Denver Broncos

Denver Broncos rookie wide receiver Troy Franklin was rookie quarterback Bo Nix's favorite target on Thursday night in the team's 33-10 blowout win over the hosting New Orleans Saints. On a night where Courtland Sutton surprisingly was not targeted at all, Franklin led all Broncos pass-catchers in targets (six), catches (five) and receiving yards (50), although he was unable to find the end zone for the second straight week. The 21-year-old's longest reception of the game went for a 30-yard chunk gain. Franklin, the former college teammate of Nix at Oregon, now has seven catches for 81 yards and a score in two games with Josh Reynolds (finger) on Injured Reserve. It's clear that he'll continue to have a big role while Reynolds is out, making him worth a waiver-wire flier in deeper fantasy leagues heading into a great matchup in Week 8 versus the one-win Carolina Panthers.

In the Denver Broncos blowout victory over the New Orleans Saints on Thursday night in Week 7, rookie running back Audric Estime out-carried Jaleel McLaughlin five to four, although McLaughlin out-gained the rookie 35 to 29 on the ground in the 33-10 victory. Estime also lost a fumble. Lead back Javonte Williams was the real winner on the night for Denver's offense with 14 carries for a season-high 88 yards and his first two touchdowns of the year. Estime's five carries were a season-high after seeing two totes apiece in his first two NFL games in Weeks 1 and 6. Although Estime could be in head coach Sean Payton's doghouse after losing a fumble against New Orleans, the rookie's presence in Denver's backfield moving forward is yet another reason why McLaughlin cannot be trusted in starting fantasy lineups. Neither RB was targeted in the passing game on Thursday.

Denver Broncos running back Javonte Williams went off in the team's 33-10 blowout victory over the hosting New Orleans Saints on Thursday Night Football, carrying the ball 14 times for a season-high 88 yards and his first two touchdowns of the year. He also caught all three of his targets for 23 yards. His first score was an eight-yard scamper in which he went untouched to the end zone. The 24-year-old had just one game of double-digit fantasy points coming into this one, but after his first career two-touchdown game, it's clear he's still the unquestioned lead back in Denver. Williams and the Broncos took care of business against a Saints defense that played uninspired football, and after this big game, fantasy managers will surely consider Williams for a starting lineup spot in another plus-plus matchup against the Carolina Panthers in Week 8.

Denver Broncos rookie quarterback Bo Nix didn't score a touchdown and threw for only 164 yards on 16-for-26 passing, but he also ran the ball 10 times for a season-high 75 rushing yards in the 33-10 dismantling of the New Orleans Saints on Thursday Night Football on the road. Nix looked a little nervous early on and missed several wide-open receivers, but he was able to settle in and lead the Broncos to 30-plus points for the second time in the last three weeks. Denver's lockdown defense played a big role in that, but the 24-year-old first-rounder showed more progress and now has avoided turnovers in four of his last five games. There will continue to be ups and downs as Nix navigates his rookie season in the NFL, while his rushing ability is the strongest part of his game currently. Heading into a favorable Week 8 matchup against the Panthers, Nix will be a low-end QB2 with upside in fantasy.

Denver Broncos kicker Wil Lutz will be on the streaming radar in deeper fantasy leagues when he faces his old team, the New Orleans Saints, for a Thursday night matchup to kick off Week 7 action. Lutz had an expected dud in last week's loss to the division-rival Los Angeles Chargers, making just one field goal and one extra point. In six games in his second season in Denver, he's averaging 8.0 fantasy points per week, which ranks 15th among all kickers. The 30-year-old sits 10th in overall fantasy points and has attempted 14 field goals through six games, which is tied for seventh. The Broncos offense hasn't been anything special in 2024, but they should at least be able to give Lutz enough opportunities to make him a deep-league streamer against a Saints defense that is allowing the fifth-most fantasy points per game to opposing kickers this year.