2024 is going to be an interesting season for the Denver Broncos. They decided that they didn’t want former quarterback Russell Wilson on their team so much that they took on a massive dead cap hit just to release him. This restricted their movements in the offseason, and it looks like the team could be in for a rebuilding year, especially in a tough AFC West.
The good news for fantasy football managers is that rebuilding teams still have value when it comes to fantasy football. Someone on the team is going to accumulate yards and fantasy points, so it is best to familiarize yourself with the top contenders.
Bo Nix
With Wilson released, the Broncos were in need of a new starting quarterback. They had Jarrett Stidham on the roster and traded for Zach Wilson from the New York Jets. Denver used the 12th overall pick on Nix, marking him as the quarterback of the future. Time will tell who wins the QB job between the rookie and Stidham, but for now, you aren’t targeting either Denver quarterback in your fantasy drafts.
If you had to pick between one of them, you likely can’t decide until training camp. Stidham is listed as the starter for now, but that doesn’t mean much in the summer. Even if Nix wins the job in August, I am still hesitant to say he will be fantasy-relevant. He had such a rollercoaster college career, being an afterthought for three years at Auburn but then turning into a Heisman contender at Oregon. We don’t know which Nix will be showing up in Denver, and if it takes him some time to adjust to the NFL, he won’t be fantasy-relevant.
Javonte Williams
Williams had a breakout season as a rookie in 2021 and finished with 903 yards and four touchdowns. He suffered a season-ending knee injury only four games into the 2022 season, ending what many hoped would be a breakout year for him. Williams returned healthy in 2023 and played in 16 games but couldn’t re-capture the same consistency he had as a rookie.
Williams is heading into the final year of his rookie contract. It seemed like he would have one more shot at that breakout season, but then one reporter caused Twitter to stir by suggesting that Jaleel McLaughlin was the clear best running back in the backfield and even that Williams could be on the bubble of making the team. It’s a situation to monitor, but for now, I consider Williams to be the 1A to, at best, the 1B for McLaughlin.
Jaleel McLaughlin
Speaking of Denver’s backup running back, McLaughlin is worth drafting this year. The undrafted free agent will be heading into his second season. His stats don’t look that impressive, but he was the backup running back by the end of the season but spent most of the season as the third-string option. McLaughlin showed that he could be dangerous in the passing attack, bringing in 31 of his 36 targets for 160 yards and two touchdowns. With another offseason under his belt and reports saying how good he looks, McLaughlin is being selected as the overall RB53 in half-PPR scoring and is worth a late-round flier.
Courtland Sutton
There have been consistent trade rumors this offseason surrounding Sutton, but for now, he remains in Denver. He wasn’t able to re-create his yardage success from 2019, but was able to set a new career-high with 10 receiving touchdowns in 2023. Still, even with double-digit scores, his 59 receptions and 772 yards helped him to finish as the overall WR35 last season.
2024 looks like a double-edged sword for Sutton. On the one hand, he should be the top target in the passing game. On the other, outside of his 1,112-yard season in 2019, he hasn’t shown that he can be a No. 1 receiver in an offense and is expected to either have Stidham or Nix throwing to him. He is being drafted as the WR47 in half-PPR, scoring behind Ladd McConkey, Keon Coleman and Jaxon Smith-Njigba. One or two highlight reel receptions from training camp could greatly increase this, but for now, most fantasy football managers are down on Sutton in 2024.
Marvin Mims Jr./Josh Reynolds
If Sutton doesn’t have high expectations, is there another receiver that could be a steal in the later rounds to give you more value? Broncos head coach Sean Payton has been extremely high on Mims this offseason. That hasn’t translated into much of an ADP boost, as he is the overall WR73 in half-PPR scoring. Still, he could be worth rostering if the coach speak actually pans out.
Denver signed Josh Reynolds in the offseason to add another deep threat for the offense. Putting questions about which QB will be targeting him deep aside, the veteran wideout isn’t expected to have a big season. Reynolds finished 2023 as the third-best pass-catcher for the Detroit Lions with 608 yards and five touchdowns on 40 receptions. He may just be someone to watch for the waiver wire or best ball, as he isn’t being drafted in leagues with fewer than 12 teams and as the overall WR103 in leagues with more.
Adam Trautman/Greg Dulcich
Trautman continues to be listed as the top tight end on the depth chart, but really Dulcich is the intriguing option here. The former had 202 yards and three touchdowns on 22 receptions in 17 games last season. Dulcich was hurt for the majority of the year, so he finished with only 25 yards on three receptions in two games.
Trautman has been in the league for four years and has yet to eclipse 263 yards and three touchdowns in a season. As a rookie in 2022, Dulcich finished with 411 yards and two scores. While you may be overlooking the Denver tight end, I do think there is some value here. Dulcich especially could get some work from checkdowns if whoever is under center struggles for Denver.
Wil Lutz
It feels like Lutz was awful last year, but yet he only missed six kicks. He was 30-34 on field goal attempts with a long of 52, and he made all but two of his extra points. It used to feel like the Denver kicker was a must-roster for fantasy football, getting to spend half their games kicking at altitude, but it hasn’t panned out recently. Lutz should make the team based on his history with Payton, but it really wouldn’t be surprising if he loses his job during training camp. Avoid him in fantasy football drafts.
D/ST
The Broncos D/ST in real life had a decent season, and were a bright spot among the offensive turmoil the team went through at the end of the season. Unfortunately, this didn’t translate to fantasy football success, and the unit finished as the D/ST20 on the season. With no cap space to make big moves to fill holes on the defensive side of the ball and with an offense projected to struggle, Denver’s D/ST is not expected to be fantasy-relevant this year. Their ADP of the D/ST26 means that only five defensive/special teams units are being selected after them.