Week 3 NFL Advanced Analytics Superstars

Running Back: Devonta Freeman

Devonta Freeman, RB, Atlanta Falcons
30 Rushes, 141 Yards, 3 Touchdowns, 5 Receptions, 52 Yards, 5 Targets
NEP: +11.08

An injury to Tevin Coleman led to a huge opening for Devonta Freeman to lay claim to Atlanta's backfield, and Freeman did everything in his power on Sunday to capitalize on the opportunity. Rushing for 141 yards and 3 touchdowns, Freeman sliced through a soft Cowboys defense as the Falcons were able to score 22 unanswered points and pull off a 39-28 victory.

Primarily known for being more of a receiving back and a horribly inefficient runner by our metrics, Freeman was able to flip this script completely and sustain this week's highest NEP total among all running backs. In fact, just on Coleman's rushing productivity -- which led to a Rushing NEP of +5.59 -- he would've ranked eighth among all running backs in Total NEP. He was that effective on the ground against Dallas.

Hauling in 5 receptions for 52 yards on all 5 of his targets, Freeman was also an efficient receiver for his offense this week. Perhaps no play was bigger than when Freeman shed defensive lineman Jack Crawford with ease en route to a nice 35-yard pickup, subsequently raising his team's win probability 4.14% on that play alone. Freeman ended the day with 42.3 PPR points, easily the highest output of any running back so far this season.

Freeman's +11.08 NEP swing is the largest to date this season among all running backs. With a productive outing like the one Freeman showcased, it's not difficult to see why. Racking up nearly 200 yards of offense with 3 touchdowns isn't a common weekly occurrence. The rest of the league's most efficient backfields this week were a mix of both youth and aging veterans. Karlos Williams only saw 12 carries, but was able to make the most of them, surpassing 100 yards and getting a score. Jamaal Charles, Chris Johnson, and Frank Gore hit the 2009 time machine this week as all three guys had highly productive Week 3 outings.

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