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.