The Broncos came up just short against the Chiefs, as Kansas City blocked a potential game-winning field goal as regulation expired. Even after back-to-back losses, Denver is in the playoff hunt at 5-5 with a favorable schedule ahead. On Sunday, they made a key shift in the backfield with rookie Audric Estime ($4,500) stepping into the role of the primary running back. Keep reading to find out why Estime should be one of the first names you look for on the waiver wire for NFL Week 11.
The background on Audric Estime
The Broncos drafted Estime in the fifth round of the 2024 draft out of Notre Dame, and coach Sean Payton said right away that he could work into the mix as an early-down running back.
Estime got some early hype as a sleeper since Javonte Williams ($5,700) and Jaleel McLaughlin ($4,700) have shared time but not been especially effective. However, Estime wasn’t an option early in the year after sustaining an ankle injury in Week 1.
He missed four games and returned in Week 6 against the Chargers. In Week 7, he had five carries but lost a fumble against the Saints. He didn’t play much against the Panthers in a rout but wasbac for 35 rushing yards on five carries in Week 9 against the Ravens.
Before his Week 10 workload, he had totaled 95 yards on 15 carries (6.3 yards per carry).
The breakout of Audric Estime
Before Week 10, coach Sean Payton said Estime would get more work, but no one expected him to take over the primary role. He had 14 carries against the Chiefs and produced a solid 53 yards. He also had a 17-yard run called back due to holding.
Some of his runs were to set up a field goal attempt when everyone knew the run was coming and the Chiefs were trying to force a fumble. The fact that Payton trusted Estime with those works speaks volumes of how he sees the depth chart right now.
We’re seeing a changing of the guard in the Broncos’ backfield 👀
Audric Estime earned…
🔸 2 of the 3 Red Zone carries
🔹 82% of the RB carry share
🔸 64% of the designed runs (2nd-highest rate by a DEN RB this year)Denver’s RB1 📈📈📈#BroncosCountrypic.twitter.com/4St3U378wX
— FANTASY UMPIRE (@FantasyUmpire) November 11, 2024
Estime finished Sunday’s loss with a team-high 14 carries and Williams only had one carry for one yard while McLaughlin had two carries for 12 yards.
The outlook for Audric Estime
It’s sometimes hard to tell if a huge jump in usage like this is just a one-game outlier or a trend. Thankfully, coach Sean Payton seems to have cleared that up on Monday.
#Broncos Payton on Estime. "I thought he ran well yesterday and I thought Mims gave us some choice as well. We are trying different ways to utilize these players." He said Estime will continue to get more reps. …. As he should. He has earned right to get some run.
— Troy Renck (@TroyRenck) November 11, 2024
While Estime has yet to be targeted on a pass, he appears to be lined up for plenty of carries and early-down work moving forward.
The Broncos are through a tough stretch in their schedule and will face the Falcons, Raiders, Browns and Colts over the next four weeks.
The Bottom Line
There aren’t many chances to grab a starting running back off of waivers at this point in the season, but Estime is available in over 95% of fantasy leagues. Make him a top priority to add if you need help at running back.
The Broncos are 1.5-point home favorites for their Week 11 matchup with the Falcons, and Estime will be a great cheap play in DFS contests like the NFL $2.5M Fantasy Football Millionaire [$1M to 1st], where he provides extreme salary relief from his salary of only $4,500.
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