Week 7 at Los Angeles Chargers
Playing in his second game of 2017 last Sunday night, Devontae Booker posted a good game as a pass-catcher. He only ran the ball once, for 2 yards, but finished with 4 grabs for 78 yards, as the Broncos tried to play catch-up against the Giants. C.J. Anderson will continue to be the workhorse, but Booker is eating into Jamaal Charles’ snaps. However, he makes for a flex play, at best, on the road against the Chargers.
Week 1 vs. Los Angeles Chargers
After C.J. Anderson went down with a knee injury last year, Devontae Booker had a chance to take over as the Broncos' No. 1 running back, but averaged only 3.5 yards per carry with five total TDs. He had surgery to repair a hairline fracture in his wrist in late July and will likely miss the first couple of regular season affairs.
Fantasy Upside
Filling in for the injured C.J. Anderson for parts of the second half of last season, Devontae Booker ran for 612 yards and totaled five touchdowns. The second-year pro out of Utah showed his durability by receiving 24 carries in back-to-back games in November against the Saints and Chiefs.
Fantasy Downside
With the signing of Jamaal Charles, any fantasy value Booker had took a big hit. As long as Charles and Anderson hold up, Booker will be used sparingly, once he returns from his wrist injury sustained at the end of July. He averaged 3.5 yards per carry during his rookie season and was given the rock a combined 14 times from Week 14 to Week 16. He managed a measly 45 yards during that span.
2017 Bottom Line
After a promising start to his NFL career, Booker’s stock dropped and he's now No. 3 on the RB depth chart in Denver. Even though Anderson and Charles have been hampered by injuries during the season lately, once he returns to the field, Booker will likely hold little value outside of extended keeper leagues. While he should receive some short-yardage touches, there won’t be enough to warrant having him on your roster.
Week 17 vs. Oakland
In the loss to the Chiefs on Christmas night, Devontae Booker led the Denver ground game with five carries for 27 yards and also led the team with six receptions for 44 yards. The Broncos continue to have trouble running the ball, as they totaled just 63 yards at Kansas City. In early November at Oakland, Devontae had a team-high 22 yards on 10 carries. There is no reason for him to be started based on how poor the offense has been over the past month.
Week 16 at Kansas City
As Justin Forsett led the Broncos with just 37 yards on 10 carries last Sunday versus the Pats, Devontae Booker only had six rushes for 17 yards. He did catch two passes, but it appears Forsett will continue to see more action. Booker ran for 79 yards in the home meeting versus Kansas City in November, but there’s no reason he should be started in the rematch.
Week 15 vs. New England
In Tennessee last Sunday, Devontae Booker received just three carries for one yard and caught two passes for 10 yards. Free agent signee Justin Forsett carried the ball only six times, but did a little bit better. Expect the veteran Forsett, who is familiar with Gary Kubiak’s offense, to continue to see the bulk of the backfield touches. But none of the Denver RBs make for a good fantasy play.
Week 14 at Tennessee
With Paxton Lynch passing for just 104 yards last week in Jacksonville, Devontae Booker led the ground attack with 18 rush attempts, but gained just 35 yards. While the rookie was in the end zone for the third time this season, Kapri Bibbs, who is now on IR, was more impressive. Regardless who the Denver QB is, look for the Tennessee D to crowd the line, which could result in a tough day for Booker and the Denver running game.
Week 13 at Jacksonville
In the loss to Kansas City last week, Devontae Booker led the Broncos ground game with 79 rushing yards on 24 carries and also caught a 22 yard pass. While the plan was for fellow RB Kapri Bibbs to receive more action and touches, an early injury took him out of the game for a bit, which allowed for Devontae to receive the majority of the Broncos RB rushing attempts. Look for Bibbs to be used more on Sunday in Jacksonville, making Booker a low-end RB2 play.
Week 12 vs. Kansas City
In the win over the Saints before the bye week, Devontae Booker carried the ball a career-high 24 times for 76 yards and also caught two passes for 12 yards. The rookie has two touchdowns as a pro and will continue to be the workhorse with C.J. Anderson out. Booker and the Denver offense will be facing a Chiefs defense that is No. 27 against the run on Sunday, so he should be used as an RB2 play.
Week 10 at New Orleans
The Denver ground game was held to just 33 yards last week at Oakland, with Devontae Booker finishing with 10 carries for 22 yards. He also caught an eight-yard pass, but the offense had way too many three-and-outs and held the ball for less than 20 minutes in the loss. Devontae and the Denver rushing attack have a good opportunity to turn things around on Sunday against a Saints defense that allows over 400 total yards per game. Consider Booker a RB3/flex start.
