Denver Broncos

In his first year with the Denver Broncos in 2023, kicker Wil Lutz finished as the No. 18 fantasy kicker by making 30 of his 34 field-goal attempts and 29 of his 31 extra-point opportunities in 17 games. It was enough to get the Broncos to sign him to a two-year contract extension in the offseason after it initially looked like he was about to jump ship and join the Jacksonville Jaguars. The 30-year-old veteran was a Pro Bowler in 2019 and has made 85.2% of his kicks in seven NFL seasons. It's not that he's an unreliable kicking option, but there are just much better options in fantasy to begin the season. The biggest reason why Lutz remains off the fantasy radar heading into a Week 1 matchup against the Seattle Seahawks is that he's kicking for an offense that will be led by rookie quarterback Bo Nix. Consistent field-goal opportunities may be hard to come by for the veteran.

After another injury-plagued year in 2023 in which he managed to play in just two games, Denver Broncos tight end Greg Dulcich went undrafted in most standard-sized, 12-team fantasy leagues. Dulcich opens his third year in the NFL listed as the No. 2 TE on Denver's depth chart behind Adam Trautman, although it's widely expected that he'll end up as the Broncos' most targeted tight end when all is said and done this year. The 24-year-old caught 33 of 55 targets for 411 yards and two TDs in 10 games as a rookie and has shown upside as a fantasy TE when healthy. The problem is he's rarely been healthy. Entering Week 1 against the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field, Dulcich will be an upside TE3 stash in deeper fantasy leagues. If he stays healthy and earns the trust of rookie quarterback Bo Nix as a safety blanket, Dulcich could become a waiver-wire consideration in shallower leagues.

Denver Broncos wide receiver Josh Reynolds came to Denver in the offseason and essentially will replace Jerry Jeudy in 2024 as the team's WR2 behind Courtland Sutton. A season ago in Detroit, Reynolds finished with a 40-608-5 line in 17 regular-season games. His five touchdowns matched his career-high set back in 2018 with the Rams. Reynolds has never surpassed 618 receiving yards in any of his seven NFL campaigns and not much is expected of him in his first year with the Broncos in an offense that will be led by rookie quarterback Bo Nix. The 29-year-old went undrafted in most standard-sized, 12-team fantasy leagues, therefore he should be on most benches in deeper leagues in a Week 1 tilt in Seattle against the Seahawks. Reynolds dealt with a minor Achilles injury in August but practiced in full earlier this week and is good to go for the season opener.

Denver Broncos wide receiver Courtland Sutton found the end zone a career-high 10 times on 59 receptions and 772 yards in 16 games in 2023. But that came with quarterback Russell Wilson at the helm, and now rookie Bo Nix will be leading the offense in a tough Week 1 draw in Seattle against the Seahawks. Fantasy managers should have drafted Sutton with the realistic expectations that he won't score double-digit TDs in 2024. Despite that, they should rest easy knowing target volume shouldn't be an issue. The Seahawks defense was a top-12 matchup for wideouts last year, and Nix could pepper Sutton with targets in his NFL debut in a hostile environment at Lumen Field. Sutton should be considered a WR4/flex with a safe floor in the season opener, and his stock could improve as the season goes on if he's able to establish chemistry with Nix like he had with Wilson last year.

Denver Broncos second-year running back Jaleel McLaughlin did some great things for the Broncos in his first year in the NFL in 2023 despite going undrafted out of Youngstown State. McLaughlin battled for touches with lead back Javonte Williams and third-down specialist Samaje Perine and finished with 410 rushing yards and a touchdown on 76 carries for an impressive 5.4 yards per carry. He also added 31 catches on 36 targets for 160 yards and two more scores in 17 games. McLaughlin enters his second year as the clear backup to Williams, and he's also going to have to fend off rookie Audric Estime. The Broncos have a matchup in Week 1 against a Seattle Seahawks run defense that allowed the third-most half-PPR points to RBs a year ago, but as long as Williams stays healthy, it will be hard to recommend McLaughlin as anything more than an RB4/flex. He belongs on the bench in standard 12-team leagues.