Royce Freeman Among A Platoon In Denver
6 years agoIf you were hoping Friday's "dress rehearsal" would provide some clarity into which Broncos' RB you will want to own in 2018, we are sorry to disappoint. As expected, both Royce Freeman and Devontae Booker saw work with the first team (as did Phillip Lindsay) - five carries for Freeman, three for Booker. While Freeman has looked better, found the end zone in each of Denver's three preseason games, and out-touched Booker 16 to 10, there really is not much indication that this will be Freeman's backfield to lose when the games matter. Few would argue that Freeman is not the more natural runner, but Booker has the experience advantage and is likely to see a decent amount of passing down work. (Lindsay and De'Angelo Henderson also figure to be in the mix to some degree). Based on ADP (Freeman - 48, Booker - 123), Booker is clearly offering more value; especially in PPR formats. However, the upside meter is leaning heavily in Freeman's direction, and if the preseason is any indication, the rushing TD meter (and starting RB meter) is as well. Problem is, the hype keeps pushing his ADP up - he is currently the 22nd RB off the board - so, given the sudden depth at the RB position in the Mile High City, it is probably wise to temper expectations.
Source: NFL
Source: NFL