The Good

Broncos running back Javonte Williams had an impressive rookie season in Denver. Williams piled up 1,219 scrimmage yards and 7 total touchdowns in his first season. He could be seen regularly breaking tackles and proved to be built for the NFL. In fact, Williams had 31 broken tackles his rookie season and was the league leader in broken-plus tackles missed at 17.2%. Big things were expected for Williams in his 2nd season but he unfortunately went down with a serious ACL injury in week 4. Williams now seems to be ahead of schedule as he is already practicing again for the Broncos and could see some pre-season reps. This is great news for Denver fans as new head coach Payton will be able to get the best out of Williams going forward.

As insurance, the Broncos brought in running back Samaje Perine this offseason. If you followed the Cincinnati Bengals closely you know Perine played a pivotal role for them. Now that Williams looks to be healthy, Perine will provide an extra jolt to the running game for Denver. Perine is somewhat similar to Williams in that he rarely goes down on the first touch. He just doesn’t have the breakaway speed that Williams has. Expect the running game to be the strength of the Broncos offense.

The Bad

There were already questions about the Broncos wide receiver position going into next season. Unfortunately, the group took a big hit to their depth as receivers K.J. Hamler and Tim Patrick are now out indefinitely. The Broncos will now lean heavily on Jerry Jeudy and Courtland Sutton in 2023. Jeudy has shown flashes of greatness but lacks consistency and Sutton hasn’t been the same since his breakout 2019 season. The Broncos also drafted Marvin Mims Jr. from Oklahoma with hopes to bolster the position. With the recent injuries, Mims will now be relied on for a heavy role in Denver.

The Prediction

Sean Payton will have an impact in Denver this season. How much of an impact is yet to be seen but the offense should be vastly improved. The problem for the Broncos is Russell Wilson is not the same player as he was in Seattle. He can no longer rely on his legs to extend plays and this causes more turnovers. The key for him going forward is to learn how to play from the pocket similar to what Drew Brees did in New Orleans. It will be fascinating to watch how this all plays out in 2023.

2023 Record: 8-9 (3rd in the Division)

The post Denver Broncos Record Prediction for 2023 appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

The current ADP below is for Half PPR scoring.

Elijah Moore (Browns – WR) | ADP 114 | WR48

Elijah Moore was a disappointment last year after a promising rookie season. The former New York Jet only topped double-digit fantasy points once and faded completely from fantasy relevance. Moore showed flashes but failed to produce much of anything. He finished the season with only 1 receiving touchdown and 446 receiving yards.

This past season Moore was traded to the Cleveland Browns giving him a much needed change of scenery. Now with the spotlight off him, I expect Moore to bounce back to his rookie form. Quarterback Deshaun Watson is entering his second year with the Browns and should be more comfortable in this system. With the arrival of Moore, the Browns receiving core has the potential to make some noise. When it’s all said and done, I expect many will be kicking themselves for not taking a chance on Elijah Moore.

Kadarius Toney (Chiefs – WR) | ADP 86 | WR38

Don’t look too much into Kadarius Toney‘s 2022-23 campaign. Between injuries and falling out with the New York Giants, he wasn’t able to offer much value. Toney was traded to Kansas City Chiefs in October for a 3rd and 6th round pick. This was the best case scenario for him as he showcased what he could do during the Super Bowl.

Now fully healthy, Toney is set up for a breakout year with the Chiefs. While Travis Kelce will eat up the majority of the target share I expect Toney will be utilized often in this offense. Toney is a player whose stock is rising pretty quickly as you can see from the chart below. By the start of the season, I could see him getting into the WR30 range in which case he will no longer be undervalued.

Courtland Sutton (Broncos – WR) | ADP 90 | WR41

Like the other wide receivers on this list, Courtland Sutton had a tough 2022-23 season. Don’t blame him though, this was due in large part to an abysmal Denver Broncos offense. Even though the offense struggled, Sutton still managed to finish the year with 829 receiving yards. He also had a decent target share at 20.1%.

I expect the Broncos offense to improve significantly next season. New Head Coach Sean Payton is an offensive mastermind who will find ways to make this offense more explosive. Russel Wilson should also have a bounce-back year and this receiving core will benefit. Jerry Jeudy will always be a factor in taking targets away from Sutton but it won’t matter. Expect Sutton to finish with 1,000+ yards and 5+ touchdowns.

The post 3 WRs Currently Undervalued in Fantasy appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Andy Davies

It wasn’t supposed to be like this.

When the Denver Broncos fired head coach Vic Fangio, it was deemed that they were just a quarterback away from being contenders.

And then the Broncos made moves. Nathaniel Hackett was hired, after a spell as the Green Bay Packers offensive coordinator. Not long after that appointment, the team went big in their search for a new quarterback. They traded a 2022 and 2023 first-round and second-round pick as well as a fifth round from this year and gave away Drew Lock, Noah Fant and Shelby Harris in exchange for Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson and a fourth-round pick.

This was supposed to be the answer. However, so far it has been far from that.

The Broncos have lost their last two games and currently sit at 2-3 after their first five games with their new head coach and quarterback duo. Neither has set the world alight.

In five starts, Wilson has thrown for 1,254 yards, just four touchdowns and three interceptions. This would have projected to finish the season with 4,264 yards, 14 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Whilst those projected yards would actually be a career best, it would be an all-time career low in touchdown passes, six less than his current worst in 2014. He would only have four seasons with more interceptions than nine. 

Russell Wilson is said to have requested the trade, and many felt Pete Carroll’s run-first offense was holding him back. However, all Wilson has shown us in 2022 is that perhaps Carroll was doing this for a reason.

Against the Colts, Wilson threw an awful interception and despite having 274 passing yards, he threw for zero touchdowns and two interceptions. With the exception of one great run and one great pass, Russ had no moments of excellence. He was incapable of getting it done in the red zone, seemed to force his passes to his target men, and often missed several open receivers.

Hackett came in as an offensive guy, one that worked with the current back-to-back MVP. Russ was meant to be allowed to cook, presumably one of the reasons if not the main one for Wilson agreeing to join the Broncos. With Jerry Jeudy, Courtland Sutton, and Tim Patrick, he was not short of receiving options. Patrick may have suffered a season-ending injury prior to Week One, but the team still has K.J. Hamler and Albert Okwuegbunam.

His ability to just throw it without properly looking through his reads may have been disguised in recent years due to D.K. Metcalf being the closest thing to Calvin Johnson we have seen since the Hall of Famer retired. Neither Jeudy, Sutton and Hamler have the strength and hands of Metcalf. 

Hackett deserves some portion of the blame, with his questionable play calling and poor time management. He could well be one and done as a head coach for the Broncos. His time so far reminiscent of Adam Gase, a star quarterback glossing over coaching deficiencies. However, he is not the one out there missing open players, making bad throws, and seeming scared to get hit. So far, Wilson looks to have made no difference. With the number of draft picks given up and the long term multi-million-dollar extension given to him, this trade so far looks to be one the team may regret.

Let’s not forget that Wilson still has to play the Chargers and Chiefs each twice.

Granted, a new head coach who actually knows what they are doing may be the difference they need and not every quarterback can do what Tom Brady and Matthew Stafford did on new teams.

Despite this, should Wilson play like this for the rest of 2022 and beyond this trade could be one that potentially affects the team long-term.

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By: Jake Rajala

The Denver Broncos have their veteran wide receiver Courtland Sutton, the third-year WR Jerry Jeudy, and the underrated Tim Patrick. Sutton recorded 72 receptions, 1,112 receiving yards, and six touchdown receptions in 2019 – as he earned a Pro Bowl nod. Unfortunately, he suffered a torn ACL and missed 15 games in 2020. Sutton returned healthy and reliable in 2021, but he wasn’t an impressive WR with 776 yards and 2 touchdowns (with a mediocre QB display by Teddy Bridgewater and Drew Lock in three games).

Sutton will certainly expect Jeudy to be a rock-star WR that could potentially outplay him, despite the Bama WR having a sophomore slump (467 yards and 0 TDs). Jon Heath of Broncos Wire believes Wilson-Jeudy is the second-best new QB-WR duo. Perhaps Jeudy’s superb deep route running can finally be utilized to its fullest ability with Russell Wilson.

Outside of the big two WRs in Denver, the Broncos will anticipate play-making ability from the very underrated Tim Patrick. The Broncos WR3 quietly has 730+ yards in each of the past two seasons. Conor Orr from Sports Illustrated pegged Patrick as the most underrated player on the Broncos. Orr believes that Patrick’s early chemistry with Wilson is inspiring for the future.

After the Broncos big three weapons at WR, they have KJ Hamler and Kendall Hinton. Of course, Hamler played in only three games last season – as he tore his ACL. Hamler recorded 30 receptions and 381 yds in his rookie season. Hinton had 175 yds and 15 receptions last season. Let’s not forget about a key non-WR-catching weapon in Noah Fant – who is looking to have a career season in 2022 after unleashing 670 yds and 4 touchdowns a season ago. It’s safe to say that Russell Wilson is a darkhorse MVP candidate with his toys in Denver.

The post Denver Broncos wide receiver outlook right now appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Justin Frye

2019 was, so far, Courtland Sutton’s banner year in the NFL. In that year, he put up 72 catches, 1,112 yards, and 6 touchdowns in his 16 games. This with him catching passes from the likes of Joe Flacco and rookie year Drew Lock. In case you’re living under a rock, the Broncos and Seahawks agreed to a deal where Russell Wilson is going to be the Denver QB in 2022 and beyond.

Russell Wilson’s history with receivers

Over the last four seasons, Wilson has supported five top 24 finishes in fantasy points per game at the receiver position. This is despite up and down in season performances and an overall lack of passing volume. In each of his last five seasons, Seattle has been below 35 pass attempts on a per-game basis, including multiple seasons below 30. That Wilson has been able to sustain viable fantasy options is remarkable.

The Packers, where new Broncos Head Coach Nathaniel Hackett was Offensive Coordinator the last three seasons, were slightly higher than that, between 34.5 and 35.5 per game in his 3 years. While he wasn’t calling plays, Hackett was deeply involved and those tendencies are likely to be similar in Denver. Projecting that pass volume onto Wilson is exciting, as in his best year he only attempted 558 passes, which should be about where 2022 winds up.

Comparing team situations

In 2021, Sutton spent the offseason continuing his rehab from the ACL tear he suffered in his first game in 2020. Players are not usually fully recovered until closer to two years out per most medical experts. Projecting him back into the 2019 role he had is unrealistic, though, as Jerry Jeudy was drafted that offseason and Tim Patrick and Albert Okwuegbunam have both shown ability when targeted as well.

Everyone seems to be comparing Wilson’s old teammates to his new ones, and that’s a fair start but not the same. D.K. Metcalf is an athletic freak, and while Sutton is his best comparable, it’s not apples to apples. Same with Tyler Lockett to Jeudy. Wilson mainly had two guys in Seattle to target, in Denver he’s got five including RB Javonte Williams. Metcalf and Lockett saw 27% and 24% target shares in 2021, while Jeudy led Denver at 20% (in 10 games).

In 2021 for Denver, Sutton was their deep threat, averaging 15.4 yards depth of target (aDOT). Interestingly, Lockett was Wilson’s deep threat at an aDOT of 14.6. Metcalf had more targets than any other Seahawk or Bronco at 129, with an aDOT of 12.7. Looking at these, it’s a little unclear how Wilson will use his new weapons, but I imagine Sutton will see similar target volume in 2022 to 2021, just of a higher quality.

Sutton, due to the depth of his targets, sat 12th in air yards in 2021, trailing both Lockett (11th) and Metcalf (7th). Assuming he’s still used in that downfield role, I expect significant yardage and touchdown growth in 2022. Sutton ranks fifth in playerprofiler.com unrealized air yards metic with 892. Metcalf is first with 902, but on a whopping 31 additional targets. I attribute that inefficiency to a difference in QB play that will change in 2022.

What does all this mean for Sutton in 2022 and beyond?

I expect career highs in yardage and touchdowns in 2022 from both Jeudy and Sutton, and a strong overall Broncos offense. I don’t think either Jeudy or Sutton’s comparisons to either of the Seattle receivers are fair, as play wise “Sutton is closer to Lockett and Jeudy to Metcalf” in how they’re used.

If I’m picking a comparison, I like 2016 Seattle with Jeudy in the Doug Baldwin role while Sutton plays a hybrid from old Jimmy Graham and newer D.K. Metcalf. Jeudy will average an extra target on Sutton, but Sutton will have the downfield and red zone roles. So what type of stats seem likely?

110 targets, 65-70 catches, 1000-1100 yards, and probably 8 or so touchdowns, for the next few seasons. If he really connects in the red zone, could easily bump up to 12. That puts him squarely in line with Mike Williams 2021, with a ceiling of Mike Evans. Top 24 dynasty WR going forward, and a rock solid weekly WR2 with upside.

The post The dynasty outlook of Courtland Sutton after the Russell Wilson trade appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Keith James

The NFL is back and it is better than ever. The beauty of the NFL is that it is a week-to-week game. One week a team or a player looks great, the next week not so much. Such is life in the NFL. In a dynasty, fantasy owners can win by buying the dip. Human beings are emotional creatures. We don’t always follow logic. This is never more true than in fantasy football. People take this seriously and they get angry when their players don’t perform. 

Use that anger to your advantage. Look for young players that didn’t perform where a fantasy manager may throw their hands up and say, I’m going to cut bait on this player. This is how fantasy managers can buy productive assets on the cheap. 

This week I will give three players that can be used in the flex position that fantasy managers can buy cheaper than before the season. 

Brandon Aiyuk, WR, 23 years old

Aiyuk was a mystery on Sunday. There were reports that he has been dealing with injuries all off-season but he was healed up enough to suit up against the lowly Lions on Sunday. Given the 49ers history of spreading the wealth, I cautioned fantasy owners on Aiyuk in week one. In what should have been a smash spot for the talented 2nd-year player, I was concerned that the Niners were going to spread the wealth and Aiyuk could be the odd man out solely based on his injury. 

Something else seemed to be afoot with both Brando Aiyuk and Trey Sermon and there were reports both payers may have been in Kyle Shanahan’s doghouse for missing curfew. Who knows. Either way, Brandon Aiyuk watched as his fellow WR running mate, Deebo Samuel went bonkers against the Lions atrocious pass defense. Deebo had 9 grabs on 12 targets for 189 yards and a long 79-yard touchdown. Of course, he also had a terrible late-game fumble. Still, BA had to watch as his fellow receiver went crazy and Aiyuk was left with zero targets. That’s not good. 

Aiyuk will likely still be seen by fantasy managers as a great young receiver. He had 15.4 fantasy points per game last year because Aiyuk is electric with the ball in his hands. After week one, however, some of the shine may have worn off. I threw out some offers for Aiyuk to fellow league mates and I recommend you do the same. He is still a player that can have a top 24 season this year and in only his second year, he can become a fantasy scoring machine if he stays healthy and grows up. The cost will likely be high but I would offer a first-round pick for Aiyuk and try to pry an exciting young player from your league mates hands on the back of a pathetic week one show. 

Javonte Williams RB, 21 years old

Get Javonte as soon as you can! I would try to get Javonte this week before he goes crazy against the Jags and becomes all but untouchable. More than likely fantasy managers will not want to part with Javonte. Fantasy managers know that Melvin Gordon will likely be a PITA for Javonte the entire year. Managers are waiting for the year two ascension and may scoff at any Javonte offers but the fact remains Javonte played second fiddle to MG3 against the Giants. As much as I love Javonte’s talent, MG3 was by far the better back on Sunday. 

Gordon had 101 yards on only 11 attempts (9.2 YPC) and looked just as explosive as he did in his Chargers days. Javonte did not look great. He looked tentative and was bottled up for only 45 yards on 14 carries. It was encouraging to see the snaps split evenly between the two backs (they both had a 50% snap share) but the 28-year-old Gordon looked explosive and the 21-year-old Williams looked plodding. 

This is the best time to strike for Javonte. As I stated, his cost will not be cheap. Dynasty owners likely invested a lot in Javonte but like Aiyuk he may have lost his shine and if a fellow league mate is a contender that just so happens to have Williams, there may be a deal to be had for a more established RB and a pick. I would strike sooner rather than later however because up next, the Broncos take on the lowly Jags. The Jags of course were demolished by what many people think is the worst roster in the NFL in the Texans. With Denver more than likely taking a commanding lead in week two against Denver, Javonte may get enough run to put up gaudy numbers. 

This may be the last chance to get what could be a top ten back in the NFL over the next three years. If a team has any interest in selling, I am trying to buy Javonte right now. His schedule at the end of the season could make patient Javonte owner league winners. With Gordon’s history of getting beat up and missing games, this could be Javonte’s backfield to own by week 10. I’d be willing to offer a player like Chris Carson and a first-round pick to land Javonte. As I say, he won’t be cheap but he will be worth whatever it takes to pry him from your league mates hands. 

Courtland Sutton WR, 25 years old

Sutton had a bad game against the Giants. Lining up against James Bradberry is never easy and Jerry Jeudy was the star receiver in this game; until his injury. With Jeudy suffering a high ankle sprain and landing on IR, his entire season is likely toast. Remember Michael Thomas last year. Even if Jeudy comes back he will likely be hobbled the rest of the year. High ankle sprains are killers for playmakers. This is the time to strike on Courtland Sutton. 

Sutton of course is working back from his own devastating injury. Sutton blew out his ACL early in the season last year and will likely take a few weeks for him to regain his confidence and explosion. Sutton was on his way to becoming one of the best young receivers in the game in 2020. Coming off of an impressive 2019 season, Sutton blew out his knee all too early. Injuries suck. Sutton owners are likely frustrated and are wondering if Sutton will ever come back. He only had 1 grab for 14 yards on 3 targets. Steady Teddy Bridgewater will spread the wealth and he found guys like Tim Patrick, Noah Fant, and Albert Okwuegbunam against the Giants. Combined those three players had 13 grabs on 15 targets for 117 yards and two touchdowns. It seemed as though everyone but Sutton had a good game for the Broncos. 

Sutton may take some time but with Jeudy going down, Sutton has the opportunity to be a true alpha in Denver. Playing against the Jaguars this week, he could be in line for a monster game. I would throw out some offers for Sutton and see if there are any bites. Again, strike before the player goes off. Denver should manhandle the Jaguars fairly easily this week as 6 point favorites on the road. Both Williams (pricey) and Sutton (cheap) could be had for a discounted price but if they blow up against the Jaguars forget about it. Remember, human beings are emotional. Both good and bad. The strike will Sutton has put a bad taste in his fantasy managers mouth and your team could have a high-end WR2 this year and for years to come. 

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By: Jordan Anders

Looking back at the 2020 NFL draft, the Denver Broncos took two wide receivers with their picks in the first and second round. Their first pick was Jerry Jeudy from Alabama, picked 15th in round one, then KJ Hamler from Penn State picked 46th in round 2. Adding depth in the wide receiver core was important last year and after the 2020-2021 season, the two rookies have a promising career in Denver.

After a season-ending injury to the Denver Broncos top wide receiver Courtland Sutton last season, it was up to Tim Patrick and rookies to carry the offense. Combining Patrick’s, Jeudy’s, and Hamler’s experience they got last season with more touches and Sutton’s comeback season he’ll have this year, this group is, unfortunately, being overlooked.

Tim Patrick

Tim Patrick had a breakout season last year in his third year in the NFL and with the Broncos. As far as the numbers, Patrick caught 86% of his contested targets 20+ yards downfield, first among all wide receivers. After missing half of the 2019 season due to an injury, he came back to lead the Broncos in receiving touchdowns. On top of that, last year he had 0 drops on 74 targets. Patrick had 6 touchdowns and 33 first downs on 742 receiving yards. Tim Patrick not only took a huge jump last season compared to his first two but he stepped up in the absence of Sutton.

Jerry Jeudy

With a 4.46 40 yard dash and quite frankly the best route runner in the league, Jerry Jeudy is a star in the making for this team. Connections between Jeudy and Broncos quarterback Drew Lock weren’t the greatest last season, but Jeudy was still able to put up numbers with the targets he got. Jeudy had 52 receptions and 3 touchdowns to combine with 856 receiving yards. This off-season, if Jeudy and Lock work a lot on building their connection and Jeudy can work on not dropping the ball, Jeudy could have an amazing upcoming season.

KJ Hamler

Out of this wide receiver core, KJ Hamler saw the least amount of time on the field as the others. Despite this, Hamler has 30 receptions and 3 touchdowns on 381 receiving yards, which are great numbers for only starting 4 games and playing minutes in only 13 out of the 16 games. Expectations for Hamler going into his second year is for him to keep performing even with the limited minutes and touches, especially with a full performing wide receiver core this season.

Courtland Sutton

Going from a pro bowl year in 2019 to sitting the entire 2020-2021 season to an injury, Courtland Sutton is most certainly itching to get back. There’s no denying the connection that Drew Lock and Sutton had right away in 2019 and the numbers back it up. In 2019, Sutton had 72 receptions, 6 touchdowns, and 50 first downs. He had 1112 receiving yards while averaging 15.4 yards per reception. Courtland Sutton is very underrated as a wide receiver, no doubt he’s coming back better than ever this upcoming season whether he gets the recognition or not.

The post Why the Broncos have the most underrated wide receiver core appeared first on Pro Football Mania.