Denver Broncos DVOA, Stats, & NFL Rankings

After catching four passes for 53 yards and his second touchdown of the season in the Week 6 loss to the division-rival Los Angeles Chargers, Denver Broncos wide receiver Courtland Sutton looked primed for another big week on Thursday night in primetime against the fading New Orleans Saints defense. That didn't end up being the case, as Sutton gave his fantasy managers a donut while not being targeted at all by rookie quarterback Bo Nix in the 33-10 blowout win. It was a very surprising performance by Denver's most targeted receiver, especially in a game in which Denver put up 30-plus points. Head coach Sean Payton explained at halftime that Sutton's lack of involvement was the product of the Saints D playing mostly zone coverage, forcing Nix to go elsewhere. It was a week-losing performance no doubt for Sutton's fantasy managers, but he should bounce back in Week 8 against the Panthers.

In just his third game this season, Denver Broncos tight end Lucas Krull was the team's second leading receiver in the 33-10 win over the hosting New Orleans Saints on Thursday Night Football. Krull caught three of his four targets for a season-high 41 receiving yards, which were second-most behind rookie wideout Troy Franklin's 50 receiving yards, in his third game in 2024. Meanwhile, fellow tight end Adam Trautman couldn't haul in any of his three targets on the night. It's becoming clear that Krull is the Broncos' preferred pass-catching TE over Trautman, Nate Adkins and Greg Dulcich, who was a healthy scratch yet again in Week 7. Coming into Thursday's game, Krull had only three catches on five targets for 16 yards and should remain on the waiver wire in the vast majority of fantasy leagues in Denver's low-volume passing attack.

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 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.