The guy who looks most likely to emerge as a true No. 1 RB the earliest is the Denver Broncos' Royce Freeman.
Not only did the third-round draft pick look more impressive than veteran Devontae Booker in the preseason opener with four carries for 38 yards (including a 23-yard touchdown), but ESPN Broncos reporter Jeff Legwold has continued to stress that, "He's just too big, too fast not to play, and he runs with vision."
Fantasy Impact:
We do think Booker could emerge in the passing game and turn into more of a third-down, change-of-pace back, perhaps once Freeman gets more established. As the story also said, rookie backs tend to be stuck in timeshares, at least early in the year.