When the Atlanta Falcons drafted Tevin Coleman, we were all prepared for a competition between the rookie and the second-year running back Devonta Freeman. Unfortunately, both players suffered a hamstring strain during training camp, which left the starting running back job up in the air heading into the 2015 season. While Coleman got the early nod as a starter, a rib injury during Week 2 immediately shifted the job to Freeman. Fortunately for Freeman and his fantasy owners, he hasn't looked back.
Over the past three full weeks as the starter for the Falcons, Freeman has rushed a total of 71 times for 362 yards and seven touchdowns. To top it off, he's also proven to be a stellar pass-catching running back, as he's caught 17 passes for 177 yards over that three-game span.
With Coleman set to return from his rib injury in Week 5 against the Washington Redskins, many were curious how the carries would be split up. Well, we officially got our answer early on in Atlanta's 25-19 overtime victory against the Redskins. Not only did Freeman dominate the game on Sunday, but he out-touched Coleman in a big way. Freeman wound up with 27 carries for 153 yards and a score, as well as seven catches for 44 yards. As for Coleman, well, he had just two rushes for three yards in his return. It was expected that Coleman wouldn't get nearly the amount of work that Freeman would, but Freeman's incredible play has completely pushed Coleman into a reserve role moving forward in 2015.