Denver Broncos Fantasy Football News | Shark Bites

Broncos TE Greg Dulcich participated in individual drills on Monday for the first time in training camp. He had presumably been sidelined with the core injury he suffered this spring. Insider Mike Klis predicted on the Draft Sharks podcast that, although TE Albert Okwuegbunam would open the season as Denver's starter, that Dulcich would lead the group in fantasy points by season's end. We'll see if the rookie can start pushing for a role.

Bengals HC Zac Taylor said Monday that RB Samaje Perine has a “leg up” in the competition to be the 3rd-down back. Taylor also called Perine a "security blanket" while acknowledging that 2nd-year RB Chris Evans could still earn the role. The main takeaway here is that the team doesn't want to put too much on Joe Mixon's plate, despite his 3-down skill set. A Mixon injury would almost certainly lead to a timeshare.

Broncos WR K.J. Hamler has been activated from the PUP list. He spent the offseason rehabbing the torn ACL and dislocated hip he suffered last September. We'll see how Hamler fares in practice and if he's ready come Week 1. His deep speed should mesh well with QB Russell Wilson, but Hamler will struggle for reliable fantasy value if he's the #4 WR behind Jerry Jeudy, Courtland Sutton and Tim Patrick.

Bengals RB Samaje Perine was activated from the PUP list on Wednesday. He operated as Cincinnati's #2 RB last season but will need to hold off 2nd-year RB Chris Evans for that job this summer.

Broncos WR K.J. Hamler (knee, hip) has been placed on the PUP list to start training camp. He's still rehabbing the torn ACL and dislocated hip he suffered last September. It's unclear if Hamler will be ready for Week 1, but he'll likely need an injury to Jerry Jeudy, Courtland Sutton or Tim Patrick to hit the fantasy radar this year.

The Bengals on Saturday placed RB Samaje Perine on the training camp PUP list. The team didn't reveal his injury, and a player can come off the camp PUP at any point. But it certainly doesn't help him in his competition with Chris Evans to serve as the team's #2 RB. We'll be watching that battle throughout camp.

Broncos insider Mike Klis expects TE Albert Okwuegbunam to open the season as Denver's starter but TE Greg Dulcich to potentially overtake him by the 2nd half of the season. Klis notes that Dulcich has been getting 1st-team reps from the very first day of OTAs -- rare for a rookie. "I think Dulcich will have a few more catches than Albert O when it's said and done [this season], but you might have to be patient to get there. The first 4 or 5 games I think might be Albert O," Klis told us. That prediction surely comes as a surprise for fantasy drafters, who are taking Okwuegbunam as a top-16 TE and largely letting Dulcich go undrafted. The rookie could turn out to be a gem of a late-round pick if Klis is right. We'll keep a close eye on the situation in training camp and preseason action. Check out our entire conversation with Klis, which also hit on Denver's backfield and WR corps.

Denver’s new coaching staff views RBs Javonte Williams and Melvin Gordon as “interchangeable, capable protectors and sure-handed receivers,” per The Athletic’s Nick Kosmider. “It’s kind of a similar situation to what we had in Green Bay with a speedier guy and a downhill guy,” new OC Justin Outten said. “You want to utilize those guys because it is a long season. You don’t want to bang them up. You want to be smart with them, use their strengths, put them out on the field, and make them work. We’re excited to have both those guys.” It’s further confirmation that the plan isn’t to fully unleash Williams in year 2. He still figures to be a highly efficient per-touch player, but hitting his ultimate ceiling likely hinges on whether Gordon misses time.

Cardinals DE Zach Allen revealed recently that he needed post-season ankle surgery after shredding the ligaments in a December game. "I literally had no ligaments in my ankle," he said last week, according to the Arizona Republic. "My tibia was basically floating. So, the tape was the only thing kind of holding it together." Allen said doctors put "some hardware" into the ankle, which has kept him from participating in spring practices. The 4th-year lineman says he expects to be 100% for the start of training camp and that he feels better than he did entering last year's camp. Allen doesn't appear to have high-end sack potential but can be a quality contributor for us on the tackle and pressure fronts -- especially at low draft cost.

Nick Kosmider of The Athletic considers K.J. Hamler the Denver WR that best fits Russell Wilson’s skill set. Hamler suffered a torn left ACL and a dislocated hip in Week 3 of last season. Following a smooth rehab, the speedster could fill a key role alongside one of the league’s best deep ball passers. Kosmider notes that the 3rd-year pro posted a massive 20.1 air yards per target in a limited 2021 sample. Given the crowded WR depth chart, though, Hamler’s best off as a late-round WR7/8 in best ball leagues.

Saints K Wil Lutz was cleared early this week to return to action and hit the practice field Wednesday for the 1st time in 10 months, according to the team website. Lutz missed all of last season with a core-muscle injury that required surgery. We'll watch for setbacks, but he should be ready to reclaim the New Orleans kicking job.

Ryan O'Halloran of The Denver Post says he has "flipped" to believing rookie TE Greg Dulcich will be ahead of Albert Okwuegbunam on the depth chart come Week 1. O'Halloran adds that "both players will have significant roles" but that praise from Broncos coaches since the draft factors into his expectation. This, of course, is just 1 beat writer's early opinion, well ahead of Dulcich's 1st training camp with the team. We're not altering fantasy outlooks at this point, but this is just 1 of multiple indications that a role competition is coming this summer.

Broncos WR K.J. Hamler revealed Wednesday that he dislocated his hip on the same play on which he tore his left ACL last September. He needed surgery on the hip, in addition to the knee. Hamler has resumed running and said he's ahead of schedule in his rehab. “The fact that I’m out there, when I’m not supposed to be out there… it tells you how hard I work. I’m working my butt off," he said. We'll see how Hamler looks when Denver opens training camp in July. He'll likely slide in as the Broncos' #4 WR behind Jerry Jeudy, Courtland Sutton and Tim Patrick.

The Broncos selected TE Greg Dulcich in Round 3 of the NFL Draft. An athletic, catch-first TE, Dulcich showed good post-catch ability while running routes at all levels of the field. The former walk-on combined for 68-1,242-10 over the past 2 seasons while playing under HC Chip Kelly. While a plus athlete, Dulcich is a bit undersized at 6’4, 243 pounds. In Denver, he'll immediately compete for snaps behind Albert Okwuegbunam.

The Broncos grabbed EDGE Nik Bonitto in the 2nd round of the NFL Draft. He racked up 26.5 tackles for loss over the past 2 seasons at Oklahoma, including 16 sacks. Bonitto checks in a little small for the position – 6’3, 248 pounds – but ran fast at the Combine. His 4.54-second 40-yard dash registered a 92nd-percentile speed score. He figures to draw an LB designation at least early in Denver, where he might also be blocked early from big playing time.

Broncos WR K.J. Hamler is “well ahead of schedule" in his recovery from last September's torn left ACL, GM George Paton said. Hamler was able to get on the field and run some routes with new QB Russell Wilson in March. "The fact that I saw him running routes last month at Russell’s, I mean, I know he’s doing well, I know his surgery went well, but when I saw him out there (running routes), very impressive," Paton added. It sounds like Hamler is on track to be ready for the start of training camp. His challenge at that point will be climbing a depth chart that's topped by Jerry Jeudy, Courtland Sutton and Tim Patrick.

WR Tre'Quan Smith has re-signed with the Saints on a 2-year deal. It has a base value of $6 million with another $4.5 million available via incentives, according to ESPN's Field Yates. Smith has flashed on occasion but has yet to hit 500 receiving yards through 4 NFL seasons. He'll battle Marquez Callaway and Deonte Harty for targets behind Michael Thomas and Alvin Kamara this year.

The Lions signed WR Josh Reynolds to a 2-year deal with a "max value of $12 million," according to NFL Network's Mike Garafolo. Reynolds joined Detroit last November after getting dumped by the Titans. He played 63+% of the offensive snaps in all 7 of his games with the Lions but averaged just 5.1 targets, 2.7 catches and 43.7 yards per game. We'll see what else Detroit does to address the WR room this offseason, but Reynolds isn't a great bet to be a real fantasy asset in 2022.

Broncos GM George Paton told The Denver Post that WR KJ Hamler is a "long shot" to participate in spring OTAs. Hamler suffered an ACL tear back in Week 3, so it's not surprising that he isn't trending for early workouts. We'll see about his status for training camp and beyond. In addition to the knee, though, Hamler must compete with a crowded offense for targets. It's tough to envision him becoming much of a 2022 factor in redraft fantasy football leagues.

The Broncos named Nathaniel Hackett their new HC. The 42-year-old has 13 seasons of NFL coaching experience with 4 different teams. That includes 7 seasons as OC -- 2 with the Bills (2013-2014), 2 with the Jaguars (2017-2018) and the last 3 with the Packers. Hackett's Buffalo and Jacksonville offenses were mostly disappointing, but he was working with QBs E.J. Manuel, Kyle Orton and Blake Bortles. Hackett didn't call plays in Green Bay under HC Matt LaFleur but had a big say in the game plans. Most notably, QB Aaron Rodgers is reportedly a big fan of Hackett. So this move can only increase the chances that Rodgers ends up in Denver via trade.