Atlanta Falcons running back Devonta Freeman has a big opportunity to make an impact in his rookie year. Steven Jackson has been out for most of training camp with a hamstring injury, giving Freeman more reps than normal.
Devonta Freeman ‘coming along fine,’ in camp, remains quality fantasy sleeper
The rookie is making steady progress and could make a big impression in preseason with Steven Jackson out. We break down the fantasy implications.
Kevin C. Cox
Offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter said that Freeman is “coming along fine,“ but adds that it’s “too early to tell” if the rookie will be a major part of Atlanta’s offense. Koetter went on to cite pass protection as the big thing Freeman needs to develop. From the Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
“I think that’s the biggest adjustment for a running back going from college to the NFL,” Koetter said. “He had a great college career but teams try to test rookie running backs. They’ve got those big outside linebackers. There’s a lot of protections, there’s a lot of calls. There’s a learning curve. He’s on the right track.”
Fantasy impact: Freeman has a lot of promise, but pass protection might be the one thing that keeps him from seeing the field much in Atlanta’s high-volume passing attack. He still has a whole month to make an impression on the coaching staff, and could end up winning the starting job if Jackson’s hamstring issue lingers into the regular season.
Freeman is one of the top rookie running backs to watch in preseason and could be a value pick in the later rounds of fantasy drafts.
