Denver Broncos DVOA, Stats, & NFL Rankings

Denver Broncos running back Tyler Badie surprisingly led the team's backfield with 70 rushing yards in Sunday's 26-7 victory at Raymond James Stadium in Week 3. Badie was tied with rookie quarterback Bo Nix on the day with nine carries and had a healthy 7.78 yards per carry, thanks to a 43-yard pickup. The 24-year-old saw most of his work in the second half of this contest after coming into the Week 3 game with just two touches for 18 yards through the first two weeks. We're not quite ready to say that fantasy managers needing help at the RB position should try to pick Badie up off the waiver wire next week, but if both Javonte Williams and Jaleel McLaughlin continue to be inefficient behind Nix, the Broncos coaching staff could give Badie even more chances moving forward. The former sixth-rounder is currently rostered in 0% of Yahoo leagues.

While it was by no means an excellent performance, Denver Broncos rookie quarterback Bo Nix had the best game of his young career in the 26-7 victory on the road against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium on Sunday to pick up the first win of his career. Nix went 25-for-36 through the air for 216 yards while tying for the team lead with nine carries for 47 yards and a touchdown on the ground. He was able to avoid turning the ball over for the first time this year and looked much more comfortable throwing the ball into tight windows. Nix's rushing TD was his second of the year, but he has still yet to throw a touchdown pass through three games. The 24-year-old took a notable step forward in Week 3 and has shown his upside with his feet, but he still has a ways to go in his development and will be no better than a shaky low-end QB2 for a Week 4 date against a tough New York Jets defense.

In addition to New Orleans Saints tight end Taysom Hill (chest), the team ruled out wide receiver A.T. Perry (illness) for the Week 3 contest on Sunday against the visiting Philadelphia Eagles. Perry came into this one listed as questionable but was a full participant on Friday after popping up on the Week 3 injury report on Thursday. It appears the Saints weren't comfortable enough with the 24-year-old being active this weekend, but Perry should be feeling good enough to return in Week 4 to face the division-rival Atlanta Falcons. The sixth-round pick last year has yet to draw a single target through the first two weeks of the 2024 season and remains well off the fantasy radar for now. With Perry sidelined, Cedrick Wilson Jr. should have an enhanced role in the Saints offense on Sunday behind Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed.

Denver Broncos wide receiver Devaughn Vele (rib) is officially inactive for Week 3 versus the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Vele was removed from the injury report Friday, so it's unclear whether he's inactive due to injury or coach's decision. Mike Klis of 9News provides some context on the situation, writing in a post to X, "He's healthy but didn't get many reps. Should be good next week at Jets." It seems as though Vele didn't get involved enough in practice, so the Broncos are holding him out for one more week. The rookie caught all eight of his targets for 39 yards back in Week 1, which made him an appealing waiver wire option heading into Week 2. He hasn't played since then, and fantasy managers are eager for him to return against New York next week.

Denver Broncos kicker Wil Lutz should be on the waiver wire in all fantasy leagues, let alone anywhere near a starting lineup for Week 3 action. Through the first two weeks of the 2024 season, Lutz ranks as the No. 21 fantasy kicker despite being perfect on all of his kicks. He has made all five of his field-goal opportunities and is only extra-point attempt. The 30-year-old has been pretty reliable in his eight years in the NFL with an 85.5% success rate on his field-goal tries, but the problem is that Denver's offense is one of the worst in the league in the early going. They are averaging just 263 yards of total offense and 13 points a game with rookie quarterback Bo Nix under center. It's still early, so Nix and the Broncos' offense could improve as the season wears on, but based on what we've seen through the first two weeks, they just aren't giving Lutz enough tries to make him fantasy relevant.