Fantasy Football 2017 Team Preview: Denver Broncos
This is the 2017 fantasy preview of the Denver Broncos. In this preview I will provide the Must-Own players, Sleepers, and Longshot players with upside very deep in drafts.
Must-own players are those who should be owned by someone in any league. Handcuff RBs can qualify, as they are often very important to a fantasy team over the full schedule. Sleepers are secondary players that you may find on the waiver wire at some point in the year, or may go undrafted in shallower auction-style leagues. The Longshots are players with microscopic ADP, who are being drafted at the very end of drafts, or more likely not drafted at all.
All ADP data is courtesy of FantasyPros.com.
**I will list all kickers, but I cannot give analysis on them. Sorry :-/
MUST OWNS
Demaryius Thomas, WR (ADP: 33): Thomas is the most consistent, non-elite WR going in drafts. He’s on a five-year streak of at least 90 catches and 1,000 yards receiving, and the offense has barely changed personnel-wise from last year. The problem for Thomas lately has been touchdowns; he’s combined for 11 in the past two seasons, after posting 10,14 and 11 touchdowns in the threw previous years, respectively. Touchdowns can be fickle though, and with a floor as high as this, he’s definitely someone to target at this ADP.
C.J. Anderson, RB (ADP: 50): Anderson’s ADP has risen since the beginning of the fantasy prep season, but he’s still lower than he should be; and that’s great for fantasy owners. Anderson is the 21st RB off the board, and I get why. He has never started more than seven games in a season, and he routinely suffers injuries and misses chunks of time. But you can’t live your life in fear! Anderson will be healthy one of these years, and 2017 is ideal, because his competition is limited. Devontae Booker kinda stinks, plus he’s already hurt. Jamaal Charles is a RB I have long adored, but he’s coming off two injury-savaged years, and he’s going to turn 31 during this season. Anderson has the job basically competition-free, and on top of that he’s very potent. He’s a career 4.6 yard per carry back who catches the football and has no issues finding the end zone. At this ADP, Anderson is a steal.
Emmanuel Sanders, WR (ADP: 62): Sanders, unlike Thomas, seems like his peak was more Peyton Manning-driven than anything else. At his height, Sanders was a legit fantasy WR1. Now? This ADP seems appropriate. He’s been good for 1,100 yards in back-to-back seasons, and there’s no reason to expect that to change. He is not much of a TD maven, and that’s why his ultimate upside is limited. Don’t rely on him to be more than a WR2, and you’ll be happy to have him as that if you decide to draft an RB-heavy squad.
Defense/Special Teams (ADP: 107): This is the first preview in which I’m highlighting a D/ST. I couldn’t tell you for sure which D is best to own, but the Broncos are loaded. Von Miller is a sack master, and this secondary is going to absolutely shut down any passing offense that isn’t elite.
SLEEPERS
Jamaal Charles, RB (ADP: 135): Charles is a longshot to return to a starring role in the NFL. He’s 30 years old and has played in five games in two years. But his Pro-footballreference.com is like eating a bag full of Memberberries bringing back good times. If Anderson gets hurt – which he has basically every year – Charles will at least get a chance to do damage. As far as late upside goes, a future Hall of Famer offers a ton of it.
LONGSHOTS
Carlos Henderson, WR (ADP:238): Henderson is a largely unknown commodity out of Louisiana Tech with one huge college season under his belt. However, that season was a doozy. Henderson caught 82 passes for 1,535 yards and a stupefying 19 touchdowns last year. I am not sure that this offense can support three WRs, and Thomas and Sanders are both consistent as gravity, but if injury befell one of them Henderson is a player to keep an eye on.
Devontae Booker, RB (ADP: 219): Booker is currently hurt, but he has two highly injury-prone backs in front of him. Should Charles become the man, Booker will still see work, and if he excels the Broncos will likely give him a larger workload. That’s a lot of ifs, but he’s to be watched if you’re investing in the Denver offense.
Trevor Siemian, QB (ADP: 279): Siemian was expected to revert back to his backup role this year as Paxton Lynch stepped up to become the starter, but Lynch isn’t impressing anyone. Siemian is never going to be a Top 10 guy, but he has the goods to dominate bad matchups. He threw for two touchdowns in each of his matchups vs. Oakland, and even threw for 368 yards and three scores vs. the Chiefs, a top defense, and four touchdowns against the Bengals. If you see Siemian on the road vs. a bad D, he’s fairly safe to fire up in a DFS league, or in a setting where you regularly stream QBs.
KICKER
Brandon McManus.