marc Sessler of NFL.com noticed how Murray embraced contact in his Week 2 showcase against the Tennessee Titans, in which he carried the rock 29 times for 167 yards and a touchdown:
That just isn't sustainable, not in this era of unprecedented size, speed and resultant force with which players are hitting and being hit.
With 34-year-old quarterback Tony Romo still shaking off some rust from back surgery and the Cowboys defense perpetually suspect, the game plan likely won't change. This will make Murray fantasy owners happy in the short term, but whether it will last is another matter.
For a case in point from this year, look at Houston Texans Pro Bowler Arian Foster.
As productive as Foster has been in the past—and with two complete 16-game seasons on his resume—he had an NFL-high 55 rush attempts in the first two games of 2014. Foster didn't play in Week 3 because of a hamstring injury that is still lingering ahead of Week 4.
The shelf lives of NFL ball-carriers have seen a gradual decrease. Although Murray is just 26 and far from the dreaded, oft-cited age-30 plateau, the workload he's been shouldering thus far is putting extra wear and tear on his body and is bound to run him down sooner rather than later.
Fantasy owners are going to need Murray for their playoff runs if they're counting on him to be an RB1 right now. Likewise, Dallas needs Murray fresh to have any hope of keeping pace with the Philadelphia Eagles and even the New York Giants in the NFC East.
It's in the Cowboys' hands to handle Murray properly and perhaps have Joseph Randle, who's totaled all of five carries for a strong 35 yards so far, spell him on occasion.
In the event that Murray continues anywhere near his ESPN.com projected pace of 400 carries—a total Larry Johnson last reached in 2006—fantasy owners and Cowboys fans are set up for a letdown even if Murray keeps producing at a prolific pace in the short term.
Read more Dallas Cowboys news on BleacherReport.com
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