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The New York Giants and fantasy football owners alike have officially lost their RB1 for the remainder of the 2020 NFL season as Saquon Barkley has been placed on injured reserve. With that said, the Giants have done their best to fill both voids, adding a one-time top fantasy point-getter to the fold in ex-Atlanta Falcons star, Devonta Freeman.
With waiver wire quickly approaching, and plenty of bids already placed on Dion Lewis and Wayne Gallman, does Freeman now catapult past both backs as the player to own in New York? Let’s discuss.
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Devonta Freeman Fantasy Outlook
While Freeman still has to pass COVID-19 protocol, all signs point towards the running back being added to the Giants roster this week, and likely in their lineup come Sunday against the 49ers.
In Freeman, the Giants add a two-time Pro Bowler with a nose for the endzone. Freeman automatically supplants Dion Lewis and Wayne Gallman as the superior red-zone option in New York. While Lewis did hit paydirt in Week 2, it marked just his second rushing touchdown in his last 33 games. Gallman, on the other hand, has scored just three rushing touchdowns over his three-plus year career. Meanwhile, Freeman has 43 career touchdowns to his name, including two 13-plus touchdown campaigns under his belt.
These numbers bode well for Freeman, who is set to face off with the Los Angeles Rams (Wk. 4), and Philadelphia Eagles twice (Wk. 7 & Wk. 10) within the next eight weeks. Both defenses rank in the bottom-eight in the NFL in rushing touchdowns surrendered this season.
The bad news for Freeman is he will likely find it difficult to build upon his career-low 3.6 yards per carry average from a season ago behind the Giants’ spotty offensive line. Big Blue as a team is averaging just 52 rushing yards per game this season, 26 yards per game fewer than the next closest team. Prior to Barkley’s injury, he had averaged just 1.8 yards per carry on the year, while Dion Lewis managed a mere 2.0 yards per carry during his extended stint as the team’s lead back in Week 2.
On top of that, the Giants are met with four matchups against nine of the NFL’s top run defenses over the next seven weeks (49ers – Wk. 3, Washington – Wk. 6, Buccaneers – Wk. 8, Washington – Wk. 9).
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Is Devonta Freeman a Must-Add ?
Despite New York’s obvious limitations on offense, Freeman’s multi-faceted abilities and the prospect of locking down a starting gig for the remainder of the season make him a must-add in all scoring formats. The latter reason in particular is why he should be prioritized over players such as Jerrick McKinnon and Mike Davis to a certain extent, as each has a likely cap on his startability.
Much like Leonard Fournette in Week 1, don’t be surprised if Freeman sees limited play time vs. the 49ers on Sunday due to lack of experience in the offense. However, with the Giants desperate for playmakers and an answer in the backfield, his usage should skyrocket in the following weeks.
Freeman owns a combined 1,208 touches over the past six NFL seasons. That stat line is impressive on its own before mentioning that it happens to include his injury-riddled 2018 season in which he touched the ball just 19 times before landing on IR.
Lewis has exceeded 64 rushing attempts just twice in his career, while Gallman has failed to carry the football more than 59 times in a single season since his rookie year.
When Freeman is on, he’s a locked-in RB1 play in PPR leagues, evident by his 2015 finish as fantasy’s RB1 in such scoring formats, as well as a 59-reception campaign just last season (eighth-most amongst RBs in 2019). While he may fall short of such production in his new digs, his experience as a go-to option makes him the most logical play in New York’s backfield.
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