2020 Dynasty Capsule: Denver Broncos

Levi Chappell

Every year we give our premium content members a team-by-team, player-by-player look at the NFL season that was. The coverage will be in-depth, but because the Dynasty Capsule series begins immediately after the season, we won’t use it to discuss free agency or the draft. Come see us in early May once Mr. Irrelevant is off the board for another 32-article series giving you the same detailed discussion you’ll see below.

Buckle up dynasty fans, because you’re about to be reminded why our motto is, “There is no off-season.”

Can the young Broncos offense take a step forward in 2020?

QUARTERBACK

Drew Lock (ADP 184.50, QB23)

Age: 23

Lock took over in week 13 against the Chargers after Joe Flacco and Brandon Allen had been benched. It felt like the Broncos were trying to protect Lock by keeping him on the sidelines as long as possible. After watching Allen stumble to a 1-2 record as a starter while throwing lame ducks all around the field and possessing zero command of the offense, the Broncos were essentially forced to put in the young gun.

For the most part, I liked what I saw from Lock over that 4-5 game span. He showed good pocket presence, fantastic arm strength, and was able to throw open his receivers on occasion. But rookie tendencies did rear their head at times. He also forced passes in tight windows, and locked onto his main option quite often (Courtland Sutton owners weren’t complaining).

He averaged 16.2 fantasy points per game, while throwing for 204 yards per game on 65% passing with seven TDs to three INTs over that span. Those numbers won’t blow you away, but are solid for a rookie at the end of a season. He showed command of the offense, does not lack confidence, and is dripping with his own type of swagger. If you doubt me, check out this clip:

https://twitter.com/Broncos/status/1226657029541879808

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I expect Lock to take a significant leap forward in 2020, but anticipate growing pains along the way. Many core pieces of the Broncos offense are young and still developing. It is an exciting time to be a Broncos fan.

Joe Flacco (ADP 231.75, QB42)

Age: 35

Flacco got benched about halfway through the season. I think his days of finding a starting gig are up. The problem: he is now on one of the worst contracts in the NFL. He is scheduled to receive a $24 million cap hit this year . . . to hold a clipboard. He is also under contract in 2021 for $27 million, but the dead cap for 2021 is just over $10 million, so the Broncos may be able to bite the bullet and cut him in another year.

Regardless of what happens to Flacco, he is a backup for the rest of his career and should stay on the waiver wire in almost every format.

RUNNINGBACK

Phillip Lindsay (ADP 81.33, RB25)

Age: 25

Lindsay flew under the radar in 2019, but ended up posting a really solid year. Even more promising: the 5’8” 190 pound back stayed healthy the entire season. He finished the season as RB19 with a stat line of 224-1,207-7.

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Lindsay is one of those players I have a hard time getting excited about. I feel like he doesn’t do anything great, but also doesn’t have any areas where he lacks sufficient talent. I will always be scared to own an undersized ball carrier that gets early down work, simply due to history. But through two years, he’s proven that he can carry the load.

One of his downsides is that he does not receive a lot of passing down work. Royce Freeman takes a lot of the third down work that could push him into RB1 status.

His ADP puts him in the range of “veteran players” who all have some sort of question mark. TY Hilton and Chris Carson are directly in front of him, while Lindsay sits just in front of Kareem Hunt and Brandin Cooks. He is still young, and doesn’t have a lot of wear and tear on his body yet, but will he be able to hold up? Only time will tell.

Royce Freeman (ADP 139.50, RB42)

Age: 24

I really liked Freeman coming out of college. He had the entire tool set to be successful, but for one reason or another he just hasn’t hit his stride. By no means has he been bad, but he hasn’t shown us the Rolls Royce that we were accustomed to seeing in a Ducks uniform.

I thought he would eventually take over the majority of work from Lindsay. At this point, though, we can assume that he will be relegated to playing the part of Robin to Lindsay’s Batman.

Freeman’s ADP has him around players like Marvin Jones, Jonnu Smith, and Justice Hill. I think he is a must-own dynasty handcuff for Lindsay owners simply because of what history tells us about smaller RBs. If Lindsay ever gets hurt Freeman could showcase his skill set, but as of now Freeman resides as a backup with minimal value.

Devontae Booker (ADP 221.75, RB94)

Age: 27

Booker’s only real value comes from him being an unrestricted free agent this off-season. With a deep running back class coming in, I wouldn’t expect much. If you are in a very deep league and have some roster space, a team may want to utilize Booker’s pass-catching ability.

WIDE RECEIVER

Courtland Sutton (ADP 24.67, WR17)

Age: 24

Sutton’s value skyrocketed over the 2019 season. Before the season started, his ADP sat around 72 overall. He can now be found at 24.

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While he had a breakout campaign as a sophomore, I see him climbing even higher after 2020, much like Chris Godwin did. It wouldn’t surprise me at all if he ended up creeping into the WR 9-12 range by year end.

Sutton finished the season with 72 catches on 124 targets, 1,112 yards, and six touchdowns, while being stuck with Joe “past my prime by seven years” Flacco, and Brandon “squirt gun” Allen for three-fourths of the season. With Lock behind center, I expect his value to rise and their chemistry to grow.

If you are looking to trade him (or trade for him), DLF’s Trade Analyzer is a fantastic resource. Here are some recent trades that have gone down:

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DaeSean Hamilton (ADP 219, WR79)

Age: 24

Many owners have held onto Hamilton for a couple of years, hoping that he would pan out. The verdict is still out on him, but 2020 should afford him a prime opportunity to make an impact. Emmanuel Sanders is gone, and although the Broncos may sign a free agent or draft a receiver, he should have an opportunity for playing time. There is value to be had with how cheap he is. He’s worth a deep stash on a dynasty roster.

Tim Patrick (ADP 240.33, WR90)

Age: 26

Patrick surprised some people at the end of 2018 when the Broncos receiving group was decimated with injuries. Over the 2019 off-season, I held onto him in a league, hoping he could take hold of the WR3 job. It did not come to fruition.

He is a restricted free agent and will most likely end up back on the Broncos unless a team signs him to a larger contract. He is a depth receiver at best.

Juwann Winfree (ADP 239.50)

Age: 23

Selected by the Broncos in the sixth round of the 2019 NFL draft, Winfree has good size at 6’3” and 215 pounds. He possesses a solid athletic profile. Besides Sutton, the Broncos depth chart is pretty open. He’s worth a stash in deep leagues.

TIGHT END

Noah Fant (ADP 80.33, TE8)

Age: 22

Fant was a very exciting prospect coming out of Iowa. The Broncos liked him enough to take him in the first round, and he had a very solid rookie campaign. He finished the year with 40 catches for 562 yards and 3 TDs – good enough for a finish of TE16 on the year.

Rookie TEs rarely make an impact, but Fant showed enough in his first year to believe that he will be a very good/elite TE moving forward. I personally have him as my TE11 and in tier three.

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I expect Lock to develop chemistry with Sutton and Fant over the off-season, and to rely on them heavily moving forward. I think a stat line of 65 catches for 850 yards and 6 TDs would be reasonable for the second year tight end. That would have finished as the TE5 for the 2019 season.

The Broncos are moving forward with their core group of Lock, Lindsay, Freeman, Sutton and Fant on the offense. There will certainly be some growing pains considering how young they are. It should also be an exciting offense to watch, and hopefully the development of Lock benefits all other skill positions.

If you have any questions about this article, or any fantasy football questions in general, check me out on twitter @LeviChappell or comment below.

levi chappell