Week 3 at New Orleans
Devonta Freeman rushed 17 times for 93 yards in the Falcons’ Week 2 win over the Raiders, but wasn’t targeted in the passing game. Freeman ran well, flashing the same patience and burst that made him a fantasy star last season while operating in Kyle Shanahan’s outside-zone running scheme. That said, Tevin Coleman finished with 14 touches so while Freeman remains Atlanta’s No. 1 back, this is a clear committee.
The good news is that on Monday night the Falcons will play the Saints, who own fantasy’s No. 31-ranked defenses versus running backs. The bad news is that Coleman will continue to carve into Freeman’s opportunities moving forward. Ranked as our RB12 for Week 3, view Freeman as a low-end RB1 in PPR formats and a mid-range RB2 in standard leagues.
Week 2 at Oakland
Devonta Freeman was a fantasy dud in Week 1, rushing for just 20 yards on 11 carries while catching four-of-four targets for 20 yards in the Falcons’ loss to the Bucs. The good news is that he still played more snaps than Tevin Coleman. The bad news is that Freeman (36) only had four more snaps than Coleman (32), so clearly Atlanta plans to make good on Dan Quinn’s offseason comments that the Falcons will use more of a RBBC approach this season. (In fact, Quinn said on Monday that the team will continue to use an RBBC moving forward.)
Freeman remains the RB1 in Atlanta and is the team’s goal line back, but if Week 1 was any indication of how Kyle Shanahan intends to use his running backs, Coleman will continue to receive opportunities (especially in the passing game). Ranked as our RB14 for Week 2, view Freeman as a RB2 for Sunday’s game against the Raiders.
Week 1 vs. Tampa Bay
Devonta Freeman had a breakout campaign in 2015, rushing for 1,056 yards and 11 touchdowns on 265 carries. He also added 73 receptions for 578 yards and three touchdowns, making him a great option in PPR formats. In two games last season versus the Bucs (the Falcons Week 1 opponent on Sunday), Freeman rushed 35 times for 135 yards and also added 16 receptions for 99 yards. Ranked as our RB7 in standard leagues and RB6 in PPR formats, Freeman is a must-start in Week 1.
Fantasy Upside
Devonta Freeman's emergence as the No. 1-ranked running back and the No. 2 overall fantasy player was one of the biggest stories in 2015. He exploded for 1,056 rushing yards on 265 carries with 11 touchdowns, and added 578 receiving yards on 73 catches and an additional three touchdowns. Had then-rookie Tevin Coleman not suffered a ribs injury early in the season, perhaps we would have never seen Freeman emerge as a fantasy star. Nevertheless, Freeman is locked in as the lead back on the Falcons' depth chart and will once again play a significant role as both a rusher and receiver in Kyle Shanahan's offense.
Fantasy Downside
The Falcons' coaching staff expressed this offseason that they want to reduce Freeman's workload in 2016. They maintain that they want Freeman and Coleman to compete for opportunities in Shanahan's offense despite Freeman's emergence last season. After touching the ball 337 times in 2015, Freeman ran out of gas down the stretch, which plays into the notion that he and Coleman will be in a timeshare this season. Keep in mind the current coaching regime in Atlanta didn't draft Freeman. They did take Coleman in the third-round of the 2015 NFL Draft, however, so they'll ensure he's given a chance to succeed. As previously mentioned, had Coleman not suffered an injury early last season, Freeman may have been relegated to RB2 duties throughout the year.
2016 Bottom Line
Freeman remains Atlanta's RB1 but it's unlikely that he'll receive 337 touches again unless Coleman's fumbling issues resurface. Thanks to his pass-catching abilities, Freeman has more value in PPR leagues than standard formats. He currently ranks as our RB5 in PPR but drops to RB14 in standard, so be conscientious of your league's scoring before draft night. If you play in a PPR league, Freeman is a RB1 and worth a second-round investment (his current ADP in 10-team leagues is 2.05, while his ADP in 12-team leagues is 2.03). If you play in standard formats, you'll have to weigh whether or not Freeman is worth a second-round pick when Allen Robinson, Brandon Marshall, Jamaal Charles and/or Jordy Nelson will be on the board at the same time.
Week 17 vs. New Orleans
Devonta Freeman rushed 22 times for 73 yards and a touchdown while also catching three-of-five targets for 17 yards in the Falcons' upset win over the Panthers in Week 16. Even though his longest run was for 14 yards, Freeman and Matt Ryan kept the chains moving throughout the day while keeping Cam Newton on the sidelines. His touchdown came on the Falcons' first offensive possession, which tied the game at 7-7. Freeman is once again the NFL leader in rushing yards and is just 19 yards shy of recording his first 1,000-yard season. Ranked as our RB1 for Week 17, Freeman is a great play against the Saints' shoddy defense in both standard and DFS formats this Sunday.
Week 16 vs. Carolina
Devonta Freeman rushed 25 times for 56 yards and a touchdown while also catching 7-of-10 targets for 45 yards in the Falcons Week 15 victory over the Bucs. Freeman hasn't come close to rushing for 100 yards since Week 8 when he finished with 88 versus the Bucs. But he continues to be a factor in the passing game and remains a top 5 fantasy option in both standard and PPR formats. The Panthers rank No. 13 against fantasy running backs this season and held Freeman to just 40 yards on 12 carries in Week 14. But the Falcons are a more efficient offense when Freeman is heavily involved and he'll have a heavy volume again this weekend. He ranks as our RB4 for Week 16 and is a RB1 for Sunday's game versus Carolina.
Week 15 at Jacksonville
Devonta Freeman rushed 12 times for 40 yards in the Falcons Week 14 loss to the Panthers, adding three receptions for an additional 22 yards. He also dropped a pass and lost a fumble as Atlanta's horrific season continues. The good news for fantasy owners is that the Falcons have to stay committed to Freeman because along with Julio Jones, he's their only hope of moving the ball at this point. He might not rack up a ton of yards on the ground but as Atlanta has fallen behind in games, he has racked up plenty of receptions for owners in PPR formats. Freeman ranks in our top five in both standard and PPR leagues this week versus the Jaguars. View him as a RB1.
Week 14 at Panthers
Devonta Freeman rushed 14 times for 47 yards and caught 10-of-11 targets for 56 yards in the Falcons' Week 13 loss to the Bucs. Freeman was held to under 50 yards rushing for a third-consecutive game but he continues to put up numbers as a check-down option for Matt Ryan. With Josh Norman likely to limit what Julio Jones does in the passing game, Atlanta will need to rely on Freeman and its ground attack this Sunday in Carolina. While this isn't a great matchup for Freeman, owners can still view him as a RB1 in both PPR and standard leagues.
Week 13 at Tampa Bay
Devonta Freeman was held out of the Falcons' Week 13 loss to the Vikings with a concussion, but he practiced in full this week and will play on Sunday in Tampa. Freeman is a bona fide RB1 in all formats and ranks as our RB3 for Week 13. He does have a tough matchup versus the Bucs, who are fantasy's No. 3 defense versus running backs. But Freeman is a must-start in all formats and with Matt Ryan's struggles in the passing game, the Falcons are surely to give their workhorse back plenty of touches this weekend.
Week 12 vs. Minnesota
Devonta Freeman suffered a concussion in the Falcons Week 11 loss to the Colts and has been ruled out for Sunday's game versus the Vikings. Tevin Coleman is expected to start against Minnesota and should be viewed as a low-end RB2, or boom-or-bust FLEX option for Week 12.
