Broncos fantasy football outlook for Week 14 against the Lions

The Denver Broncos failed last week on multiple fronts against the Kansas City Chiefs. They ran the ball more – which was great – but they failed to turn long drives into points which is a sin against a team like Kansas City. They slowed down superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes, which not many teams can do, but they didn’t back it up when it came to scoring and lost on primetime Sunday night.

Now, the Broncos return home to face the hapless Detroit Lions. They aren’t very talented; they aren’t very well coached (yet), and they don’t present much of a challenge. However, they are coming off their first – and only – win of the season and have nothing to lose. This makes them somewhat of a dangerous opponent as odd as that may seem.

Here is advice for fantasy GMs considering starting Broncos players in Week 14.

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Teddy Bridgewater – Low-end QB2

The Broncos could air it out a little more against the Lions. They have the No.21 pass defense in the league to go along with a bottom-5 rush defense. They’re not good on defense, so the Broncos should take advantage.

I believe they should run the ball early and often, so that will limit the fantasy production for Bridgewater. They’ll work in the passing game, and they could even work in more deep targets this week. However, it’s too much of a risk to rely on Bridgewater – even if you’re streaming quarterbacks.

Just because the Lions are an easy matchup, that doesn’t mean Fantasy GMs should start all your Broncos. Things could be so easy for them that the Broncos end up limiting or shutting parts of their offense down. Sure, they could build a big lead early but is this the type of offense, and is Bridgewater the type of quarterback, to keep the foot on the gas when ahead? I think not, and that means Bridgewater will be on the bench for most all in fantasy football this week.

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Melvin Gordon – Flex | Javonte Williams – RB2 with upside

Melvin Gordon is going to play this week after missing the game in Week 13 against the Chiefs. Javonte Williams is going to play as well, and after his shining performance last Sunday it would be nice to see him continue getting a larger role. The Broncos are back to their running-back-by-committee, and while that’s good for them it’s frustrating for fantasy GMs.

Williams is the lead back even if he doesn’t start in Week 14. His nose for the end zone and yards after contact are fun to watch on a weekly basis. If Gordon was out, Williams might finish as a top-5 fantasy back. With Gordon likely to play, Williams is more of a RB2 with upside.

Gordon could be eased back into the lineup, and that makes him more of a flex play. He might get enough early work to post some fantasy numbers, but don’t be surprised if he does little for the team. The game could get out of hand early, and that means the Broncos could put Gordon on the bench. There is no need to give him too much work if the game is at hand.

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Jerry Jeudy – WR3/flex | Courtland Sutton – Flex | Tim Patrick – “What the heck”flex

If the Broncos air it out against the Lions, that will be good news for Fantasy GMs who are starting the Broncos receivers. While it may be good news, there may only be one receiver who really flourishes from a fantasy perspective.

Jerry Jeudy could be the primary beneficiary if Denver does have more success through the air. He’s a favorite target of Bridgewater and should be able to torch the Lions secondary with his route-running ability. Fantasy GMs should hedge if the Broncos don’t pass as much as they could, so Jeudy is more of a WR3/flex – even though the matchup is there for him to post WR1 numbers.

Courtland Sutton needs to be more involved. When Jeudy missed time with injury, Sutton was the primary weapon when the Broncos passed the ball. Sutton also used to be a tremendous deep threat, leading the league with 19 passes over 20 yards downfield over the first half of the season. Since Week 8, Sutton is no.29 in the league with only five passes his way thrown 20 yards or more. His usage, and the potential breakout of Jeudy, makes Sutton a flex play with upside for fantasy GMs in Week 14.

Tim Patrick is always worth a “what the heck” flex from a fantasy perspective. His size is tough to deal with and he’s a tremendous threat when the team gets to the red zone. He could be a nice play, or he could do next to nothing. That’s what makes playing him somewhat of a risky move.

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Noah Fant – High-end TE2

Fantasy GMs should not be trusting Noah Fant. It’s not Fant himself, but it’s the lack of passing game over the last few weeks. There are reserve tight ends, or tight ends you may have just picked up off the waiver wire, that could perform better than Fant in Week 14.

Fant is still a good receiver, but his blocking is a work in progress. When the team goes through the air, Fant should be involved but he might be third or fourth (at best) in the pecking order. You should consider him a high-end TE2 who could sneak into TE1 numbers on Sunday.

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Broncos Defense – High-end D1

It’s been a few weeks since I’ve recommended the Broncos defense as starters for Fantasy GMs out there. This week against the Lions, they could finish as the best defense in the league for Week 14.

Lions quarterback Jared Goff is not good, but he will keep firing away and make bad decisions as a passer regardless of how the game script unfolds. Goff has seven interceptions this year, and the Broncos should be able to pick him off at least once. The Lions don’t have a great group of receivers to cover, so locking down the passing game is likely to happen.

They do have all-purpose back Jamaal Williams, and he will be a player to be concerned with as both a runner and receiver out of the backfield. If/when the Lions fall behind, they could go away from the rushing attack – thus, limiting the impact Williams can have on the game.

With the down weeks they’ve had, there’s a chance you could’ve scooped up the Broncos defense this week on the waiver wire. No matter how you got them, Denver’s defense needs to be in your starting lineup in Week 14.

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For more of my fantasy football work, check out Footballguys.com.

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