Broncos fantasy football outlook for Week 2 against the Jaguars

The Denver Broncos had a strong performance against the New York Giants in Week 1. Now, they are on the road again to play the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 2. Injuries and performances some didn’t expect have caused fantasy general managers to look at the Broncos in a different light.

Fantasy GMs, especially those who are Broncos fans, are wondering what to expect from the team after they looked good in Week 1. I’ve gone through and made projections, so I decided I would share what I think the Broncos are going to do on Sunday.

Here is advice for Fantasy GMs considering starting Broncos players in Week 2.

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Teddy Bridgewater – Streaming Option

Oh, what a difference a week makes. Last week, I recommended fantasy GMs should not start quarterback Teddy Bridgewater. He threw for two touchdowns and had a little more than 250 yards passing against the Giants, and I feel there’s a chance to do more against the Jaguars.

In Week 1, the Jaguars couldn’t stop the Houston Texans offense. Texans quarterback Tyrod Taylor ended up with 291 yards and two passing touchdowns. In addition to what he did through the air, Taylor chipped in with 40 yards on the ground. In most leagues, Taylor scored 30 points – a great day for any fantasy quarterback.

I’m not saying Bridgewater will match that output, but he could have a big day, as well. This makes him a streaming option for fantasy GMs out there. If you waited at quarterback and have decided to stream the best of available options, it’s going to be difficult to find a better situation than the one Bridgwater is in this week.

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Melvin Gordon/Javonte Williams – RB2/Flex Plays

We finally got to see how the Broncos wanted to split the backfield between Melvin Gordon and Javonte Williams. The carries were nearly even, but it was Gordon who produced the most in the backfield – largely due to the 70-yard touchdown run he had in the fourth quarter against the Giants. Williams had more carries, and I think this back-and-forth between the two backs should continue in the weeks ahead.

Last week, the Jaguars allowed three Texans running backs to score against them. It was Mark Ingram with the most rushing yards (26 carries, 85 yards, one touchdown), but backups Phillip Lindsay (25 yards, one touchdown) and David Johnson (three carries, 10 yards, three catches, 18 yards, one touchdown) hit pay dirt too. The Broncos only split things two ways between Gordon and Williams, so expect both to have good days in fantasy.

I like both Gordon and Williams as RB2/flex plays. Gordon is the favored back, more of a high-end RB2 with upside but Williams is well worth starting at least as a flex play in Week 2.

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Courtland Sutton – Deep Flex / Tim Patrick – Flex / K.J. Hamler – What the Heck Flex

The Broncos will be playing without wide receiver Jerry Jeudy for about six weeks. It’s a good thing they have quality depth to go along with WR1 Courtland Sutton against the Jaguars. We’ll see Tim Patrick start on the outside opposite of Sutton, and K.J. Hamler can get more looks as a big-play slot receiver.

The Texans did have three fantasy relevant receivers in Week 1, although only one of them (Brandin Cooks) was started by most Fantasy GMs. Cooks came through with five catches for 132 yards to lead the Texans in receiving against the Jaguars. Pharoah Brown was the No. 2 leading receiver with four catches for 67 yards (a 10-point day in PPR leagues) and Danny Amendola had five catches for 34 yards and one touchdown. The Broncos trio is about 100 times better than who the Texans put out there.

Sutton is not quite himself as he still recovers from his knee injury, so I can only trust him as a deep flex play. If he blows up on my bench – good – I’ll know I can trust him as a WR2/flex play after that but I won’t believe it until I see it. Patrick could be the no.1 target for the Broncos and is worth considering as a flex play with upside. Hamler is what I call a ‘what the heck’ flex play because he could only have a couple of targets, but he’s so explosive he can make your fantasy day on one play.

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Noah Fant – Low-End TE1

The one bad pass from Bridgewater against the Giants would have been a touchdown for tight end Noah Fant. Sprinting down the right sideline, Fant got open for a deep touchdown but Bridgewater did not lead him properly and the pass fell short, falling incomplete.

The Jaguars did not allow a reception to a Texans tight end last week, but Houston doesn’t have a playmaker at the position like Fant. Their top tight end, Jordan Akins, was targeted twice and didn’t catch either pass.
Fant is going to be the same thing every week for Fantasy GMs. He’s a low-end TE1 with upside, and that means he’s likely going to start for you every week.

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Broncos Defense – Start

It’s the Broncos defense against a rookie quarterback in Week 2. Trevor Lawrence had an up-and-down performance against the Texans and may just have a down performance against a great defense like the Broncos have. Lawrence has superstar potential and could one day be the best quarterback in the league – but that’s going to take some time.
Like Fant, I feel the answer for the Broncos defense – in most cases – is going to be the same; start them without question.

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

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