As the start of the 2017 NFL season draws near, fans across the country finalize their preparations for their fantasy football drafts.
If you’re anything like me, you love fantasy football. If you’re anything like me, you have a special place on your draft’s cheat sheet for those Denver Broncos players while showing up to your draft in your sharpest orange and blue jersey.
For Bronco fans across the country, it can be difficult not to just grab every player on the team before round five. For those of you who share my love for fantasy football and the Broncos, here’s a quick guide on what to expect from draft-worthy players on the Broncos and where you should target them:
The cream of the fantasy football position crop is the running back position. Thankfully for team owners everywhere, the Broncos have a great option for a borderline RB1 in C.J. Anderson. Coming off of a year in which injuries slowed Anderson, he now appears healthy and ready to regain his form as the Broncos lead back.
Currently, NFL.com has C.J. Anderson ranked as their No. 21 overall running back, putting him in line for a solid RB2 in standard 12-team leagues. Anderson remains an effective option at running back as he should also see most of the Broncos’ goal-line touches, regardless of the fate of Jamaal Charles. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Anderson notch 8-10 touchdowns with an improved offensive line in front of him.
Look to target Anderson in the mid-third or maybe early fourth round, depending on how your league drafts.
I have seen a lot of news recently regarding Charles’ status with the Denver Broncos. There are reports that he is healthy and will carve into C.J. Anderson’s workload, but there are also reports suggesting Charles won’t even make the roster.
Keep a close eye on the third preseason game to see how Charles looks after recovering from back-to-back knee surgeries. The “dress rehearsal game” will be a clear indicator of how much Charles has left in the tank and if he fits into the Broncos’ plans for 2017.
If your draft is sometime before the Broncos make a decision on Charles, I would not recommend drafting him as anything more than a high-risk/high-reward late-round flyer.
Defense/Special Teams
Boasting the league’s best secondary (sorry, Seattle) and best pass rusher in Von Miller, the Broncos defense comes into the 2017 season as the best fantasy defense available.
NFL.com’s Michael Fabiano and Yahoo.com currently have the Broncos defense ranked unanimously No. 1. The Broncos added more fantasy value to their defense by adding kick-returning ace Isaiah McKenzie, who will generate return yards all year long.
Where you draft your team’s defense is largely up to the type of player you are. Some choose to grab their defenses as soon as round five, others wait until the second-to-last round. Regardless, if you want the Broncos defense, expect them, to be one of the first off of the board, producing top-3 results by season’s end.
The good news for Sanders is that Trevor Siemian, whom Sanders already has chemistry with, was named the starting quarterback this year. Sanders won’t return to a WR1 this year like he had in the past with Peyton Manning at quarterback, but remains a great option for a WR2 in standard 12-team leagues.
Coming off of a Pro-Bowl season, Sanders should once again see at least 1,000 yards, but most shouldn’t expect his touchdowns to increase dramatically.
As NFL.com‘s No. 22-ranked wide receiver, Sanders should look to be selected somewhere between the middle of rounds four and five in both PPR and non-PPR formats, with PPR leagues valuing Sanders slightly higher than non-PPR leagues would.
Thomas has been hailed as a WR1 since Peyton Manning joined the Broncos in 2012. Last year, in what was considered a “down” year for Thomas, he still produced solid numbers, notching 1,083 yards and five touchdowns on 90 catches.
Those numbers should remain relatively steady heading into 2017. With an improved offensive line and in a pass-happy offense, Thomas should remain in play for a WR1 with better upside.
Thomas has been taken all over draft boards, as some dimply don’t trust him as an option with Siemian at quarterback. As NFL.com’s No. 15 wide receiver, round three is a great place to target Thomas if other options like Amari Cooper, Terrelle Pryor or DeAndre Hopkins were selected earlier in your draft.