Atlanta Falcons running back Devonta Freeman is coming off a 2018 campaign in which he played just two games due to knee and groin injuries, the latter of which resulted in surgery.
Now, Freeman is on the mend and should be ready to go for opening day, which leads to the question: where should you target Freeman in your Fantasy Football draft?
Well, first things first, some caution certainly needs to be exercised with Freeman. Groin surgery is no joke, so we really don't know how effective he is going to be heading into 2019.
And even if Freeman is 100 percent with no issues, he still isn't an elite running back.
Freeman's best season came back in 2015, when he rushed for 1,056 yards and 11 touchdowns while hauling in 73 receptions for 578 yards and three scores.
He has been declining as a Fantasy option ever since.
The following year, Freeman totaled 1,079 yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground, but his receiving numbers dipped dramatically, as he caught 54 passes for 462 yards while reaching the end zone twice.
Then, in 2017, Freeman appeared in 14 contests and accumulated 865 yards and seven touchdowns as a rusher while snaring just 36 receptions for 317 yards and a score.
So, as you can see, Freeman has been steadily declining, and even though he is just 27 years old, his trend is somewhat concerning.
Now, I will say that Freeman had been sharing a backfield with Tevin Coleman since 2015, and now, Coleman is in San Francisco, so the No. 2 back in Atlanta is the unproven Ito Smith.
But Coleman's presence didn't stop Freeman from having his best year in 2015, so you have to wonder how much of Freeman's decline was due to Coleman and how much of it was his own doing.
Of course, one can look at Coleman's departure and come to the conclusion that Freeman will get more touches in 2019, and that may be true, but Smith is a very talented second-year back who could be a breakout candidate for the Falcons this year.
So, we really can't be sure if Freeman's touches are going to jump all that much, especially considering he is coming off surgery.
Atlanta should have a dynamic offense, with a passing attack led by Matt Ryan, Julio Jones and Calvin Ridley. There is also veteran wide out Mohamed Sanu and tight end Austin Hooper.
Freeman should be an important part of the Falcons' offense, but how much production he is actually going to put forth is questionable.
While Freeman certainly has the potential to be a lead back in fantasy and was one a few years ago, it's debatable whether or not he will get back to that point in 2019, which is why he is nothing more than a mid-round pick as a No. 2 back at the moment.
He is one of those boom-or-bust types who could end up being a gigantic steal for someone, or a risky gamble that does not pan out for someone else, but the wise thing to do is to roll with a safer pick at running back and just take Freeman as a No. 2 later on.
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