The Falcons have an MVP quarterback in Ryan, arguably the NFL’s best wide receiver in Julio Jones, and a budding superstar in wideout Calvin Ridley. Last year, with Freeman on the shelf, the Falcons were 30th in rushing attempts and 27th in rushing yards-and the Falcons missed the playoffs altogether. In 2017, those numbers dropped to 14 attempts and 61.8 yards per game and Atlanta was bounced in the Divisional Round. In 2016, Devonta Freeman averaged 14.2 carries and 67.4 rushing yards per game for a Falcons team that went all the way to the Super Bowl. As Tabeek pointed out, in each of the last three years Freeman’s numbers have gotten worse-and so has Atlanta’s record. The Team Around HimĪssuming that Devonta Freeman is healthy (and all indications are that he is-at least for now) the 27-year-old adds another dimension to an Atlanta offense that has no shortage of skill-position talent. You’re picking up tough yards, but you have to be smart and strategic about it.'”ĭiscretion is the better part of valor, and all that.
#DEVONTE FREEMAN HOW TO#
“My advice to Devonta was, ‘You have to learn how to protect yourself at the same time.
“A lot of times, these guys always want to prove that they’re tough or that they can get the tough yard, but sometimes you have to live for another down,” Dunn said, via ’s Vaughn McClure. Real burst catching screen passesįreeman also received some advice this offseason on how to stay healthy from former Falcons great Warrick Dunn.
It’s not just Atlanta’s players, either-ESPN’s Vaughn McClure tweeted at the end of May that Freeman was showing the burst and agility that made him so dangerous these past few years.ĭevonta Freeman continues to look like his old self. You can feel that when he gets out on the field and it’s contagious – guys around him feel that, too.” He’s always been that way he’s always loved playing. “You can tell the energy and the excitement is there. He’s moving around really well,” Ryan said. Quarterback Matt Ryan has also been impressed by what he’s seen from Freeman on the practice field. Just having fun running around, like, it brought me back to my memories when I was a young kid, playing in the middle of the field. “I feel good just to be out here running around,” Freeman said. Per Matthew Tabeek of the Falcons’ website, Freeman said at OTAs that he’s feeling like his old self again. However, if there’s a silver lining to getting hurt early in the season, it’s that in going on injured reserve in October, Freeman was afforded more time to rehab. But Freeman averaged 4.4 yards a carry, came up just shy of 1,200 total yards and ended the year 13th in PPR fantasy points among running backs. Yes, Freeman missed two games and failed to gain 1,000 yards on the ground. He was the highest-scoring PPR running back in fantasy football in 2015 and finished sixth in fantasy points in 2016.Įven his “disappointing” 2017 season wasn’t that bad. In both 20, Freeman rushed for 1,000 yards, caught at least 50 passes and scored at least 13 touchdowns. It wasn’t supposed to be like this, you know. His ADP’s higher at some other sites, but there seems a consensus that Freeman’s days as an RB1 are over.Īre those Doubting Thomases right? Are Freeman’s best days behind him? Or was last year’s misery an aberration that has deflated Freeman’s fantasy value to the point he now represents a game-changing value pick for fantasy drafters? The Devonta Freeman We Used to Know Per the ADP data at Football Diehards, Devonta Freeman is coming off draft boards in Round 5 as a low-end RB2.
#DEVONTE FREEMAN FREE#
Despite proclamations that Freeman is healthy and an Atlanta backfield that lost Tevin Coleman in free agency, Freeman’s stock has dropped precipitously. Many fantasy owners apparently remember that faceplant-and have a bad taste in their mouths because of it. Compliments of a litany of maladies that culminated in a season-ending groin injury, Freeman played in just two games and had just 19 touches and 91 yards for the year. In looking back through the drafts I participated in, Freeman was a first-round pick in more than one-and almost all my drafts are against other fantasy pundits. Despite a relatively disappointing 2017 season in which Freeman failed to gain 1,000 rushing yards for the first time since his rookie season, in as many fantasy drafts as not, Freeman came off draft boards as an RB1 in 12-team leagues.
At this time a year ago, Atlanta Falcons running back Devonta Freeman was still one of the most valuable players at his position in fantasy football.
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