RADIO
Thirty ninth.
That's where second-year Atlanta Falcons running back Devonta Freeman ranked in RotoBaller's PPR positional rankings for Week 1 of the 2015 season. By Week 7, he was No. 1 on that same list. The former Florida State standout burst onto the fantasy scene with a three-touchdown, 193-yards-from-scrimmage eruption against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 3. That began a five-game stretch in which Freeman tallied at least 130 total yards in each, with nine total touchdowns. He also caught 27 passes over that same span. He was simply the most consistently dominant player for more than a quarter of the season.
That level of production is unsustainable over a 16-game season, and defenses keyed on Freeman from November on. He failed to top 90 rushing yards in any game after Week 7, but his pass-catching ability made up the difference. He missed almost two full games because of a concussion but still finished with 1,061 rushing yards (seventh-most in the league), 11 rushing touchdowns (tied for most) and 73 receptions (third-most among running backs) en route to being named to the Pro Bowl.
If you were lucky enough to land Freeman on a late-round draft flier or an early-season waiver-wire claim, he likely turned out to be your team's MVP. Freeman entered training camp in a backfield-by-committee with rookie Tevin Coleman, and it was actually Coleman who began the season as the starter. But a rib injury to Coleman opened the door for Freeman early in the season and he closed it shut behind him.
Freeman will enter the 2016 season as a top-10 option in both standard and PPR leagues, but there remains top-five upside due to his nose for the end zone and his penchant for catching passes. Something along the lines of 1,100 rushing yards, 500 receiving yards, 70-plus receptions and 10-plus touchdowns is certainly attainable if he stays healthy for a full season. Granted, that has become an increasingly rare achievement for running backs in today's NFL. Freeman still makes for a safe investment as an RB1 or a superb option as an RB2.
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