Following week 1, no one should be surprised by the fact that the Denver Broncos have a 
Running Back By Committee. All we have heard all off-season has been about Devontae Booker and Royce Freeman battling to be the Denver Broncos lead running back. So naturally, one should believe that with it coming down to the wire we would see Denver use multiple running backs. No one was prepared for undrafted free agent Phillip Lindsay though. Here is how week 1 ended for the Broncos backfield.
| Players | Rushing Attempts | Yards | Targets | Receptions | Yards | TD’s |
| Freeman | 15 | 71 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Booker | 2 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 11 | 0 |
| Lindsay | 15 | 71 | 3 | 2 | 31 | 1 |
As anyone can see, Phillip Lindsay is viewed by the Broncos as a weapon. 17 touches week 1 for 104 yards and a receiving touchdown. Digging into the stat line further, Royce Freeman was ignored in the passing game which will create a slight hit on his PPR value. If Lindsay can continue to be a dual threat back, then he will carve out a permanent rule in this offense and I believe barring injury Devontae Booker is done in Denver.
So Who is Phillip Lindsay?
Simply put, Lindsay is an undrafted running back out of the University of Colorado. In the Pac-12 Lindsay put up 1700 total yards and 15 and 17 touchdowns in each of his Jr. and Sr. seasons with the Buffaloes. Along with this, he added more 7 receiving scores as a sophomore. Why wasn’t this man drafted? Well in looking into his scouting report, Phillip Lindsay is only 5’8″ tall and carried the ball a lot in college creating a question of durability. He is already considered small for an NFL running back and given a large amount of wear over two seasons creates some concerns for most pro teams.
Is Phillip Lindsay a Legitimate Asset?
In my opinion, Lindsay will be a legitimate fantasy asset for years to come and here’s why. Lindsay has gained the respect of the Denver Broncos’ community. He called Terrell Davis to ask permission to put on the heralded number 30 and was given the go ahead. If this doesn’t tell you that there is respect for this young man, then I’m not sure what will. Much like Davis, Lindsay first began to be seen by making plays on special teams. He also was undrafted where Davis was a late-round pick. Hopefully, these comparison’s will continue to grow.
One of my favorite things about Lindsay is his role on the Broncos roster. While they brought in Royce Freeman, they need a good change of pace back on their roster. Bring in the smaller, shiftier Phillip Lindsay and next thing you know you have a two-
headed monster that will create gameplan headaches. In standard leagues, I have Lindsay much lower than I have him in PPR leagues just because of what Lindsay’s apparent role in the Denver Broncos offense will be moving forwards. While he appears as a scat back, Lindsay did run very well between the tackles on Sunday slashing into holes for quick yardage. Lindsay was also used for 8 touches in the 4th quarter while Royce Freeman only had 4. They believe in Lindsay in tight situations, this man is here to stay. While for fantasy purposes he may not be a must-start yet, he will have some big weeks worthy of holding on a fantasy roster. As of right now, I see Phillip Lindsay comparing very well to Chris Thompson or Darren Sproles.
Makings’ Mailbag
From Josh:Â For Dynasty purposes, what do you do with Amari Cooper?
In my opinion, I am going to hold Amari Cooper until he has one or two big games and then sell for whatever I can get out of him. After week 1 I truly believe that Cooper is not a part of Gruden’s gameplan. If Gruden saw Cooper as a WR1 it would be different, but it appears as if he is viewed as a role-playing slot receiver in his system.
From Tom: Can you trust any RB’s from SF, IND, SEA, NE, DEN, CLE, NYJ, BUF, or OAK?
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While I won’t address every one of these teams, I do believe there are trustable players here. For one, Chris Carson was promised to have a larger role. He had 50 yards against Denver who had a solid run defense in 2017 and with a beat-up receiving corp expect the Seahawks to go to the ground. James White will remain to have a role in New England, especially as a receiving back. I believe he can be trusted in PPR leagues. I’m still trusting in Freeman, Crowell, Hyde, McCoy, and Marshawn at this point as well. All were shown either high usage or promise a high floor. Don’t give up on LeSean it can’t get any worse.
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