Fantasy Football: 5 Bold Predictions for Week 8
Devontae Booker Will Outscore Phillip Lindsay
Here's a bold prediction nobody wants to come true: Devontae Booker will outscore Phillip Lindsay in Week 8.
Booker has easily been the worst of the three Denver Broncos backs this year. Royce Freeman (4.4) and Lindsay (5.8) have significantly higher yards per carry averages than Booker (3.9), and both have excellent Rushing Success Rates -- the percentage of rushes that add points to their team's expected points total -- of 42.25% and 52%, respectively, while Booker has posted a sub-par 30.77% Success Rate.
Lindsay has even caught the ball as well as Booker -- if not better -- in roughly equal opportunities. It's become a serious question as to why Booker even sees the field at all when the other two backs on the team are so drastically outperforming him.
But this week Booker will absolutely see the field, as Freeman sprained his ankle in Week 7 and is in danger of missing Week 8. The Broncos have used a multi-back system each year under coach Vance Joseph, and likely won't change that after Freeman's injury considering that Lindsay weighs just 190 pounds. That sets Booker up to absorb Freeman's roughly 11 touches per game in addition to his usual share of third-down work and passing game usage.
His usage in the passing game is where he will stand out this week, as the Broncos are huge 10.0-point underdogs on the road against the Kansas City Chiefs this week. The Broncos will be playing catch-up for the entire game, meaning they will be throwing a ton. In their last blowout loss -- to the New York Jets in Week 5 -- Case Keenum threw 14 times to his running backs. There should be a ton of opportunity on the table for Booker this week.
While Booker has been deeply inefficient in his three-year career, the Chiefs' defense is making opposing running backs look like peak Jamaal Charles. They've given up the third-most fantasy points, the second-most receptions and the third-highest yards per carry to opposing running backs.
Booker and Lindsay will likely split the workload this week if Freeman misses. The Broncos' insistence on using Booker and the Chiefs non-existent run defense give him the unfortunate opportunity to outscore Lindsay in Week 8.
