Getty Denver Broncos RB Devontae Booker
If you were one of the very few fantasy football players who opted to get unique and roll out Denver Broncos running Devontae Booker in Week 8, then you deserve some praise. While Booker didn’t go absolutely wild, he had a solid day and specifically in daily fantasy football was more than worth playing.
Booker’s stock saw a boost last week due to Royce Freeman being ruled out, leading to additional work for the 26-year-old. And as ESPN’s Adam Schefter revealed, it seems Freeman will again remain sidelined when the team faces the Houston Texans Sunday.
Broncos’ RB Royce Freeman, listed as questionable due to an ankle injury, is not expected to play Sunday vs. Texans, per source.
Although Booker remains behind Phillip Lindsay on the depth chart and will surely see less work, he may be an appealing fantasy option once again this week. There is some level of concern for the Broncos running back, though, as his matchup with the Texans isn’t quite as nice on paper as the one against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Let’s take a dive into the numbers and situation for Booker to evaluate whether he’s a fantasy start or sit against the Texans.
Should You Start or Sit Devontae Booker?
While Lindsay received more work than Booker, out-snapping him 41-32 in Week 8 (per Football Outsiders) his workload was still solid. The third-year back hadn’t topped five touches in the four games prior to last week while only doing so once all season. But during the 30-23 loss to the Chiefs, Booker received 13 touches (nine carries, four catches) and impressed with 101 total yards.
Although the Texans have allowed just 640 rushing yards on 182 carries with two touchdowns this season, they’ve struggled a bit with pass-catching backs. Houston hasn’t been dismantled by the position, but they’ve given up five touchdowns through the air to the position along with 47 receptions for 358 yards.
With a total of six teams on bye this week and a few big-name running backs out, Booker comes into play in some fantasy leagues. Specifically, I’d prefer to use him in point-per-reception leagues and think he makes the most sense in 14-team leagues or larger. But if you badly need a flex option I’d consider using him in 12-team leagues.
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