Audric Estime

Audric Estime sat on the bench as a freshman in 2021, backing up future fantasy football league winner Kyren Williams.
But he got his chance to be the RB1 for the next two seasons, and he thrived - 22% dominator rating as a sophomore and a 28% dominator rating this past season. He also scored 18 TDs (tied for second) and recorded over 1,300 rushing yards.
And he was beyond efficient with his 225+ touches - first in PFF grading (94.2), fifth in yards after contact per attempt (4.3) and third in rushes of 15+ yards. Per Sports Info Solutions, he also finished second in the class in both positive run percentage and boom percentage (which are both metrics that result in positive EPA and/or runs that generate an EPA of more than 1).
Also flashed strong hands with a 100% catch rate (26 targets) through two seasons. His pass protection needs fine-tuning, however, based on the scouting notes presented by Matthew Jones.
Still, with ideal size at 5-foot-11 and 221 pounds (slightly less than his college-listed weight at 227), Estime could easily be a future bell-cow back at the NFL level.
When I turned on the tape, I was impressed. Shades of Nick Chubb in his game as a north and south runner who doesn't waste his efforts.
And as a final note to sign off my love for Estime early in the draft process, the Notre Dame RB owns the second-highest yards per play (3.32) in the 2024 NFL RB Draft Class. He also owns the second-highest single-season mark from this past season in yards per play (3.82).
Unfortunately for Estime, he ran a sluggish 40-yard dash 4.71 40-yard dash, not too dissimilar to Kyren Williams' 4.65 40-yard dash. However, his vertical was 38″ (87th percentile) and broad jump was 10'5″ 89th percentile) showcasing his explosiveness.
The 40-yard dash hurt his draft capital (5th round to the Denver Broncos). On the surface, Estime landing in Denver is not ideal for his fantasy prospects. However, HC Sean Payton has come out and been positive about Estime, citing he will be competing for touches behind Javonte on 1st and 2nd down. Williams is entering the last year of his contract.

Compact, thick build. Estime will be the early down grinder portion of a committee in the NFL. With only 26 targets in three seasons at Notre Dame, he won't be an integral part of any NFL passing attack. Estime has decent lateral agility and can move horizontally as he scans for a hole to burst through the line. His vision is okay, but he can be caught hesitating at the line at times, which can be a coffin nail with his average (at best) burst. His leg drive is one of his best attributes, as he can power through arm tackles and churn out yards in the interior. Overall, he is a linear/upright runner who struggles with change of direction in a phone booth with choppy steps. His speed is the build-up variety. Dynasty Outlook: Estime was selected in the fifth round of the NFL Draft by the Denver Broncos. With Javonte Williams in the final year of his rookie deal, Estime has become an interesting player to draft in the fourth round of a rookie draft. It's not hard to envision Estime taking over the early taking over ground and pound downs next year, with Jaleel McLaughlin handling the passing downs. He could be especially valuable next year in formats that give a little boost to carries.