Devonta Freeman Injury Update Provides Optimism For Week 12 Fantasy Outlook

Atlanta Falcons running back Devonta Freeman exited their Week 10 game with the New Orleans Saints with a foot injury. That injury kept him on the shelf in Week 11, but head coach Dan Quinn provided us with a positive update on Monday afternoon, indicating that Freeman has a shot at returning in Week 12.

Freeman and tight end Austin Hooper could both be back in action this week, giving the Falcons' offense a big boost for their divisional matchup with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

A return to the field for Freeman would push Brian Hill back into a secondary running back role for this week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Hill struggled to get much of anything going in his first start, averaging just 2.0 yards per carry against the Carolina Panthers, adding only one catch for eight yards.

Freeman's numbers haven't been anything special in 2019, but he's seeing solid volume with 12.1 carries and 5.0 targets per game (excluding Week 10 when he suffered the injury), and until the injury he was 23rd among RBs with 13.0 PPR fantasy points per game, still making him a solid option as an every-week starter.

No matter who starts at running back for the Falcons in Week 12, they face a tough matchup with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Tampa surrenders the third-fewest fantasy points to opposing running backs in PPR scoring, which is especially impressive considering they have faced Christian McCaffrey twice.

Accounting for Freeman sitting out, Hill is ranked as RB20 in our Week 12 PPR rankings. If Freeman does suit up, he will slot into a similar ranking, while Hill will lose his fantasy value.

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