Estime finished the 2024 regular season with 76 carries for 310 yards and two touchdowns while catching all five of his targets for 27 yards. He also committed two fumbles (one lost) across 13 games. Estime was inactive for the Broncos' wild-card loss to the Broncos, as Denver opted to go with a three-man running back rotation of Javonte Williams, Jaleel McLaughlin and Tyler Badie. The 21-year-old Estime was stuck in a committee in his rookie campaign, unable to separate himself as the go-to option in the Denver backfield. With that said, the Notre Dame product showed flashes in his limited opportunities throughout the season, so his continued development may help him attain a more secure role in his sophomore campaign. Williams could be in a new locale in 2025, as the veteran is set to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason. His potential departure would leave Estime, McLaughlin and Badie competing to be Denver's lead back. It's also possible the Broncos will address the position in free agency or the 2025 NFL Draft.
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Estime finished the 2024 regular season with 76 carries for 310 yards and two touchdowns while catching all five of his targets for 27 yards. He also committed two fumbles (one lost) across 13 games. Estime was inactive for the Broncos' wild-card loss to the Broncos, as Denver opted to go with a three-man running back rotation of Javonte Williams, Jaleel McLaughlin and Tyler Badie. The 21-year-old Estime was stuck in a committee in his rookie campaign, unable to separate himself as the go-to option in the Denver backfield. With that said, the Notre Dame product showed flashes in his limited opportunities throughout the season, so his continued development may help him attain a more secure role in his sophomore campaign. Williams could be in a new locale in 2025, as the veteran is set to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason. His potential departure would leave Estime, McLaughlin and Badie competing to be Denver's lead back. It's also possible the Broncos will address the position in free agency or the 2025 NFL Draft.
Estime (coach's decision) is inactive for Sunday's AFC wild-card game against the Bills. Estime's inactive status comes as a bit of a surprise considering he recorded at least nine touches in each of the final three games of the regular season and has contributed on special teams. However, Estime will be the odd man out of the Broncos' backfield due to Tyler Badie (back) returning from injured reserve. Denver will go with a three-man backfield of Jaleel McLaughlin, Javonte Williams and Badie for Sunday's playoff game.
Estime rushed the ball 12 times for 34 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 38-0 win over the Chiefs. Estime logged double-digit carries for the second time in his rookie season, though he mostly worked behind both Jaleel McLaughlin and Javonte Williams. Of Estime's 12 carries, 10 came in the fourth quarter with the Broncos up by at least four scores. Barring a similar game script -- which would come as a shock -- in Denver's wild-card round matchup against the Bills, Estime isn't likely to play a significant role in the offense.
Estime rushed the ball nine times for 24 yards in Saturday's 30-24 overtime loss to the Bengals. He added one reception on one target for 13 yards. Estime earned nine carries for the second consecutive week, finishing second narrowly behind Jaleel McLaughlin for touches out of the backfield. He had difficulty finding running room, as his longest rush went for just six yards, and he was held for two yards or fewer on four of his nine carries. While Estime seems to have established a role in the Denver offense, his fantasy appeal remains limited in the split backfield.
Estime rushed nine times for 48 yards and a touchdown in the Broncos' 34-27 loss to the Chargers on Thursday night. Estime outpaced Javonte Williams and Blake Watson by five carries apiece -- although Williams did log a team-high 11 targets -- making the rookie back the leader of Denver's ground attack on the night. Estime also recorded his first NFL touchdown on a three-yard run just before the midway point of the first quarter to cap off a 10-play, 72-yard drive and open the scoring on the night. Estime had recorded 16 rushing yards or less on six or fewer carries in four consecutive games heading into Thursday, and it remains to be seen if his efficient performance will keep him in the lead role for a favorable Week 17 road matchup against the Bengals on Saturday, Dec. 28.
Estime rushed five times for 13 yards while catching his lone target for five yards in Sunday's 31-13 win over the Colts. Estime had another unimpressive performance Sunday, though his six total touches were his most since Week 11. As the Denver backfield continues to be a full-blown committee, the rookie running back has seen limited opportunities to make much noise on offense. Estime played just 13 of the Broncos' 63 offensive snaps against the Colts, behind both Javonte Williams (34) and Jaleel McLaughlin (15). For fantasy purposes, Estime, a Notre Dame product, is nothing more than a middling insurance policy in the event of injuries to either Williams or McLaughlin going forward. The Broncos visit the Chargers in Week 16.
Estime rushed three times for 12 yards in Monday's 41-32 win over the Browns. Estime played just eight of the Broncos' 66 offensive snaps, behind teammates Javonte Williams (30) and Jaleel McLaughlin (24). With head coach Sean Payton allowing for a more fluid rotation in the Denver backfield from week to week, Estime appears to be the odd man out recently, handling just 12 total carries over the past three games. With such limited usage, Estime should remain off the fantasy radar going forward barring injuries to either Williams or McLaughlin. The Broncos will host the Colts on Dec. 15 when they return from their Week 14 bye.
Estime rushed three times for 15 yards in Sunday's 29-19 win over the Raiders. Just two weeks after seemingly taking over as the Broncos' No. 1 running back, Estime has seen his usage diminish drastically since Week 10, now operating as Denver's third option out of the backfield. The rookie played just five of the Broncos' 68 offensive snaps, behind both Javonte Williams (38) and Jaleel McLaughlin (20). His eight percent snap share Sunday was a precipitous drop from the last two contests in which Estime handled snap shares of 45 percent and 22 percent in Weeks 10 and 11, respectively. Fantasy managers hoping to have found a late-season may need to come to terms with the fact that head coach Sean Payton will use the hot-hand approach with Denver's running back committee, limiting the 21-year-old Estime's weekly upside. Though he'll be difficult to trust in fantasy lineups, the Notre Dame product will have his next chance to get more involved in the offense when the Broncos host the Browns in Week 13.
Estime rushed six times for 66 yards while catching all three of his targets for nine yards in Sunday's 38-6 win over the Falcons. Estime got three fewer carries than Javonte Williams after notching 14 carries to Williams' one in Week 10 against the Chiefs. The rookie fifth-round pick out of Notre Dame hadn't been targeted in any of his previous six NFL appearances, so it was encouraging to see Estime get involved in the passing game. A timeshare between Williams and Estime is likely to unfold moving forward, though Williams may still be in line for a slight edge in playing time against the Raiders in Week 12.