Baltimore’s backfield wasn’t supposed to look like this back in August. J.K. Dobbins was supposed to lead a corps complemented by Gus Edwards and Justice Hill. Instead, a combination of Devonta Freeman, Latavius Murray, Le’Veon Bell, and Ty’Son Williams were tasked with righting the ship. Heading into Week 15, Freeman and Murray lead the backfield charge for the 8-5 Ravens — how much can fantasy football managers trust either one against the Packers?
Latavius Murray lost his opportunity
For a week or two earlier this season, it looked like Williams might be the lead back, while Bell got some short-lived buzz. Then, Murray appeared to take over. At that point, I wrote before Baltimore’s Week 5 Monday Night Football game against the Colts that we couldn’t trust Murray as the No. 1 RB going forward. This backfield was a hot-hand situation, plain and simple, and Murray could no longer carry the load.
Murray’s career-low 3.3 yards per carry don’t tell the whole story. No longer even a mid-range receiving threat, the soon-to-be 32-year-old is nearing the end of an impressive career. His yards before contact (1.9) are significantly behind Freeman’s 2.7. His yards before contact (1.4) place him below the top 50 RBs with at least 80 rushing attempts. He is a shell of his former self, and his recent usage decline reinforces this conclusion: 12 touches in Week 11, 8 in Week 12, 4 in Week 13, and 1 in Week 14. At this stage, he’s merely a desperation handcuff.
Devonta Freeman is the Ravens’ clear No. 1 RB
I hyped Freeman heading into 2019, and he fared decently enough despite a career-low 3.6 ypc. His 59 receptions helped propel him to relevance most weeks. I’ve cautioned managers this year that he would remain a catch-dependent fantasy back. In other words, banking on 60 rushing yards and a score would not be enough to sustain him as a weekly fantasy starter.
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But after being cast aside this offseason, Freeman has elevated his game with a solid 102-440-4 rushing line and 28-178-1 receiving line. Whether or not Lamar Jackson can play this weekend, Freeman should continue to serve as a solid RB2/3 with occasional pop. Full disclosure: I’m debating whether to start him over AJ Dillon in my No. 2 RB slot. It might come down to Aaron Jones’ status, or I might decide to start Freeman regardless. With 5+ receptions in three of his last four games, Freeman has the floor to produce 10+ points any given week.
