Broncos' Audric Estime: Mixed results in rookie season
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Estime finished the 2024 regular season with 76 carries for 310 yards and two touchdowns while catching all five of his targets for 27 yards. He also committed two fumbles (one lost) across 13 games.
Estime was inactive for the Broncos' wild-card loss to the Broncos, as Denver opted to go with a three-man running back rotation of Javonte Williams, Jaleel McLaughlin and Tyler Badie. The 21-year-old Estime was stuck in a committee in his rookie campaign, unable to separate himself as the go-to option in the Denver backfield. With that said, the Notre Dame product showed flashes in his limited opportunities throughout the season, so his continued development may help him attain a more secure role in his sophomore campaign. Williams could be in a new locale in 2025, as the veteran is set to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason. His potential departure would leave Estime, McLaughlin and Badie competing to be Denver's lead back. It's also possible the Broncos will address the position in free agency or the 2025 NFL Draft.
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Broncos' Audric Estime: Inactive for wild-card round
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Estime (coach's decision) is inactive for Sunday's AFC wild-card game against the Bills.
Estime's inactive status comes as a bit of a surprise considering he recorded at least nine touches in each of the final three games of the regular season and has contributed on special teams. However, Estime will be the odd man out of the Broncos' backfield due to Tyler Badie (back) returning from injured reserve. Denver will go with a three-man backfield of Jaleel McLaughlin, Javonte Williams and Badie for Sunday's playoff game.
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Broncos' Audric Estime: Lots of work in garbage time
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Estime rushed the ball 12 times for 34 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 38-0 win over the Chiefs.
Estime logged double-digit carries for the second time in his rookie season, though he mostly worked behind both Jaleel McLaughlin and Javonte Williams. Of Estime's 12 carries, 10 came in the fourth quarter with the Broncos up by at least four scores. Barring a similar game script -- which would come as a shock -- in Denver's wild-card round matchup against the Bills, Estime isn't likely to play a significant role in the offense.
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Broncos' Audric Estime: Totals 37 yards
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Estime rushed the ball nine times for 24 yards in Saturday's 30-24 overtime loss to the Bengals. He added one reception on one target for 13 yards.
Estime earned nine carries for the second consecutive week, finishing second narrowly behind Jaleel McLaughlin for touches out of the backfield. He had difficulty finding running room, as his longest rush went for just six yards, and he was held for two yards or fewer on four of his nine carries. While Estime seems to have established a role in the Denver offense, his fantasy appeal remains limited in the split backfield.
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Broncos' Audric Estime: Week 17 Waiver Priority List
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With Jaleel McLaughlin (quadriceps) out in Week 16 at the Chargers, Estime had nine carries for 48 yards and a touchdown, which was the first of his NFL career. He did not have a target. The nine carries were the second-most this season, and he could have the chance for another quality outing against the Bengals in Week 17. Keep an eye on what happens with McLaughlin, and Estime could be a flex option in all leagues while he works in tandem with Javonte Williams against Cincinnati.
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Broncos' Audric Estime: Efficient as backfield leader
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Estime rushed nine times for 48 yards and a touchdown in the Broncos' 34-27 loss to the Chargers on Thursday night.
In a game in which fellow RB Jaleel McLaughlin (quadriceps) was sidelined, Estime outpaced Javonte Williams and Blake Watson by five carries apiece -- although Williams did log a team-high 11 targets -- making the rookie back the leader of Denver's ground attack on the night. Estime also recorded his first NFL touchdown on a three-yard run just before the midway point of the first quarter to cap off a 10-play, 72-yard drive and open the scoring on the night. Estime had recorded 16 rushing yards or less on six or fewer carries in four consecutive games heading into Thursday, and it remains to be seen if his efficient performance will keep him in the lead role for a favorable Week 17 road matchup against the Bengals on Saturday, Dec. 28.
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Broncos' Audric Estime: Week 16 Waiver Priority List
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We don't know how the Broncos will use their running backs with Jaleel McLaughlin (quadriceps) banged up heading into Thursday's game against the Chargers, so Estime could be a surprise flex option in deeper leagues. It's risky since he hasn't had double digits in touches since Week 10, but Sean Payton could opt to make this an Estime game instead of leaning on Javonte Williams.
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Broncos' Audric Estime: Six touches in win
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Estime rushed five times for 13 yards while catching his lone target for five yards in Sunday's 31-13 win over the Colts.
Estime had another unimpressive performance Sunday, though his six total touches were his most since Week 11. As the Denver backfield continues to be a full-blown committee, the rookie running back has seen limited opportunities to make much noise on offense. Estime played just 13 of the Broncos' 63 offensive snaps against the Colts, behind both Javonte Williams (34) and Jaleel McLaughlin (15). For fantasy purposes, Estime, a Notre Dame product, is nothing more than a middling insurance policy in the event of injuries to either Williams or McLaughlin going forward. The Broncos visit the Chargers in Week 16.
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Broncos' Audric Estime: Three carries in Week 13
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Estime rushed three times for 12 yards in Monday's 41-32 win over the Browns.
Estime played just eight of the Broncos' 66 offensive snaps, behind teammates Javonte Williams (30) and Jaleel McLaughlin (24). With head coach Sean Payton allowing for a more fluid rotation in the Denver backfield from week to week, Estime appears to be the odd man out recently, handling just 12 total carries over the past three games. With such limited usage, Estime should remain off the fantasy radar going forward barring injuries to either Williams or McLaughlin. The Broncos will host the Colts on Dec. 15 when they return from their Week 14 bye.
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Broncos' Audric Estime: Three carries in Week 12
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Estime rushed three times for 15 yards in Sunday's 29-19 win over the Raiders.
Just two weeks after seemingly taking over as the Broncos' No. 1 running back, Estime has seen his usage diminish drastically since Week 10, now operating as Denver's third option out of the backfield. The rookie played just five of the Broncos' 68 offensive snaps, behind both Javonte Williams (38) and Jaleel McLaughlin (20). His eight-percent snap share Sunday was a precipitous drop from the last two contests in which Estime handled snap shares of 45 percent and 22 percent in Weeks 10 and 11, respectively. Fantasy managers hoping to have found a late-season may need to come to terms with the fact that head coach Sean Payton will use the hot-hand approach with Denver's running back committee, limiting the 21-year-old Estime's weekly upside. Though he'll be difficult to trust in fantasy lineups, the Notre Dame product will have his next chance to get more involved in the offense when the Broncos host the Browns in Week 13.
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Broncos' Audric Estime: Platoons with Williams in Week 11
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Estime rushed six times for 16 yards while catching all three of his targets for nine yards in Sunday's 38-6 win over the Falcons.
Estime got three fewer carries than Javonte Williams after notching 14 carries to Williams' one in Week 10 against the Chiefs. The rookie fifth-round pick out of Notre Dame hadn't been targeted in any of his previous six NFL appearances, so it was encouraging to see Estime get involved in the passing game. A timeshare between Williams and Estime is likely to unfold moving forward, though Williams may still be in line for a slight edge in playing time against the Raiders in Week 12.
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Broncos' Audric Estime: Week 11 Waiver Priority List
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It appears like Estime has taken over as the lead running back for the Broncos, and he's worth adding in all leagues for 10-15 percent of your remaining FAB. Coach Sean Payton said Monday that Estime will "continue to get more reps" after the way he performed in Week 10 at Kansas City with 14 carries for 53 yards. Now, keep in mind that Javonte Williams and Jaleel McLaughlin are healthy and will continue to get work. And Estime doesn't have a target yet this season. But given the chance to be the starter, Estime could be a flex option in all leagues, with his value higher in non-PPR formats. I'm excited to see what Estime can do against Atlanta in Week 11.
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Broncos' Audric Estime: Increased role on tap
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Broncos head coach Sean Payton said Monday that he was "encouraged" with Estime's performance in Sunday's 16-14 loss to the Chiefs, adding that the rookie will "continue to get more reps," Aric DiLalla of the Broncos' official site reports.
After handling his largest workload of his rookie campaign (14 carries for 53 yards), Estime seems to have earned a vote of confidence from Payton. Veteran Javonte Williams could continue to take a back seat to the 21-year-old rookie after Williams logged just one carry in Week 10, though he and Jaleel McLaughlin should dominate most of the reps on passing downs. Estime has yet to be targeted across his 47 snaps on offense through six games this season, but an expected uptick in usage on the ground could result in solid fantasy production moving forward, particularly in non-PPR leagues. Though managers may want to take a wait-and-see approach before inserting him in fantasy lineups, the Notre Dame product at least represents an appealing speculative pickup heading into the Broncos' Week 11 matchup with the Falcons.
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Broncos' Audric Estime: Paces ground attack in loss
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Estime rushed 14 times for 53 yards in the Broncos' 16-14 loss to the Chiefs on Sunday.
Estime was given the largest workload of his brief career, with backfield mate Javonte Williams surprisingly limited to just one rush attempt overall. The rookie handled the additional responsibility well, posting a new career high in rushing yards. The lack of involvement in the passing game was far from ideal, but Estime could have plenty of opportunity again in a Week 11 home matchup against the Falcons.
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Broncos' Audric Estime: Flashes in garbage time
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Estime carried the ball five times for 35 yards in Sunday's 41-10 loss to the Ravens.
It was the rookie RB's best performance yet, but most of Estime's production came on a 21-yard gain on Denver's final possession of the fourth quarter while facing a 31-point deficit. The 2024 fifth-round pick is still third on the backfield depth chart behind Javonte Williams and Jaleel McLaughlin, but the latter's struggles this season -- after rushing for only 10 yards on five totes Sunday, McLaughlin has averaged 3.9 yards per carry, a huge drop from his 5.4 YPC in 2023 -- could open the door for Estime to earn a bigger role in the second half of the campaign.
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Broncos' Audric Estime: Officially active Sunday
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Estime (ankle) is active for Sunday's Week 6 matchup against the Chargers.
The rookie will therefore be available to aid Denver's ground attack for the first time since hurting his ankle in his Week 1 NFL debut. Estime was just activated from injured reserve Saturday, and in Sunday's divisional clash, he figures to slot in as the No. 3 running back behind Javonte Williams and Jaleel McLaughlin.
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Broncos' Audric Estime: Could play after coming off IR
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Estime (ankle) was activated off injured reserve Saturday. The rookie running back is still listed as questionable for Sunday's contest against the Chargers, Chris Tomasson of The Denver Gazette reports.
The Denver backfield appears to have a bit more of a cadence than it did early on, with Javonte Williams averaging about 33 snaps per game and Jaleel McLaughlin mixing in somewhere in the range of 17 to 23 snaps most weeks. Estime probably won't play much to start, but he does profile as more of a thumper than anyone currently on the depth chart and could earn more opportunities as the season progresses.
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Broncos' Audric Estime: Returns to practice
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Estime (ankle) returned to practice Wednesday, opening a 21-day window for him to be activated from injured reserve, Parker Gabriel of The Denver Post reports.
The Broncos can place Estime back on the 53-man roster any time before Oct. 30, at which point he would revert to injured reserve for the rest of the season. He injured his ankle Week 1 and has now missed the minimum of four games, potentially opening the door for a third man to get involved in a backfield that's featured Javonte Williams as the lead runner and Jaleel McLaughlin in a supporting role. Both struggled earlier this season but have been more efficient with their touches in the past two games.
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Broncos' Audric Estime: Lands on IR
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Denver placed Estime on injured reserve Wednesday with an ankle injury, Aric DiLalla of the Broncos' official site reports.
As a result, Estime will miss at least four games, but the 2024 fifth-round pick isn't expected to require surgery to address his injury, per Parker Gabriel of The Denver Post. Estime's upcoming absence leaves Javonte Williams, Jaleel McLaughlin and Blake Watson as Denver's healthy running backs.
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Broncos' Audric Estime: Handles two carries in loss
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Estime rushed twice for 14 yards in Sunday's 26-20 loss to the Seahawks.
Estime played just three of the Broncos' 69 offensive snaps Sunday while Javonte Williams and Jaleel McLaughlin dominated in running back snap counts with 36 and 24 snaps, respectively. The rookie tried to make a highlight play by hurdling a Seattle defender on one of his carries, but he ended up fumbling the ball before it was recovered by a teammate. It appears Estime is well behind Williams and McLaughlin in the pecking order, though his role could increase as the season progresses, especially if the Denver backfield is hit with the injury bug at any point this year. Estime should remain off the fantasy radar when the Broncos host the Steelers in Week 2.
