Denver Broncos DVOA, Stats, & NFL Rankings

The Athletic's Nick Kosmider writes that it's probably a no-brainer decision for the Denver Broncos to bring back veteran kicker Wil Lutz in 2025 despite the fact that he has no guaranteed money left on his current deal. If the Broncos wanted to, they could cut Lutz this offseason for a savings of at least $3 million with limited dead money left behind. Lutz is scheduled to make $3.89 million in 2025, but after being one of the most accurate and trustworthy kickers in the NFL this past season, it would be a surprise if the Broncos cut him. Not only does head coach Sean Payton have plenty of trust and history with Lutz, but Lutz also kicked for the New Orleans Saints under Darren Rizzi, who is likely to become Denver's next special teams coordinator. The 30-year-old finished as the No. 7 kicker in overall fantasy points by making 31 of his 34 field goal-attempts and all 46 of his extra points in 17 regular-season games.

Denver Broncos wide receiver Courtland Sutton made it clear last offseason that he was unhappy with the structure of his contract, which at the time had two years left with little guaranteed money. Sutton and the Broncos eventually revised his contract to add $1.7 million in incentives for 2024, ultimately reaching most of them after posting his second 1,000-yard campaign with a career-high 81 catches and eight touchdowns. The 29-year-old is now entering the final year of his contract and has no guaranteed money remaining. He's due $14 million in 2025, which would make him the 24th highest-paid receiver in the NFL. However, he's solid 2024 season suggests he deserves more after ranking 17th among wideouts in catches, 13th in receiving yards (1,081) and tied for 12th in TDs. The Athletic's Nick Kosmider writes it's probably safe to assume Sutton doesn't intend to play 2025 as his contract is currently structured.

Denver Broncos kicker Wil Lutz was a top-10 fantasy kicker during the regular season, but we warned fantasy managers setting DFS lineups in playoff leagues to avoid him for the wild-card matchup in Buffalo against the Bills on Sunday. Hopefully you did, as Lutz didn't attempt a single field goal and made just one extra point in the 31-7 blowout loss at Orchard Park. Although the Broncos put up a dud to close out what was a successful 2024 season, the 30-year-old Lutz was money in the bank for Denver in his second year with the team. He made 91.2% of his 34 field-goal attempts in 17 regular-season games and didn't miss any of his 47 extra-point opportunities on the year. In his final eight games, Lutz made all 27 of his field goals and went 13-for-13 on extra points. With impressive QB Bo Nix leading Denver's offense moving forward, Lutz should easily be a top-12 fantasy kicking option this fall.

Denver Broncos running back Jaleel McLaughlin was a complete non-factor in the team's 31-7 blowout loss to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday on wild-card weekend. Like most of the season, Denver's backfield was stuck in the mud and couldn't get anything going to control the game, with rookie quarterback Bo Nix leading the team with 43 rushing yards on four carries. McLaughlin, who had been the leader of a committee backfield late in the season, had only two rushing attempts for minus-two yards while catching his only target for no gain. It was a dismal end to the 24-year-old's second season in the NFL. He finished with 113 carries for 496 yards (4.4 yards per carry) and only one rushing touchdown in 16 regular-season games while adding 24 catches for 76 yards and two more TDs through the air. Denver will surely look to upgrade their backfield in the offseason to give more help to Nix in 2025.

Denver Broncos wide receiver Marvin Mims Jr. had a quiet showing during their wild-card loss to the Buffalo Bills, as he caught just two of his four targets for a mere 12 yards. He also added one yard on two rushing attempts. The Broncos offense has trouble finding their footing after the first quarter, hindering Mims' output. His four targets were the second-most on the team. This was a disappointing showing for the sophomore wideout as he began to enjoy a late-season breakout. Over the final five games, Mims averaged a strong 17.5 PPR points per game with 68.2 yards per game. Over the final two weeks of the regular season, Mims tallied four touchdowns and 77.0 yards per game. The Oklahoma product will look to find more consistency as he enters his third professional season.