Denver Broncos Fantasy Football Rundown
By Erik Lambert
January 19, 2014; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Broncos wide receiver Demaryius Thomas (88) celebrates after he catches a touchdown pass against the New England Patriots in the second half of the 2013 AFC Championship football game at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Few teams were a literal fantasy football machine quite like the Denver Broncos in 2013. Can owners expect a repeat?
Starters
Peyton Manning
The reigning league MVP shows no signs of slowing down after another Super Bowl letdown. Peyton Manning is 38-years old but his mind remains sharp and his arsenal of weapons with the Denver Broncos is stacked. Provided he gets protection he will give fantasy owners another show in 2014.
Demaryius Thomas
There is really no surprise why Denver is moving quickly to lock up Demaryius Thomas with a new contract. In terms of production he was a top five wide receiver last season. He has posted back-to-back seasons of over 1,400 yards and double digit touchdowns. It doesn’t get much better than that.
Reserves
Julius Thomas
One of the bigger revelations of 2013 was tight end Julius Thomas. Manning and the coaches felt they needed a presence there and that J.T. was the answer. He didn’t disappoint. Provided he stays healthy the 25-year old is a prominent threat down the middle and in the red zone.
Wes Welker
With all due respect to the signing of Emmanuel Sanders and drafting of Cody Latimer, the fact remains that Wes Welker is the best slot receiver in football. He knows how to get open, consistently moves the chains and is an overlooked threat to score.
Sleepers
Montee Ball
Manning is never shy about using the running game when the Denver Broncos need to do it. That is why expectations are high for second-year man Montee Ball who will replace Knowshon Moreno as the starter. The kid is not fully proven yet but the talent is there and he is a credible goal line force at the very least.
Denver Broncos defense
Stopping the run was not the problem for Denver last season but they struggled all year against the pass. That is why they were so aggressive in free agency and the draft. Among their spoils they added Pro Bowlers Aqib Talib and T.J. Ward to the secondary, Pro Bowler Demarcus Ware to the defensive line and then made Ohio State corner Bradley Roby their 1st round pick. Improvement should come on a significant scale, both in reality and on the fantasy sheet.