Denver Broncos vs. Jacksonville Jaguars Matchup Breakdown For Week 2 Fantasy Football

Notice I said fine and not great. Without LeQuint Allen active, I hoped Tuten would get a chance to shine as a pass catcher, to no avail. That honor unfortunately got split up with Ameer Abdullah. Although finishing at just one target apiece while ahead the entire game, it’s reasonable to assume Tuten would secure that role under different circumstances. Again, not disastrous but worth nothing — losing any touches will cap Tuten’s ceiling, since the assumption was always that Chris Rodriguez would soak up some high-value work in the green zone.

As good as the Jags looked on the whole, there are two major hangups for fantasy purposes. For starters, we could be looking at a shepherd situation with Trevor Lawrence. What I mean is, when the flock’s large and productive, but indiscernible at times, the safe bets are on the one player always playing a part — the quarterback. 

Now none of us can honestly say we weren’t warned there could be a split in the Jacksonville WR room … we were. However, speaking for myself here, you know I included target-earner Jakobi Meyers playing a role, with part-time routes awarded to two-way player Travis Hunter in the calculus. Apparently, I left one stone unturned …

Thinking all due diligence was done to the best of my very limited abilities, of course Liam Coen throws us a massive curveball — getting sixth-round rookie Josh Cameron in there for the same 14 snaps as Brian Thomas Jr. Huh?!? Just when you think your bases are covered, BTJ’s tuddy out wide gets vultured by a universally unrostered first-year player. Ouch. 

In other words, long story long, despite my general affinity for this squad, outside of Parker Washington, Travis Etienne and Trevor Lawrence, it’s harder than not to declaratively back any of these Jaguars as must-starts — especially against a Broncos defense looking to bounce back, a baby I’m not ready to throw out with the bathwater.

• Start: Parker Washington (WR18), Bhayshul Tuten (RB30), Trevor Lawrence (QB13)
• Sit: Brian Thomas Jr. (WR50), Brenton Strange (TE20)
• Sleeper: Jakobi Meyers (WR41)

Denver Broncos Fantasy Preview

I’ll admit to falling asleep during Monday Night Football and watching a condensed version the next morning. Not that it matters; I’m still waiting for the Broncos offense to start the season. Man, when I said I worried they’d struggle to do much of anything against a solid Chiefs’ D, I had no idea it’d get this bad.

Denver ran the fewest plays in the NFL for the fewest yards at the lowest rate, and the lowest expected points added. Hard to be worse than the Dolphins, Browns, or Titans — somehow Denver found a way. A performance this bad may call for a full reset in hopes to correct because I can assure you, there’s not a redeeming quality to be found in the box score of this one.

Fine, maybe none’s an exaggeration — unless you’re asking a Jaylen Waddle drafter, that is. One catch for a measly two yards. Yikes. Remind me to question my presumed range of outcomes entering every week and season. Sheesh. I mean, I leaned under on the team total here, but that was ridiculous.

If there’s any bright spots for fantasy gamers, it’s two-headed. Second-year WR Pat Bryant lived up to camp hype — leading the WR room in targets and catches, while serving in a mixed role as Denver’s slot WR on strong advanced metrics (28.6% target/route, 2.00 yards/route). Patty Ice needs to be rostered universally.

Then there’s the backfield, which, aside from the obvious disappointment of combining for 11.7 total fantasy points, was split between only two RBs. That’s right, rookie darling Jonah Coleman didn’t see the ball in his first nine career snaps.

Anytime there’s a committee of two on a decent offense, it’s worth noting. Stay the course with the duo of J.K. Dobbins and RJ Harvey. However (and this one’s a biggie) — neither starter played well in pass protection, which could eventually open the door for Coleman. A third mouth to feed could potentially cancel out the fantasy value for the whole bunch. Beware.

• Start: Jaylen Waddle (WR20), J.K. Dobbins (RB31), Bo Nix (QB17)
• Sit: Courtland Sutton (WR38), RJ Harvey (RB36)
• Sleeper: Evan Engram (TE22)

Next Week’s Bold Headlines, Today

• Hard to deny the feeling this won’t be the last time we see these two teams facing off — Denver gets the win in a close one by shutting down the Jags’ vertical game.
• Despite the Broncos' D’s resurgence, Parker Washington drops another WR1 performance, and it’s become increasingly clear — P-Wash is the truth.