It was an up-and-down fantasy week for the Broncos in Week 1 in their game vs. the Titans. While they came away with a win, their offense did not play great, but they did see some promising play by a few notable players. In Week 2, they head on the road to Indianapolis to take on Daniel Jones and the Colts, who had their way with the Miami Dolphins in Week 1.
Week 1 can be a dirty little liar sometimes, so you cannot overreact too much to it, but it does give you an idea of how things may play out moving forward. With all that said, here are your start ‘em and sit ’em for the Denver Broncos in their Week 2 matchup vs. the Colts.
QB Bo Nix - SIT
It was a rough opening week for the Broncos quarterback, and now he faces a defense that made Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa look pretty bad last Sunday. It’s quite possible Tua and the Dolphins are just bad this season because they looked rough, but it still appears to be a tough matchup for Nix and the Broncos. While I do think we will see him bounce back and do better, he is still a risky start at best here. If you have another option on your bench or whatever, I may go with them this week.
Also, Nix faced this Colts team last December and did not have the greatest performance. He did throw for 3 touchdowns, but also had 3 interceptions and only 130 yards passing. He was dealing with a back injury at that time, but still, he is a very risky start at best here in the fantasy world.
RB’s J.K. Dobbins and R.J. Harvey - START
After a pass-happy start for the Broncos, their run game really took over in the second half and looked rather promising. Rookie R.J. Harvey led the way with 70 yards rushing on 6 carries, which included a long 50+ yard run. Veteran J.K. Dobbins also looked solid and totaled 63 yards rushing while also scoring a touchdown.
I believe we will see the Broncos lean a little more on their run game in this one, and we will see both backs be used throughout this game. It was just 7 carries, but Dolphins running back De’Von Achane did rush for 55 yards (7.9 YPC) vs this Colts defense last week. If the Broncos can have similar success on the ground, it could be a big game for both backs.
I think Dobbins is a solid RB2 start this week, while Harvey could be a high-upside flex play.
WR Courtland Sutton - START
Sutton started Week 1 off with a touchdown reception and was targeted 9 times by quarterback Bo Nix. He is their unquestioned WR1, Bo Nix’s favorite target, and the player he looks for in big situations and, most importantly, in the red zone. While the Broncos’ passing offense had its struggles, I do not see Sutton’s involvement changing much and believe he will be another solid contributor once again vs. the Colts.
The Dolphins struggled mightily on Sunday vs. the Colts, but it appeared to be more of their own struggles than the Colts’ defense ruining their day. So, I think Nix and the Broncos offense can fare better this week, which includes Sutton making plays in the end zone once
I think Sutton can be a solid WR2 or a very good WR3/FLEX option for you this week, and I would start him confidently.
The rest of the Broncos WRs - SIT
It wasn’t the best fantasy showing for the rest of the Broncos’ wide receivers. Marvin Mims Jr. disappointed with a 3-12 stat line, which also included a muffed punt on special teams. Second-year wide receiver Troy Franklin did look better and saw 6 targets and totaled 4 receptions for 44 yards, but the struggles by Nix limit his upside.
I would not start any of these players right now until we see some more consistency from this passing offense. I would add Troy Franklin if he is available in your leagues. He was getting open, was targeted 6 times, and comes with some big play upside. As for Mims, I really hope we see him bounce back moving forward. I had high expectations for him this season, and that was not a great start.
TE Evan Engram - SIT
The damn injury bug strikes again. Engram left Sunday’s game with a calf injury, and as of this writing, we have yet to have any updates on it. He did return to the game for a short period of time before leaving again, so hopefully, that is a sign that the injury is not all that bad. However, calf injuries can be naggy, so it is certainly something to monitor moving forward.
Until we receive some clarity on Engram, he would be on my bench. If he can make it through a full week of practice, I would put him back in my starting lineup, but outside of that, it’s a wait-and-see for me.
Broncos DEF/ST’s - START
While the offense has some questions, the Broncos’ defense was absolutely dominant once again vs. the Titans.
They kept the Titans out of the end zone, stuffed their run game, sacked rookie Cam Ward 6 times, and forced 2 turnovers. The Broncos’ defense looked as advertised in Week 1 and has another promising matchup vs. the Colts in Week 2.
While Colts quarterback Daniel Jones had a good showing vs. the Dolphins, it’s quite possible that they may have one of the worst defenses and secondaries in the NFL this season. This Broncos defense is on a much different level and could force him into the mistakes and poor play that he is known for.
The Colts are going to run the ball a bit more against this Broncos defense, and had some success against them in their previous matchup. That’s an area they need to tighten up a bit, but they did do well vs. the Titans.
I would start the Broncos’ defense confidently in week 2 and believe they will have another dominating performance.
Kicker Wil Lutz - START
Wil Lutz was perfect on Sunday and has been fairly automatic since joining the Broncos. If the offense can get into a groove and the defense continues to give them the ball in short fields, Lutz will have plenty of opportunities to put points on the board.
I think he will have plenty of chances vs. the Colts and will be kicking inside the dome. If you have him on your roster, I would start him confidently.
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