Fantasy Football Player Notes

It's Jaylen Waddle SZN! I can't wait to see him ball out in the Denver passing attack. Waddle should get a wonderful infusion of volume this season, moving from an offense that was 29th in neutral passing rate to one that was fourth in that metric last season. Overall, Denver was fourth in passing attempts behind only Arizona, Cincy, and Dallas last year. Waddle is a stud no matter what metric you look at. Last year, among 109 qualifying wide receivers (per Fantasy Points Data), he was 12th in target per route run rate, 12th in yards per route run, seventh in first downs per route run, 12th in separation score, and 11th in route win rate. He also bested Courtland Sutton in each of those metrics with the exception of route win rate (15.3% vs. 15.5%). Waddle is a flag plant player for me this year. You can easily draft him as a WR2 for your teams this season that has WR1 upside.

Over the last two seasons, Courtland Sutton has been the unquestioned WR1 for Bo Nix and the Denver Broncos. In those seasons, he finished as the WR18 and WR24 in fantasy points per game. The arrival of Jaylen Waddle will change that this year. Sutton still can be a highly productive player in a pass-happy offense, but he'll take a backseat to Waddle. Last year, Denver was fourth in pass rate over expectation and passing attempts (per Fantasy Points Data). His per-route data remained solid, but it wasn't spectacular outside of his separation score and route win rate (20th, ninth). Last year, among 109 qualifying receivers, Sutton was 35th in target per route run rate, 32nd in yards per route run, and 29th in first downs per route run. I expect the passing attack to condense around Waddle and Sutton with all of the other receiving options falling in behind them as matchup/coverage specific chess pieces. Sutton is a WR2/3 for 2026.

R.J. Harvey's rookie season was a tale of two seasons centered around J.K. Dobbins being in the lineup and out of it. In Weeks 1-10, Harvey was the RB29 in fantasy points per game, averaging 29.1% of the snaps played with 7.5 touches and 38.9 total yards per game. In Weeks 11-18, with Dobbins out, he was the RB13 in fantasy points per game with 16.8 touches and 72.5 total yards per game while averaging 60.7% of the snaps played. With Dobbins back and Denver drafting Jonah Coleman, Harvey's role is up in the air. He could easily fall back into last year's early-season role as passing down partner with Dobbins, or this backfield could get messy with all three backs playing and the production getting divided up. Harvey was awesome overall last season as a receiving option, but he struggled on early downs. As a pass catcher, he ranked sixth in target per route run rate and first downs per route run and tenth in yards per route run (per Fantasy Points Data). As a rusher, among 49 qualifying backs, he was 21st in missed tackle rate but 42nd in explosive run rate and 44th in yards after contact per attempt. Harvey is a decent selection in fantasy drafts this season, but in 2026, I won't go out of my way to get him on all my teams like last year.

Last year, Bo Nix regressed as a passer, and with his overall production, and his still was the QB11 in fantasy points per game. Nix saw his passing touchdown rate fall from 5.1% to 4.1%, and his rushing yards per game dip from 25.3 to 20.9 (16th). Nix still directed a passing offense that was fifth in neutral passing rate and tenth in neutral pace. I don't see either of those figures changing in 2026. With the addition of Jaylen Waddle, Denver could be even more pass-happy this season, too. Among 38 qualifying passers, he was 31st in yards per attempt, 18th in highly accurate throw rate, 19th in hero throw rate, and 22nd in fantasy points per dropback (per Fantasy Points Data). If Nix can bounce back or take another positive step in his career, he could be a top 5-7 quarterback in fantasy in 2026.

J.K. Dobbins returns to Denver this season as their early down hammer. It's tough to count on him for a full season at this point, but while he's out there, he should be a nice RB2/flex play this season. Last year, Dobbins did see his season cut short with a foot injury. In Weeks 1-10, he was the RB24 in fantasy points per game, averaging 16.4 touches and 80.6 total yards. The bulk of that work was in the rushing department as he averaged only 1.4 targets and 3.7 receiving yards per game. He had only four games in which he saw more than one target, and he never saw more than two targets in any game. Dobbins was on pace for 260 carries and 1,313 rushing yards before his injury, so his value on early downs is quite nice. Among 49 qualifying backs, he ranked third in explosive run rate and eighth in missed tackle rate (per Fantasy Points Data). Dobbins should return RB2/touchdown-dependent flex value this season.

Jonah Coleman walks into the Denver depth chart as the RB3 with the ability to climb the depth chart. If J.K. Dobbins is unable to stay healthy this year, Coleman could assume the early down duties opposite R.J. Harvey. If Harvey can't continue to grow and improve after his rookie season, it wouldn't be shocking to see Coleman hop Harvey on the depth chart and become the passing-down option for Denver. Over his last three collegiate seasons, Coleman ranked 54th, 13th, and 1st in yards after contact per attempt and 61st, sixth, and fourth in elusive rating (per PFF). In two of those three seasons, he was also top 24 in yards per route run. Coleman is a wonderful late-round dart to toss in fantasy drafts in 2026.

Last year, Denver was the DST6 in fantasy points per game, and they should be considered at worst a top-ten option for 2026. Last season, they allowed the fewest net yards per attempt, the fourth-fewest passing touchdowns, and they were second in pressure rate (first in sacks). Their roster remains stacked and should roll again this season.

Pat Bryant quietly carved out a larger role as his rookie season progressed, giving Denver reason to believe he can contribute more in Year 2. The former third-round pick earned increased playing time late in the season and showed flashes of reliability before an injury cut short his playoff run. The addition of Jaylen Waddle limits Bryant's path to major target volume, but he still projects as the favorite for the Broncos' No. 3 WR role entering 2026. In deeper formats, Bryant profiles as more of a depth stash tied to offensive growth rather than standalone volume.

Will Lutz has been steady in his three seasons with the Broncos, making 89.0% of his field goals and 98.3% of his extra points over that span. Unfortunately, Lutz has not been awash in field goal opportunities since coming to Denver, with the Broncos ranking 14th, 16th and 19th in FG attempts the last three seasons. Lutz has finished 22nd, eighth and 16th in fantasy scoring among kickers over that span.