The Denver Broncos' offensive line is not on par with the Lions', and there's nearly as much ambiguity in their backfield as Detroit's. Yet, Royce Freeman -- who went 28 picks after Johnson in the draft -- is going a full round ahead of him in fantasy. That's going to make him a big name to watch the next few weeks so we can avoid a potentially bad investment.
Although Freeman's competition in Devontae Booker and De'Angelo Henderson may not sound as fierce as Johnson's, Booker is reportedly the most likely to start in Week 1, according to Mike Klis of 9News. It doesn't have the name value of a "Blount" or "Riddick," but this backfield is far from being Freeman's alone.
The other slight issue that Freeman runs into is that Booker is also an accomplished pass-catcher, eliminating a potential edge Freeman would have in a different situation. Booker also had a 14.3% target share in college, which ranks in the 90th percentile, according to PlayerProfiler.com.
If we get the read that Freeman is going to be the top back -- again, based on what happens in training camp and the preseason -- then we can justify taking him where he's going. But until then, Freeman may be a hair overvalued, and Booker may be a value in the 11th round.