3 Must-Own Rookie Running Backs With Massive Upside in Fantasy Football

Devonta Freeman, Atlanta Falcons

Fake footballers are excited for Devonta Freeman for many of the same reasons they are enamored with Hyde. He is playing on a strong offensive team with a coach who is committed enough to the run, and the only guy ahead of him on the depth chart is a 31-year-old running back who has already carried the ball more than 2,500 times in his career. In fact, when August started, Freeman's ADP was actually higher than Hyde's, climbing all the way into the eighth round. But the 49ers' back has since passed him with his outstanding preseason.

While we continue to wait for the year that the wear and tear gets to Gore, we already saw it last year with Steven Jackson. SJax missed four games last season with a torn hamstring, but wasn't particularly impressive even when he did play. Jackson averaged a career low 3.5 yards per carry, and didn't top 85 rushing yards in a single game all season. The former Rams' -12.67 Rushing NEP ranked 32nd out of 47 players with at least 100 carries, and his -0.08 Rushing NEP per rush was tied for 34th out of the same group.

SJax missed much of the preseason with another lingering hamstring injury, which gave Freeman an opportunity to show the Falcons what he's got. The former Florida State Seminole put together a very solid preseason, rushing for 4.2 yards per carry and showcasing his receiving skills with 10 catches for 89 yards.

Although his path to a lead back role isn't as clear as Sankey's, and although Atlanta doesn't run the ball quite as well as the Titans or 49ers, Freeman's upside could be the highest of any rookie running back in the NFL. We saw Michael Tuner rush for 1,699 yards and 17 touchdowns in Mike Smith's offense in 2008, and for at least 10 touchdowns every year he played in that system. if Jackson were to go down, Freeman could become a plug-and-play fantasy starter.