Denver Broncos

Bo Nix→ his ranking

Denver's offensive line held up well in Nix's rookie season, limiting him to 24 sacks, and the scheme leaned on the running back dump-off heavily (96 such plays). However, those receivers averaged just 5.5 yards per catch, underscoring the need for a more explosive pass-catching back out of the backfield. It's a dynamic Sean Payton had at his disposal for years in New Orleans, and one Denver has yet to fully replicate.

The first four weeks of last season raised real questions. Nix averaged 34.5 pass attempts per game but managed only 660 passing yards (165 per game), with a single touchdown against four interceptions and a 60.1% completion rate. His legs provided some relief (23 carries, 110 yards, and two TDs), but it wasn't enough to quiet the concern surrounding his long-term fit.

What followed was a remarkable turnaround. From Week 8 through the postseason, Nix was one of the better quarterbacks in football (2,891 combined yards, 26 touchdowns, and just seven interceptions over 11 games), completing 69.0% of his 365 attempts. He threw for 300-plus yards twice (307/4 TD and 321/4 TD, both at home), posted at least two touchdown passes in eight games, and reached three or more scores five times.

The home/road split is worth following. Nix averaged 7.6 yards per attempt at home with 19 passing touchdowns, compared to just 5.9 yards per attempt on the road with 11 scores, a meaningful gap that defenses will look to exploit.

Nix finished last year ranked seventh in fantasy points (357.45) in four-point passing touchdown leagues. His passing opportunity increased by 7.4%, but his passing touchdowns (25) and completion rate (63.4%) declined. Nix had a slight pullback in the run game (83/356/5). The black mark on his 2025 resume was 11 games with one pass touchdown or fewer over his 17 starts.

His top five days in fantasy points all came at home (42.75, 32.10, 30.00, 27.85, and 27.35) across 10 matchups. Nix finished with 12 combined touchdowns on the road (eight games) while averaging only 208 passing yards. His season ended in the playoffs due to a right ankle injury that required surgery.

Sean Payton wants to grind out first downs via the pass, and he has the best defense of his coaching career. Nix slipped to QB16 in the early draft season in the National Fantasy Football Championship. To be a trusted week-to-week starter, he must play better on the road, make bigger plays, and increase his completion rate.

His floor should be 4,500 combined yards and 30 touchdowns, while understanding Nix could be significantly better in his third year in the NFL.

RJ Harvey→ his ranking

Many expected Denver to target a running back in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft. They waited until round two to grab Harvey, who put together back-to-back dominant rushing seasons (226 carries for 1,416 yards and 16 touchdowns, followed by 232 carries for 1,577 yards and 22 scores). His receiving work was limited over that stretch, combining for just 19 catches, though he averaged an eye-catching 26.6 yards per reception with five touchdowns.

His athleticism is genuine. Harvey ran a 4.40 forty at the 2025 NFL Combine, confirming the explosiveness his tape suggested. At 5'8" and 205 pounds, he plays bigger than his frame, leaning on power rather than elusiveness to churn out early yards. He has a patient, tempo-based running style, waiting for seams to open before unleashing his acceleration, a trait that shows up most on stretch plays, where one crease can turn into a big gain in a hurry.

His concerns are real. Harvey turned 24 before his first NFL snap, which is worth factoring into any long-term projection as part of Denver's backfield build. A torn ACL in 2021 is also on the medical record. His pass protection needs work, and his ceiling as a receiver remains uncertain, two areas that could limit his role on passing downs early in his career. His profile is that of a between-the-tackles workhorse with home run ability, but how quickly he can become a complete three-down back will determine his true ceiling in Denver's offense.

Over his first 10 games with the Broncos, Harvey had fewer than 10 touchdowns in nine games. Despite his low opportunity, he scored eight times, with better than expected value catching the ball (25/175/4). Denver upped his touches over their final nine matchups after J.K. Dobbins went down with an injury, but Harvey struggled to find space in the run game (115/383/5 – 3.3 yards per rush). The Broncos continued to give him chances to catch the ball (31/249/1 on 41 targets).

His body of work led to Harvey ranking 20th in PPR fantasy points (207.70), highlighted by four 20.0 fantasy point games (24.10, 21.20, 22.00, and 22.10).

J.K. Dobbins→ his ranking

Dobbins' injury luck continued to work against him. Just one game into 2023 (10 touches, 37 combined yards, a touchdown, and two catches), he suffered a torn Achilles, ending his year before it had barely begun. It was another devastating blow for a player who has spent more time in the training room than on the field in recent years.

The Chargers had taken a flier on him in 2024, signing him to a modest $1.6 million deal, and he rewarded their patience early. Dobbins opened his Los Angeles tenure with back-to-back impressive outings (10 carries for 135 yards and a touchdown in his debut), followed by 17 carries for 131 yards and another score the following week. The production cooled over the next eight games (125 carries, 460 yards, 6 touchdowns at 3.7 YPC, with 21 catches for 111 yards), but he remained a reliable short-yardage and goal-line option.

A left MCL sprain in Week 12 cost him four games, but he returned with a strong Week 17 (19/76/1) and a volume role the following week (21 touches, 75 combined yards, and three catches) before an ankle issue cut his postseason short. It was a season full of flashes and interruptions, a theme that has defined his NFL career.

Dobbins played well over his first 10 games with Denver, leading to him averaging 16.4 touches and 81 yards while picking up four touchdowns and 11 catches. He scored between 11.50 and 15.50 fantasy points (PPR) in six matchups. A foot injury pushed him to the bench for the Broncos’ final seven games.

Jonah Coleman→ his ranking

Coleman split his college career between Arizona and Washington, developing into one of the more productive backs in his class. He broke out in 2023 with the Wildcats,1,154 combined yards, 6 touchdowns, and 25 catches on 153 touches (7.5 yards per opportunity), before his best season came the following year at Washington, where he rushed for 1,053 yards and 10 touchdowns on 193 carries while adding 23 catches for 177 yards.

His final college season showed some erosion in yards per carry (4.9) on 156 rushes for 758 yards, but he compensated with a career-high 15 rushing touchdowns, two receiving scores, and improved pass-catching production (31 catches, 354 yards, and 11.4 per reception). He came out of the gate blazing in 2025 with back-to-back monster performances (24 carries for 177 yards and a score in Week 1, then 15 carries for 111 yards and 5 touchdowns in Week 2), before a knee issue limited him to a minimal role over three late-season contests (5/2, 4/6/1, and 9/22).

At 5'8" and 220 pounds, Coleman is a compact, low-to-the-ground runner who works in short strides and relies on jump cuts and lateral quickness to create space before he ever reaches the line of scrimmage. He's not a burner, but he plays with physicality in the open field, bouncing off tacklers and fighting for extra yards rather than going down on first contact.

His concern at the next level is his tendency to gear down in tight spaces, which could lead to more negative plays in an NFL environment where escape routes are harder to come by. On the positive side, his pass protection is sound, which should keep him on the field in passing situations and make him a viable three-down candidate if the rest of his game develops.

Courtland Sutton→ his ranking

Sutton was steady if unspectacular through most of 2023. Over his first 14 games, he caught 58 of 85 targets for 770 yards and 10 touchdowns, a productive line, but one without a true blowup performance, as he never topped 95 yards in a single game and crossed 20.00 fantasy points just once (21.10). He did provide reliability, posting a 10.90-point floor in 13 of his 15 starts before a concussion and ankle issue limited him to just 33 snaps over the final three weeks.

2024 started with an adjustment period. Sutton and Bo Nix took time to develop chemistry, and their first six weeks gave fantasy drafters buyer's remorse (21 catches for 277 yards and two touchdowns on 47 targets), with a catch rate of just 44.7%. Denver didn't even get him a target in Week 7.

What followed was a complete reversal. Over the next six games, Sutton was one of the most productive receivers in the league, reeling off six straight winning performances (8/100, 7/122, 6/70/1, 7/78, 8/97/2, and 6/102) while averaging 9.5 targets per game and converting them at a 73.7% clip.

Sutton carried that momentum through his final five games (23 catches for 310 yards and three touchdowns on 40 targets), averaging 14.40 PPG in PPR formats. He closed the regular season with career highs in catches (81) and targets (135), finishing 11th in PPR wide receiver scoring with 241.60 fantasy points. The slow start cost him a shot at a top-10 finish, but the back half of his season was as good as any receiver in the league.

Fantasy drafters expected follow-through and repeated impact value in his second season with Bo Nix behind center. He dipped to 13th in PPF fantasy points (219.70) for the year, while seeing all of his stats drop slightly (74/1,017/7 on 124 targets). His season ended with only two 100-yard receiving games (6/118/1 and 7/113/1) while scoring between 15.00 and 20.00 fantasy points in four other contests (6/61/1, 8/99, 6/87, and 5/62/1).

On his down days, Sutton had only one catch in four matchups. He closed out the year over four games, including the postseason, with uninspiring outcomes (4/40, 1/5, 4/53, and 3/17/1). Denver gave him double targets in six matchups, but Sutton turned in only one game with more than six catches.

His 2026 pricing should make him more attractive to drafters, as Sutton has the feel of a wideout who is more steady than explosive. He can have volume upside in some games and add some scoring, but his career resume doesn’t support a push to impact status. His baseline for this year still sits in the 70/1000/7 range, which was a backend WR2 in 2023 and 2024, but was worth more last season due to weaker overall quarterback play.

Jaylen Waddle→ his ranking

Waddle opened his NFL career with three consecutive 1,000-yard seasons. He set career highs in catches in his rookie campaign (104/1,105/6 on 141 targets) while shifting into a more explosive role in 2022 (18.1 yards per catch – 9.8 in 2021) after the Dolphins added Tyreek Hill to their offense. As a result, Waddle set a career-best in receiving yards (1,356) with 75 catches and eight touchdowns on 117 targets.

His 2023 season (72/1,014,4 on 104 targets) was competitive when adding that Waddle missed three games. He offered the most fantasy value in Week 8 (7/121/1), Week 12 (8/114), and Week 15 (8/142/1), with the latter two coming against the Jets.

Miami failed to get Waddle going in 2024, resulting in his worst season (58/744/2 on 83 targets) while missing two games. Between Week 1 (5/112) and Week 12 (8/144/1), he only had 28 catches for 298 yards and one score on 42 targets across nine games. Waddle flashed again in Week 14 (9/99) against the Jets, but a knee injury the following week led to a zero-day, followed by two missed starts.

The Dolphins failed to give Waddle double-digit targets in any game in 2025. He had a floor of five catches in eight of his 16 starts, leading to over 10.00 PPR fantasy points in each matchup. His best fantasy value came in five contests (5/68/1, 6/110/1, 5/99/1, 5/84/1, and 5/71/1. A rib injury in Week 17 (0/0 with a seven-yard rush) forced him to miss Miami’s final game and a chance at his fourth 1,000-yard receiving season (64/910/6 on 100 targets).

On the downside, over the past three seasons, Waddle has had only 10 catches for 166 yards in weeks 16, 17, and 18 due to three injuries late in the year.

Waddle is an intriguing wideout in the 2026 fantasy draft season. As the 25th wideout selected by ADP (47) in the National Fantasy Football Championship, he only needs to match his last year’s stats to be a par player for his price point. His new home and opportunity paint a mid-tier WR2 player at minimum if Waddle can stay upright for 17 games.

He brings speed and experience to Denver’s passing game, suggesting his best year since 2022. An 80/1,200/8 season is well within reach. For early BestBall drafters, there is value backed into the Broncos’ passing attack, highlighted by a favorable schedule over the back half of the season.

Troy Franklin→ his ranking

Franklin was one of the most productive receivers in the Pac-12 during his three seasons at Oregon, catching 160 passes for 2,483 yards and 25 touchdowns. His best work came alongside Bo Nix — 61 catches for 891 yards and nine touchdowns in their first season together, followed by 81 catches for 1,383 yards and 14 scores the next. His yards per catch climbed every year (11.6, 14.6, and 17.1), and in 2023, he topped 100 yards in eight games, with multiple touchdown performances becoming routine.

Denver selected him in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft. At 6'2" with a 4.4 forty, the physical tools are easy to get excited about, though he came into the league at 175 pounds, and filling out his frame will be a key developmental milestone. When he's at his best, Franklin releases off the line with purpose, has the feel to set up defenders in open space, and wins at all three levels. His hands grade out well, and physical corners can slow his release but rarely neutralize him entirely. His ceiling here is legitimate once the body catches up to the talent.

His rookie season lacked punch. Franklin had two catches or fewer in 16 of his 17 games, with his best outing coming in Week 7 (5/50). His catch rate (52.8%) and yards per reception (9.4) were both underwhelming, and the deep connection he had with Nix in college never materialized in Denver. It was a developmental year more than anything, and the tools are still there, but he has work to do before living up to his collegiate billing.

In his sophomore season, Franklin secured WR2 snaps (53.8%), leading to him more than doubling his rookie production (65/721/6 on 104 targets). His catch rate (62.5%) was much improved, but he did most of his work close to the line of scrimmage (10.9 yards per catch).

Franklin ended the year ranked 31st among wide receivers in PPR fantasy points (178.50). He flashed explosive upside in three games (8/100/1, 6/89/2, and 6/88/1) but scored over 10.00 fantasy points in only four other matchups (3/19/1, 5/40/1, 4/84, and 4/66). Denver gave him double-digit targets in two contests.

Regression should be expected in his outlook this year due to Jaylen Waddle being added to the wide receiver rotation. His direction puts him on a path to replace Courtland Sutton in this offense down the road, and Franklin could almost be treated as a handcuff to the Broncos’ two lead wideouts in 2026.

His ADP (223) in the NFFC in mid-June suggests the high-stakes fantasy market is writing him off as a viable fantasy option; 70 other wide receivers get drafted before him. The Broncos could easily shift targets from the tight end position (113 in 2025) to Franklin this year. My starting point is 50 catches for 600 yards with at least five scores.

Pat Bryant→ his ranking

Bryant's name started showing up as the third wide receiver off the board in some early high-stakes drafts in 2025, which was enough to warrant a closer look. Denver selected him in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft after three progressively better college seasons — 34 catches for 453 yards and 2 touchdowns, then 43 for 560 and seven scores, and finally a breakout 54-catch, 984-yard, and 10-touchdown campaign in 2024. His yards per catch told a similar story, jumping from 13.2 over his first two seasons to 18.2 in his final year.

His physical profile is intriguing. At 6'2" and 205 pounds, Bryant has the frame to eventually step into Courtland Sutton's role as Denver's big, physical outside receiver. He won't get there on speed alone (his 4.61 forty at the Combine was pedestrian), but that's not really his game. Bryant wins with his hands, his release off the line, and increasingly polished route running. The next step is proving those skills hold up against NFL cornerbacks, who will be a significant step up from what he faced in college. Bryant projects as a red-zone asset who can improve Denver's touchdown production near the goal line, a valuable commodity in any offense.

In his rookie season, Bryant underperformed fantasy draft expectations due to Troy Franklin jumping to WR2 in the Broncos’ offense. He caught 31 of his 49 targets for 378 yards and one score across 15 games. His only fantasy value came in two matchups (2/40/1 and 5/82). Bryant missed time late in the season and the playoffs with hamstring and concussion issues.

Marvin Mims→ his ranking

Mims is a big-play receiver built around elite athleticism, a 4.38 forty, and sharp quickness that Denver wants to deploy all over their formation. His areas that need development are his route running and his ability to win against press coverage at the line, both of which will determine how quickly he can become a reliable option rather than a situational one. At 5'11" and 185 pounds, adding bulk would also help him compete in contested catch situations.

His three seasons at Oklahoma showed what he can do when given space to work. Mims caught 123 of 183 targets for 2,398 yards and 20 touchdowns, averaging a remarkable 19.5 yards per reception. His best season came in 2022 (54 catches for 1,083 yards and 6 touchdowns), headlined by a pair of explosive performances (7/163/2 and 5/162/2).

Consistency was the one knock; outside of those two games, he topped five catches just once all season (9/106). The boom-or-bust nature of his college production will be something Denver monitors closely as he transitions to the NFL, where defensive coordinators will scheme specifically to take away his deep-threat ability.

Mims flashed his upside early in 2023, catching seven passes for 233 yards and a touchdown on just nine targets between Weeks 2 and 4, a pace that had fantasy managers taking notice. Denver never built on it. Over the final 13 games, he managed only 13 catches for 135 yards on 22 targets, finishing the year with a WR4 snap share (39.9%) and little to show for his early promise.

His 2024 season followed a similar script. Through the first 10 games, Mims was largely invisible (11 catches for 69 yards on 19 targets, with 4 rushes for 34 yards mixed in). Then came another burst. Over his final seven games, he averaged just under 5 targets per contest but turned them into 15.46 fantasy points per game in PPR formats, fueled by three explosive performances (3/109/1, 8/103/2, and 5/51/2).

The frustrating part is that Denver never rewarded that production with a larger role. His snap counts over that stretch (16, 23, 16, 30, 28, and 23) kept Mims buried as the fifth option in their receiver rotation, making it nearly impossible to trust him week to week despite the big-play ability he continued to flash when given the chance.

The change in wide receiver depth and rotation for the Broncos in 2025 led to Mims being used closer to the line of scrimmage as a gimmick player. He gained a career-low 8.7 yards per catch with a similar opportunity (37/322/1 on 51 targets) as in 2024, albeit with fewer receiving yards. Denver handed him the ball 12 times in the run game, leading to 78 yards and one more score. His fantasy value came in Week 4 (6/85/1), Week 7 (6/98), and Week 20 (8/93/1), all of which came at home.

Evan Engram→ his ranking

Engram's 2022 season got off to a miserable start, with four straight underwhelming games (4/28, 7/46, 1/9, and 1/16) that looked like more of the same disappointing output. He turned it around over the next four weeks with 19 catches for 231 yards and a touchdown on 29 targets, hit another cold stretch (1/8, 3/14, and 1/4), then closed strong over his final four starts (5/30/1, 11/162/2, 8/62, and 7/133) to finish fifth in PPR tight end scoring at 176.90 points, a quietly solid finish given the rocky road to get there.

Two distinct halves defined his 2023 season. Over his first 11 games, Engram posted 64 catches for 524 yards and zero touchdowns on 82 targets, productive in volume but dull in fantasy value, with short routes (8.4 yards per catch) and no scoring capped his ceiling. Christian Kirk's injury changed everything. Over the final four weeks, Engram became a focal point of the Jaguars’ offense, delivering four high-volume, high-scoring performances (9/92/1, 11/95/2, 10/95, and 10/79/1) that launched him to second in PPR tight end scoring at 232.30 points.

A hamstring issue after Week 1 (1/5 on 4 targets) cost him four starts in 2024, and while flashing in his return in Week 5 (10/102 on 10 targets), Engram never recaptured his 2023 form over the next seven games (36/258/1 on 50 targets). A torn labrum ended his season in mid-December.

Surprisingly, a move to Denver didn’t give Engram much of a fantasy boost last season. He played seven more than that in 2024 (47/364/1 on 64 targets) but finished last year with minimal increases in his stats (50/461/1 on 76 targets). Engram finished 29th in PPR tight end scoring (102.80), while scoring fewer than 10.00 fantasy points in 17 of his 19 games. His only playable games came in Week 5 (4/33/1) and Week 13 (6/79). The Broncos gave him fewer than five targets in his final seven matchups.

Justin Joly

Joly put together a productive four-year college career split between Connecticut and North Carolina State, totaling 166 catches for 1,978 yards and 15 touchdowns across 49 games. He set a career high in receptions (56) over 12 games at UConn in 2023, then peaked in receiving yards (661) and touchdowns (7) over his two seasons with the Wolfpack. His best individual performance came against Pittsburgh last season (six catches for 101 yards and two scores), and Joly caught five or more passes in 12 games throughout his career.

He won't check every box NFL teams look for at tight end. At 6'3" and 240 pounds, Joly is undersized for the position, and his speed is more in line with a plodding possession receiver than an athletic mismatch weapon. Joly won't be running away from linebackers after the catch. Blocking is another area that will need significant development before he can be trusted as an in-line starter.

What Joly does bring is reliability and feel. His route running is polished and consistent; he has a natural instinct for finding soft spots in zone coverage, and his hands are good enough to win in traffic and on high-point catches. There's a real floor here, and with better coaching and continued reps, his ceiling could quietly rise. Within the second tier of this draft class at tight end, Joly stands out as an intriguing developmental pass catcher, the kind of player who could carve out a legitimate role if given time to grow into it.

Will Lutz

Lutz was one of the more reliable kickers in the league from 2017 to 2020, converting 87.7% of 130 field goal attempts while going 204-for-210 on extra points. A serious abdominal injury wiped out his entire 2021 season, and he came back diminished in 2022, just 74.2% on field goals (23-for-30), while remaining perfect on all 33 extra point tries.

Denver gave him a fresh start, and he's made the most of it. Over the past three seasons with the Broncos, Lutz has rebounded to 89.0% on field goals (89-for-100) and has been nearly automatic on extra points (just five misses in 309 attempts over the past seven years). His career mark from 50-plus yards sits at 29-for-47, a respectable rate from distance. Last season, Denver's offense generated 45 touchdowns and 32 field goal opportunities, giving him a workload below that of a winning kicker.