We are all in that situation right now in fantasy football, wondering ‘Is there a guy who can go on a magical run and lead us to the championship?’ Fantasy managers across the world are scouring the waiver wire to find that diamond in the rough.
Los Angeles Rams RB Royce Freeman posted a career day on Sunday, as he rushed the ball for 77 yards and a touchdown against the Arizona Cardinals. The Rams as a team were terrific at running the ball on Sunday. RB Kyren Williams also was able to rush for 143 yards, while also catching six passes for 61 yards and two touchdowns.
Could Freeman complement Williams enough for fantasy managers to sign him off the waiver wire?
Should Royce Freeman Be a Fantasy Waiver Wire Add in Week 13?
Any time you see the phrase “career game,” you get excited and want that guy on your team. The Rams are playing for their playoff lives now, so you can expect them to do whatever is needed and to feed their go-to players.
Sunday was a huge indication of what Williams brings to the team. When he is healthy, the Rams have an offense that resembles a top-five unit.
With that in mind, when you see Freeman’s name on the waiver wire, skip right past it.
The biggest sign to stay away from Freeman is the fact Williams had such a monster game. This was his first game back. We expected the Rams to ease him back in and make sure he is truly healthy. He showed for an absolute fact that he was ready to go, and you have to expect the Rams to keep feeding him the ball.
If anything, he will get the ball even more now. The Rams’ offense as a whole is finally healthy, and that hasn’t happened much this year. Los Angeles is in action against the Cleveland Browns this week, and the Rams could be in store for a big day — despite the Browns’ great defense.
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Not having CB Denzel Ward is really hurting the pass defense, and EDGE Myles Garrett’s status is questionable moving forward. That completely changes how good this defense is. Wide receivers Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua should both have great one-on-one matchups in this game.
Freeman had a good week, but right now, he doesn’t figure to be involved in the Rams’ offense. This unit right now is clicking like it was at the beginning of the season, and you can bet Sean McVay is going to let QB Matthew Stafford continue to throw the ball a lot.
When you are looking at the waiver wire at this point of the year, you want a guy with a high ceiling who is extremely versatile. While Freeman will get some carries, he is highly unlikely to catch the ball. In 73 career games, he has only 85 catches. In 2019, Freeman had 43 catches in 16 games, meaning in his other 57 career games, he has 42 catches.
Meanwhile, Williams can make plays in both the pass and run. He may be getting the ball 25-28 times to end the year.
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