Devonta Freeman

Week 2 vs. Green Bay Packers

Devonta Freeman rushed 12 times for 37 yards and a touchdown while adding 2 receptions for 2 additional yards in the Falcons' Week 1 win over the Bears. As expected, Freeman shared the workload with Tevin Coleman, who finished with 12 touches to Freeman's 14. Atlanta's offense was stuck in the mud at times, although there's no reason to panic. The Falcons have a new playcaller in Steve Sarkisian and the Bears looked improved defensively, especially along the defensive line. Better days are ahead for Freeman, who scored 13.11 points in standard and 16.55 in PPR in Week 1.

The Falcons open their new stadium on Sunday night against the Packers, who look improved defensively themselves. Green Bay is fantasy's No. 15-ranked defense against running backs and Freeman is our RB7 for Week 2. Even though he'll continue to share a backfield with Coleman, Freeman remains an RB1.

Fantasy Upside

Devonta Freeman followed up his breakout 2015 performance by rushing for 1,079 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2016. The yards were a career-high and he also matched his touchdown total from 2015. He wasn't targeted as much last season as he was in 2015, which led to 19 fewer receptions and 116 fewer receiving yards. That said, he still finished 2016 with a respectable 54-462-2 line in the passing game. Freeman, who should be armed with a new contract before the start of the regular season, returns as Atlanta's No. 1 back. He'll once again share a backfield with Tevin Coleman, but there are plenty of touches to go around. At 25, Freeman is in his prime and will once again benefit running behind Atlanta's steady offensive line. Just like a year ago, defenses won't have the luxury of keying on Freeman thanks to Atlanta's explosive passing attack.

Fantasy Downside

Freeman finished with 58 fewer touches in 2016 compared to his breakout campaign in 2015. That's because Coleman carved out a significant role in Atlanta's offense. The team has also changed offensive coordinators, as Steve Sarkisian will take over for the departed Kyle Shanahan, who was the architect of the most dangerous offense in the league last season. While Sarkisian was essentially handed the keys to a Ferrari, there's still uncertainty about how his play-calling will impact the skill position players. Finally, as of this writing, Freeman has yet to sign his contract extension. Freeman has vowed to participate in all offseason activities but if discussions sour, the relationship could go south in a hurry.

2017 Bottom Line

Freeman's current ADP in 10-team leagues is 1.09, which is good value for an RB1 that plays a key role in the passing game. Freeman shares a backfield with Coleman, but is the top back between the two and receives plenty of work at the goal line. He's in his prime, Atlanta returns 4/5 of its offensive line, and opponents also have to contend with Matt Ryan and the Falcons' passing game. Freeman is also durable, playing in all 19 of Atlanta's games last season, which includes the postseason. Yes, there is some uncertainty with Sarkisian taking over play-calling duties. But that shouldn't prevent Freeman from having another productive season. He's an RB1 in both standard and PPR formats.