Broncos QB Russell Wilson completed seven of 13 pass attempts before leaving Friday night's preseason opener. He hit WR Courtland Sutton three times, WR Jerry Jeudy twice, and TE Adam Trautman twice. Afterward, DNVR's Zac Stevens tweeted, "Those three are THE starters on the depth chart." No surprised for Sutton and Jeudy. But the work for Trautman does line up with his appearance ahead of Greg Dulcich on the "unofficial" depth chart. Dulcich looks like a guy with breakout potential based on his college production, some intriguing efficiency and usage from last year, and HC Sean Payton's words ahead of training camp about using Dulcich in a "Joker" role. But if Trautman continues as the No. 1 TE, Dulcich would see his playing time and opportunities limited. We'll certainly keep watching this situation through August but might have to consider knocking Dulcich down the fantasy football rankings a bit.
Broncos RB Javonte Williams confirmed last night that he’ll play in Week 2 of the preseason. Denver faces San Francisco next Saturday. Ultimately, we’d be surprised if Williams plays more than a couple of series in his first game since October 2.
Speaking with CBS reporters Thursday, Broncos HC Sean Payton said RB Javonte Williams is "100% right now." He added that he doesn't know how much he'll play Williams in the preseason opener. But that Payton is even considering playing Williams in the exhibition aligns with all the positive reports on Williams' return from the 2022 knee-ligament tears. The RB has been climbing ADP charts lately but remains at the bottom of RB2 territory -- and still outside it in many places. There will still be risk to drafting Williams, but we're on board at cost. Williams has moved up our RB rankings since the start of training camp.
Broncos WR Courtland Sutton has "consistently been quarterback Russell Wilson’s top target in training camp," The Athletic's Nick Kosmider writes. "He is fully healthy and has demonstrated more explosiveness than in any training camp since 2020, when he was dominant in practices leading up to his ACL injury." Kosmider adds that HC Sean Payton believes that Sutton can "thrive as an outside receiver in his system." Jerry Jeudy was Denver's best WR by basically any metric last season. But it's worth noting that the target split between Jeudy and Sutton was relatively close -- 69 to 61 in favor of Jeudy in their nine healthy games together. Jeudy sits well ahead of Sutton in our 2023 fantasy football rankings. But Sutton could certainly prove to be a value at his WR40 ADP.
Per ESPN's Adam Schefter, Broncos RB Javonte Williams is expected to play in preseason games. HC Sean Payton has said the coaching staff is still determining whether or not the third-year back will make his debut in the first or second game but that they "like how he's progressing." A torn ACL and LCL in Week 4 cut the former second round pick's 2022 campaign short, but it seems the ailment isn't slowing him down in his comeback effort this season. Agreeing to play him in the preseason is Williams' most significant vote of confidence to date after he avoided the PUP list and was cleared to contact at the beginning of camp. Fantasy managers hoping for a resurgent season from Williams ought to feel encouraged. We're still cautiously optimistic yet, but Williams has received a slight boost in our RB rankings.
Per NFL Network's James Palmer, Broncos RB Javonte Williams "hasn't been limited in any capacity so far in camp" as he returns from a torn ACL and LCL suffered in Week 4 of last season. Palmer also adds that despite being given an off day tomorrow, Williams plans to dress in full pads and engage in conditioning on the side. It's only the beginning of August, but to see a player returning from a multi-ligament injury being given the green light is just about the best news possible. Williams, who we have lower down in our current RB rankings, is starting to put together a case for being a riser up draft boards. We'll be cautiously optimistic for now. There's still a lot of time between now and Week 1 of the regular season. Hopefully, Williams doesn't press himself too hard and risk a setback. Check back for further updates on the third-year RB.
Broncos rookie WR Marvin Mims returned to practice on Monday. He had dealt with a hamstring issue. If Tim Patrick’s leg injury is serious, Mims will become a staple in Denver’s 3-WR sets.
Per James Palmer of NFL Network, Broncos RB Javonte Williams has been cleared for contact to open training camp. Williams, who tore his ACL and LCL against the Raiders in Week 4 last year, also avoided landing on the PUP list to begin camp just seven months after surgery. These pieces of news certainly bode well for his chances to make a fantasy impact as the lead back in a Sean Payton-led offense. Any RB returning from a multi-ligament injury requires keeping a close eye on, so we'll be sure to watch his progress as we get closer to the beginning of the season. We have Williams placed conservatively in our current RB rankings, but he could be a riser if we get further positive reports further into August.
Broncos WR Marvin Mims is out with a hamstring injury, HC Sean Payton said Wedesday. Mims dealt with an injury to his other hamstring earlier this offseason. Payton expects Mims to be back in action in "about four days, five days, maybe a week." We'll see when the rookie returns to the field. He can't afford to miss too much more time if he wants to push for an early-season role.
The Broncos have placed Edge Baron Browning on the active/PUP list to start training camp. He had arthroscopic knee surgery late in the spring to treat a partially torn meniscus. We'll see whether Browning will be ready for the start of the regular season. Denver recently signed veteran Edge Frank Clark to reinforce a group that will start Randy Gregory on one side. Jonathon Cooper and Nik Bonitto also stand as options.
NFL Network’s James Palmer reports that Broncos RB Javonte Williams (knee) is not expected to start training camp on the PUP list. That would mean there’s no chance for him to open the regular season on the PUP. That’s obviously great news for his early-season outlook and the overall status of Williams’ knee. He’s been going at a low-risk level in early fantasy football drafts
Broncos TE Greg Dulcich revamped his offseason workout plan "with a focus on increased flexibility," according to The Athletic's Nick Kosmider. The hope is that'll solve the hamstring problems that Dulcich dealt with throughout his rookie season. (Check out Dulcich's full injury history.) When he was healthy last year, Dulcich scored as a top-10 fantasy TE. With better health -- and a likely improved Denver offense under new HC Sean Payton -- Dulcich has breakout potential in 2023.
Broncos RB Javonte Williams says “the plan” is for him to be medically cleared in time for training camp. No surprise there, as Williams put in some work at OTAs. He wouldn’t commit to suiting up for Week 1, saying it’s the Broncos’ decision. The team will certainly use the next two months to assess his readiness. We’ll track Williams’ progress closely in training camp, but for now, our RB rankings assume 14 games for the former Round 2 pick.
Broncos WR Courtland Sutton ranked just 40th among WRs in PPR points per game and 41st in half-PPR last year. HC Nathaniel Hackett and QB Russell Wilson were problems. But Sutton finished well behind teammate Jerry Jeudy in fantasy points per game, as well as yards per target (9.7 to 7.6), yards per route run (2.18 to 1.55), and Pro Football Focus receiving grade (77.9 to 69.7). HC Sean Payton should be a significant upgrade for Denver's offense in 2023. But Wilson remains a question mark. And Sutton faces additional target competition with the addition of rookie WR Marvin Mims and the return of WR Tim Patrick (ACL). It all makes Sutton a fairly uninspiring fantasy pick, even at his WR39 ADP. He sits considerably lower than that in our updated WR rankings.
Broncos HC Sean Payton said TE Greg Dulcich’s “menu” of routes will be “lengthy.” Payton also said that the second-year TE “has traits that are exciting.” That's a simple fact, as Dulcich recorded an 8.25/10 Relative Athletic Score last year. He’s a TE1 candidate for 2023, and his current ADP looks enticing at TE17.
The Broncos signed K Elliott Fry. He's currently the only kicker on the roster after Denver cut Brandon McManus last week. Fry has attempted just six NFL FGs, though, so expect the Broncos to add competition.
Broncos RB Javonte Williams (knee) practiced in a limited capacity during Thursday's OTA session, HC Sean Payton said. These are half-speed, pad-less practices -- and it's unclear exactly what "limited" entails. But the fact that Williams was on the field at all after October's multi-ligament knee injury is encouraging. Payton said earlier this month that he expects Williams to be ready for training camp. We'll continue to keep a close eye on his rehab.
Broncos HC Sean Payton said Saturday that he expects RB Javonte Williams (knee) to be ready for the start of training camp. "His rehab is going well," Payton said. "A good chance he’s ready. Hopefully might not start on PUP." Williams is working back from October's multi-ligament knee injury. GM George Paton was optimistic about Williams' availability for Week 1 back in February but was non-commital when discussing the situation again in April. It's unclear if Williams has made significant progress over the last month or if Payton is wearing rose-colored glasses. Williams carries substantial risk until we see him back on the field, but he's reasonably priced at an 8th-round price tag in Underdog drafts.
The Saints traded TE Adam Trautman plus a seventh-round NFL Draft pick to the Broncos for a sixth-rounder, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. It's noteworthy that HC Sean Payton's new team is acquiring a TE he drafted in New Orleans in 2020. Trautman's arrival crowds a TE room that already included Greg Dulcich, Albert Okwuegbunam, and journeyman Chris Manhertz. There's some potential for targets to get dispersed to the point that no Denver TE presents worthwhile fantasy value. But let's keep in mind that Trautman averaged just 20 receptions per season through three years after arriving in Round 3. That included just 18 catches for 207 yards last year. And then the team that drafted him sent him away for just a move up from Round 7 to Round 6 in the draft. Don't adjust your outlook for Broncos TEs just yet. You can check our numbers on the group now in our 2023 fantasy football TE rankings.
The Broncos grabbed LB Drew Sanders in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft. Sanders bounced around a little before starring as a full-time player for Arkansas in 2022. He earned unanimous All-America recognition after racking up 103 total tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss, 9.5 sacks, 6 passes defensed and 3 forced fumbles. According to Pro Football Focus, Sanders spent 12.8% of his defensive snaps in an edge role last season. He’s not likely to repeat that in the pros. Going to Denver lands him in a defense that already played LB Josey Jewell full time in 2022 and then re-signed LB Alex Singleton in free agency. We'll see whether Sanders can carve out an early role, but don't bet on a significant IDP impact in 2023. Don't be surprised when he falls down our IDP rookie rankings either.
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