RB Royce Freeman - Denver Broncos
| 5-11, 231 | Born: 2-24-1996 | College: Oregon | Drafted: Round 3, pick |
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News you need to know
From the upgrade/downgrade report (Mon Oct 15): Freeman did little against the Rams in Week 6 as expected, but he is in line for his best game of the year against the Cardinals this week, and he has the Chiefs defense that is weak against the run in Week 8. He still has some legs in redraft leagues.
General News (Fri Oct 19): sustained a high ankle sprain during the team's victory over the Arizona Cardinals on Thursday, Oct. 18, according to 9News' Mike Klis. Freeman is considered day-to-day, according to head coach Vance Joseph.
Week 7: at Arizona Cardinals
FBG says: Great matchup. The Broncos dynamic duo of running backs Phillip Lindsay and Royce Freeman struggled to get going last week as they failed to exceed 40 yards combined without a single run of double-digit yards. This was by far the worst rushing outing this offense has had all season as the Rams presented a stout matchup with a tough game script for running the football. It is worth noting that Freeman out-touched Lindsay last week for the first time when they both have been on the field for an entire game. Devontae Booker continues to be involved on a consistent third of the snaps though, primarily serving as a pass-blocking and pass-catching option as he has yet to exceed five rushing attempts in a game. The Broncos offensive line is a mess right now. Garrett Bolles continues his sloppy play while left Ronald Leary was lost for the season with a torn Achilles last week. Center Matt Paradis has anchored this unit though as one of the top run-blocking centers in football, and they have shown some great cohesion this season to still support a league-leading 5.3 rushing yards per attempt. The Cardinals run defense was shredded by Latavius Murray last week as he rushed for 155 yards and a touchdown. This Cardinals squad has struggled against the run all season as they have given up double-digit fantasy points in non-PPR scoring formats to a team's lead running back in all six games--helping to explain how this unit has given up the most fantasy points per game to opposing running backs this season. Poor tackling and a lack of discipline on the defensive line help explain why this run defense has been so bad. They have not even been plagued by many injuries this season--this unit is simply performing well below expectations given the talent they have. Cardinals safety Budda Baker has been moved all over the field this season, playing between slot cornerback and safety depending on the situation. He has been one of the most effective defensive backs against the run this season, particularly when lined up at safety--but even with Baker over the top and Chandler Jones improving on the outside, the interior defensive line and linebackers have been consistently outmatched. While the Broncos offensive line is indeed a mess at the moment, they have enough talent to win matchups against this Cardinals front seven as the outlook is positive for Broncos running backs.
Recent Stats and Projections
| WEEK | OPP | oSNAP | RSH | YD | TD | TARG | REC | YD | TD | FumL | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | at BAL | 29 | 13 | 53 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 11.8 | |
| 4 | vs KC | 16 | 8 | 67 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12.7 | |
| 5 | at NYJ | 30 | 5 | 31 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 4.7 | |
| 6 | vs LAR | 25 | 9 | 22 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2.2 | |
| 7 | at ARI | PROJ-Dodds | * | 12 | * | * | 1 | * | * | * | * | |
| 7 | at ARI | PROJ-Tremblay | * | 11 | * | * | 1 | * | * | * | * | |
| 7 | at ARI | PROJ-Bloom | * | 11 | * | * | 1 | * | * | * | * |
Weekly Performance vs RB 1, RB 12, RB 24, RB 36
Percentile ranks
Royce Freeman's percentile rank in each category, among RB with more than 50 fantasy points.
Recent Game Summaries
2018 Week 6 vs LAR (9 / 22 / 0 rush, 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 rec)
Freeman got the "start" and received the most carries but was completely ineffective on the ground in week 6. He finished with just 22 yards on his 9 totes. Freeman caught one target for a short gain, but the play was called back for an offensive holding penalty. Phillip Lindsay picked up extended work in the passing game, and Devontae Booker continues to siphon off touches during the 2 minute offense.
2018 Week 5 vs NYJ (5 / 31 / 0 rush, 4 / 3 / 16 / 0 rec)
Freeman was the first back on the field for the Broncos, but was out-touched 15-8 by Lindsay. Both backs were featured in split backfields on several plays. Freeman's most impressive run was a 24 yard gain off right tackle in the 4th quarter. Though Freeman and Lindsay both drew 4 targets, Freeman's were all check downs at the end of Keenum's reads while Lindsay seemed to be one of the first options on passing plays that were designed to get the ball to him. Freeman caught a check down pass out of the backfield on Denver's first offensive snap of the game. Keenum checked it down to him again in the 3rd quarter for a short gain, and again in the 4th around the 11 minute mark.
2018 Week 4 vs KC (8 / 67 / 1 rush, 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 rec)
Freeman showcased some strong running as the Broncos O-line blasted big holes for the running backs. His balance was outstanding as he consistently bounced carries outside, shedding tacklers and turning the corner on the defense for extra yardage. Freeman broke a couple of tackles at the line of scrimmage and bounced a run off right tackle for an 18 yard gain on his first carry, his longest run of the day. Freeman scored on an impressive 14 yard run in the 2nd quarter. He took the pitch off right tackle and waited patiently for his lane to open up, breaking a couple of tackles at the second level before crossing the pylon. Lindsay out-touched Freeman 14-8, but both running backs looked strong in their rotation. Freeman was not targeted in the passing game this week.
2018 Week 3 vs BAL (13 / 53 / 1 rush, 1 / 1 / 5 / 0 rec)
The Broncos blocked a Ravens punt in the Baltimore red zone on the opening drive of the game. Denver recovered at the Baltimore 6 yard line, and Freeman got the call on the next play, punching it in right up the middle from a single back set for a touchdown. Freeman's longest carry was a 16 yard tote that he bounced off right tackle in the 1st quarter, stiff-arming a couple of defenders in the process. Freeman had a couple of impressive runs right up the middle of the offense, but there were also several plays that he was dropped in the backfield for a loss. Lindsay should be back in the rotation next week. Freeman caught his first and only target of the season so far for a 5 yard gain on a checkdown pass.
2018 Week 2 vs OAK (8 / 28 / 1 rush, 1 / 0 / 0 / 0 rec)
Freeman got the start and the first carry for the Broncos, but he was quickly relieved by Phillip Lindsay, who proceeded to steal the show. Freeman did dominate the goal line work. His biggest gain was a 14 yard carry on a pitch to the left of the formation in the 3rd quarter. Freeman punched a touchdown in from the 1 yard line in the 3rd quarter, following fullback Janovich right up the middle in a goal line set. Freeman nearly scored a second touchdown with 7 minutes left in the 4th quarter, but he was knocked backwards while attempting to dive over the pile into the end zone. Freeman was out-touched 15-8 by Phillip Lindsay.
2018 Week 1 vs SEA (15 / 71 / 0 rush, 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 rec)
Freeman got the start, but wound up nearly splitting time with Phillip Lindsay. He and Lindsay interestingly posted nearly the exact same stat line in the rushing game, with both backs tallying 71 yards on 15 carries(Freeman's longest run was 17, Lindsay's 14). Freeman fumbled a carry in the 1st quarter but managed to recover the ball himself. Freeman was deployed to grind out the clock and had a couple of impressive runs right up the middle late in the 4th quarter, moving a pile of defenders downfield as he churned out tough yards. Freeman was not targeted in the passing game, with Devontae Booker working some passing downs and Phillip Lindsay scoring a nice receiving touchdown.
Latest News
Broncos | Royce Freeman day-to-day (Fri Oct 19, 02:21 PM) - Updating a previous report, Denver Broncos RB Royce Freeman (ankle) is considered day-to-day because of the ankle injury he suffered in the Week 7 game, according to head coach Vance Joseph. Our View: Freeman has a long week of rest before facing Kansas City next week, but he appears to be behind Philip Lindsay in the backfield in terms of touches and is probably only matchup flex depth and emergency play material anyway. He's not an essential hold in short bench leagues.link to story Broncos | Royce Freeman injured (Fri Oct 19, 07:53 AM) - Denver Broncos RB Royce Freeman (ankle) suffered a sprained ankle in the Week 7 game Thursday, Oct. 18, and could miss some time. link to story Broncos | Royce Freeman suffers high ankle sprain (Fri Oct 19, 02:12 AM) - Denver Broncos RB Royce Freeman (ankle) sustained a high ankle sprain during the team's victory over the Arizona Cardinals on Thursday, Oct. 18. link to story Broncos | Royce Freeman scores in win (Thu Oct 18, 11:38 PM) - Denver Broncos RB Royce Freeman rushed 13 times for 37 yards and a touchdown in a 45-10 win over the Arizona Cardinals in Week 7. link to story Broncos | Royce Freeman struggles vs. L.A. (Sun Oct 14, 11:39 PM) - Denver Broncos RB Royce Freeman ran nine times for just 22 yards in Week 6 against the Los Angeles Rams. link to story More News
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Schedule
| 7 | @ Arizona Cardinals |
| 8 | @ Kansas City Chiefs |
| 9 | vs Houston Texans |
| 10 | --- BYE WEEK --- |
| 11 | @ Los Angeles Chargers |
| 12 | vs Pittsburgh Steelers |
| 13 | @ Cincinnati Bengals |
| 14 | @ San Francisco 49ers |
| 15 | vs Cleveland Browns |
| 16 | @ Oakland Raiders |
| 17 | vs Los Angeles Chargers |
