Denver Broncos DVOA, Stats, & NFL Rankings

Denver Broncos tight ends Adam Trautman and Nate Adkins both found the end zone in the team's 31-13 victory over the visiting Indianapolis Colts on Sunday at Empower Field in Week 15. Trautman and Adkins hauled in rookie quarterback Bo Nix's first two touchdown passes of the day in a huge victory that boosts Denver's chances of making the postseason for the first time since they won Super Bowl 50 with Peyton Manning. Trautman finished with two catches on two targets for 20 yards and the score, while Adkins only caught the one TD pass of 15 yards on the day. The Broncos haven't utilized their tight ends much in the offense this year, so neither Trautman nor Adkins should be in consideration for a waiver-wire pickup in the fantasy playoffs. Trautman has 11 catches for 178 yards and two TDs in 14 games, while Adkins has only eight grabs for 65 yards and three scores on the year.

Denver Broncos wide receiver Devaughn Vele had only one target in Sunday's 31-13 win over the Indianapolis Colts. The Broncos offense looked sluggish after their bye week, and the offensive production showcased it. Quarterback Bo Nix only threw for 130 yards on the day, and no receiver on the Broncos had more than 32 yards. Heading into Week 15, Vele had put up 162 yards in his last three games. The silver lining for Vele is that he still played 60% of the snaps and is the clear slot choice for the Broncos offense. He will try to get back on track with a matchup versus the Los Angeles Chargers on Thursday Night football. Vele is not a reliable fantasy option in 10-12-team leagues heading into Week 16.

Denver Broncos running back Javonte Williams rushed six times for 15 yards and hauled in two of three targets for eight yards in the Broncos' 31-13 victory over the Indianapolis Colts. Williams followed suit in a game where the Broncos offense could only put together 193 yards of total offense. The Bronco's running backs have been by committee for most of the season, and head coach Sean Peyton doesn't want to change that strategy. The silver lining for Williams is that Broncos running back Jaleel McLaughlin (quad) left the game in the second half. If he were to miss any time, that could make this Broncos running back room smaller with just Williams and Audric Estime. Regardless, Williams has not been a reliable running back for fantasy managers in 2024. He is a touchdown-dependent RB3 heading into Week 16 versus the Los Angeles Chargers on Thursday Night Football.

Denver Broncos running back Jaleel McLaughlin (quadriceps) picked up a quadriceps injury in the 31-13 Week 15 win over the visiting Indianapolis Colts on Sunday. Before leaving, McLaughlin handled seen carries (a team-high among RBs) for 21 yards (3.0 yards per carry) while adding three catches on three targets for an additional 13 yards through the air. Neither Javonte Williams nor Audric Estime were able to capitalize on McLaughlin's injury, as they combined for 11 carries and 28 yards and three catches (four targets) for 13 yards. It was a disappointing performance from McLaughlin against a Colts defense that has been gashed on the ground all year, but then again, Denver's rushing attack hasn't really done much of anything all season. Heading into a short week on Thursday against the division-rival Los Angeles Chargers, McLaughlin's availability could be in question. If active, he'll be an avoidable RB3/flex.

Denver Broncos wide receiver Courtland Sutton was quiet by his recent standards in the team's 31-13 win over the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday at Empower Field in Week 15. Sutton led the Broncos in targets yet again with nine, but he only hauled in three catches for team-high 32 yards. However, a 20-yard touchdown reception late in the fourth quarter to put the game away salvaged his line for fantasy managers. Quarterback Bo Nix struggled to get going in this one for the first time in a while and finished with only 130 total passing yards. Sunday's outing was Sutton's first with under 70 receiving yards since his zero-target performance in the Week 7 win over the Saints. Fantasy managers can't really complain. Sutton has seen at least eight targets in seven straight games and should remain a must-start with a high target share in a big divisional clash against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 16 on Thursday night.