Melvin Gordon, Royce Freeman Fantasy Outlook After Phillip Lindsay Injury

Running back plans may have to change for the Denver Broncos and fantasy players alike after Phillip Lindsay suffered a foot injury during Monday's game against the Tennessee Titans, per Mike Klis of 9News.

If there is a silver lining for fantasy players, it is the fact that Melvin Gordon brings a high ceiling and will now have more opportunity. The result could be fantasy gold for those who took a chance on the two-time Pro Bowler.

With that in mind, here is a fantasy reaction for Gordon and Royce Freeman following Lindsay's injury.

Melvin Gordon

Gordon is a household name and surely on plenty of rosters across the fantasy football universe, but he had something to prove coming into the 2020 season.

After all, he finished the 2019 campaign with a career-worst 612 rushing yards on 3.8 yards per carry, which was a far cry from the 1,105 yards he ran for in 2017 or the 5.1 yards per carry he posted in 2018. He also wasn't as big of a receiving threat with 296 yards through the air, which was his lowest total since he was a rookie in 2015.

This is Gordon's first year on a team outside of the Chargers, and he figures to be the primary back with Lindsay sidelined.

That alone makes him a must-start in fantasy circles, especially since he is someone who has been an RB1 in the past with the ceiling to reach that level again at 27 years old. While Gordon may not be as reliable as he was just a handful of years ago, he is a must-start as long as Lindsay is out.

Royce Freeman

The Broncos selected Freeman with a third-round pick out of Oregon in 2018, and he was already challenging for a starting role before his rookie season started.

Ryan O'Halloran of the Denver Post said he thought "it's a matter of weeks until Freeman takes over the main tailback role" during the preseason and pointed to the fact that the rookie "can make a guy miss in the open field and can navigate his way in short-yardage situations."

Freeman ultimately settled into a committee approach with Lindsay and then as more of a backup but figures to see more carries after this setback alongside Gordon.

He also established himself as a factor in the Broncos offense as a rookie with 521 rushing yards and five touchdowns and followed up with a solid 496 rushing yards last year. The numbers aren't incredible, but he is someone who can fill in as a flex option for teams looking for depth.

That is especially the case since he will have more opportunity when Lindsay is sidelined.