Denver Broncos News

Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (ankle) had his 2025 season come to an unfortunate end when he suffered a fractured ankle during his team's AFC Divisional Round win over the Buffalo Bills. However, Nix is expected to be fully ready to go for the start of the 2026 season. Across 17 games in 2025, the 26-year-old completed 63.4% of his pass attempts for 3,931 yards, 25 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. Nix also rushed for 356 yards and five touchdowns on 83 attempts. While Nix hasn't been particularly efficient (6.5 yards per pass attempt) through the first two years of his NFL career, the Broncos high-volume pass game and Nix's ability to impact the game with his legs allow him to maintain fantasy upside. If the return from ankle injury prevents Nix from being effective as a scrambler, his fantasy production could suffer. Nix's dynasty value is trending slightly downward as he enters his third season in the NFL.

Denver Broncos wide receiver Marvin Mims Jr. is coming off the worst statistical season of his young career, even with Denver throwing the ball at their highest rate since Sean Payton took over as head coach. After posting an average depth of target north of 15 yards as a rookie, the undersized speedster has been used puzzling close to the line of scrimmage in recent years, seeing nearly 40% of his targets behind the line of scrimmage in 2025. Denver sent away a first and third-round pick to add Jaylen Waddle to a receiving room that still features the reliable target-earner Courtland Sutton, as well as Troy Franklin and Pat Bryant, whose own skillsets share enough overlap with Mims to create a blockade to any sort of meaningful fantasy production. Mims has fallen to WR98 in RotoBaller's dynasty rankings, but as proven in the Broncos playoff loss to the Patriots, he works best as a downfield threat, so if he can capitalize on the occasional explosive play, he could still have his place in best ball formats.

Denver Broncos running back RJ Harvey ended his rookie season as fantasy's RB21 in half-PPR formats, assuming lead back responsibilities following a Week 10 foot injury to J.K. Dobbins and finishing as the RB6 over the final five weeks of the fantasy season. Unfortunately, much of that success came on the back of a generally unsustainable touchdown surge, with exactly half of his impressive 12 total touchdowns coming in that five-week span. When it comes to repeatable patterns, his efficiency metrics were far less inspiring. Running behind one of the best offensive lines in football, his yards over expectation per attempt ranked 48th in the league according to the NFL's Next Gen Stats, almost two full yards and 44 spots behind Dobbins. The Broncos re-signed Dobbins on what is essentially a one-year deal with a second-year option, which could be viewed as a small victory for Harvey managers in a strong running back free-agent class. However, with 10 weeks of existing data, in which Dobbins out-touched Harvey 164 to 75, expectations of a year-two breakout should remain tempered. Harvey does offer additional value as the primary pass-catching back in a Sean Payton offense, though with the Broncos spending big to acquire wide receiver Jaylen Waddle, the competition for targets will be stiffer in 2026, following a 2025 season in which Denver's 58.8% passing rate already represented a six-season high in Payton's historically run-heavy offense.

Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton said that re-signing running back J.K. Dobbins "was a priority ahead of all others," according to Zac Stevens of DNVR Sports. It was very intriguing to hear Payton go out of his way and identify Dobbins specifically. This could be a sign that he'll continue to have a large workload in 2026, even with RJ Harvey trending up ahead of his second season in the NFL. In his first season with Denver last year, Dobbins played in 10 games, tallying 772 rushing yards and four touchdowns. He ranked as the overall RB18 in half-PPR leagues before being shut down ahead of Week 11 due to a foot injury. The Broncos recently confirmed that Dobbins has fully recovered from the ailment and could have even played in the Super Bowl if Denver had qualified. Fantasy managers should prepare for the possibility of Dobbins and Harvey splitting touches next season. A shared backfield is never ideal for fantasy football, but we could still see both backs maintain fantasy relevance, given the productivity and anticipated success of Denver's offense.

Broncos tight end Evan Engram signed with Denver in 2025 following an injury-hampered final season in Jacksonville, and while he was able to appear in 16 games, his 28.8 yards per contest were the second-lowest total of his nine-year career. The Broncos got flashes out of their young receiving core of Troy Franklin, Pat Bryant, and Marvin Mims Jr., and the team recently paid up to pair explosive playmaker Jaylen Waddle with the steady target-earner Courtland Sutton. All of that amounts to a crowded group of pass catchers before even factoring in the 83 Denver targets that went to running backs in 2025. Head coach Sean Payton has made no secret that he wants to add a level of dynamism to the tight end position, and with the 2026 NFL Draft offering a deep class with varied skillsets, he will likely be on the hunt to fill the fabled Joker role he's struggled to implement since coming to Denver. Engram is RotoBaller's TE35 in dynasty rankings, and should the Broncos spend early capital at the position, it could mark the official end of what was at times an exciting fantasy career.

Denver Broncos wide receiver Pat Bryant is no longer a top candidate to enjoy a Year 2 breakout. The second season in the league is a common time for receivers to take a major leap, and it seemed like Bryant was heading in the right direction after the 2025 campaign. After all, he had cemented himself as the Broncos' No. 3 receiver and averaged 5.3 targets over his final five games. However, his role suddenly changed when the Broncos surprisingly traded for Jaylen Waddle out of nowhere. Denver now has Waddle and Courtland Sutton atop its depth chart, and Troy Franklin has a clear advantage over Bryant for the No. 3 receiver role. At this point, it seems like the Year 2 breakout is on hold for Bryant. He is a talented player, but his path to consistent fantasy production is nearly nonexistent as long as Waddle, Sutton, and Troy Franklin are healthy.

Denver Broncos wide receiver Troy Franklin enjoyed a second-year breakout as the overall WR31 in PPR leagues last season. It seemed like he was trending up and due for an even stronger showing in 2026, but then, the Broncos went out and traded for Jaylen Waddle. That acquisition offers a major shakeup in Denver, establishing Courtland Sutton and Waddle as the undisputed top two receivers on the team. As a result, Franklin will fall to the No. 3 role. Not only is he no longer a lock to consistently start games, but he's also due for a step backward in fantasy football. His 2025 finish as the WR31 could end up being the peak of the early portion of his career, as Franklin will have trouble being a top-36 fantasy receiver if both Sutton and Waddle are healthy. It'll be tough to sell high on the 23-year-old, so he's merely a hold in most leagues for now.

Since the Denver Broncos traded for wide receiver Jaylen Waddle in mid-March, Courtland Sutton has seen his consensus dynasty ranking drop by almost 10 spots at the position, moving him well outside the first 10 rounds in dynasty startups. While Waddle does bring an electric element to a Broncos team that fell one game short of reaching the Super Bowl, he has not topped a 22% target share since his record-breaking rookie campaign in 2021, and he has never been a true red zone threat, which is historically where Sutton has done the bulk of his damage from a fantasy perspective. Adjustments will obviously be made to Denver's passing offense, but after two consecutive top-13 fantasy finishes, Sutton should still see enough of a role to make him a regular contributor for contending dynasty managers hunting for bargains.

Denver Broncos general manager George Paton described running back J.K. Dobbins (left foot) as fully healthy, according to Chris Tomasson of The Denver Gazette. Paton added that Dobbins, who was placed on injured reserve after Week 10, could have returned for the Super Bowl, if Denver had qualified. He also explained that the veteran running back's positive presence in the locker room is a main reason why the team prioritized re-signing him this offseason. Dobbins was limited to 10 games last year, but he was productive when healthy. He finished the season with 772 rushing yards, 37 receiving yards, and four touchdowns. Moving forward, Dobbins no longer has fringe top-24 appeal at the running back position in fantasy football. His fall down the rankings can be attributed to RJ Harvey, the rookie who took over as Denver's lead running back after Dobbins went down. As the Broncos look to stay young and fresh on offense, we expect to see Harvey lead the backfield going forward. We still expect Dobbins to have a role, especially on short-yardage and goal-line work, but he's more of a boom-or-bust RB3/flex now. Managers should also take note of his injury history, as he has missed 53 games over the last five years.

Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton said that new wide receiver Jaylen Waddle will play both the slot and on the outside in his first year with the team in 2026, according to Luca Evans of The Denver Post. Payton also said the Broncos will have "speed packages" for him. The Broncos acquired Waddle in a trade from the Miami Dolphins in March in exchange for three draft picks, including Denver's first-rounder next month. With the move to the Mile High City, the 27-year-old's fantasy stock should improve in a pass-happy offense under quarterback Bo Nix. Courtland Sutton will still demand plenty of targets, but Waddle may lead the Broncos in receiving in 2026, especially given Nix's strength as a short and intermediate passer over the middle. Using Waddle all over the field is even better news for his fantasy managers in dynasty/keeper formats. The Broncos didn't trade for him to not use him. The former sixth overall pick in 2021 by Miami out of Alabama began his NFL career with three straight 1,000-yard seasons. Waddle has fallen short of that mark the last two years, but if he stays healthy in Denver, he should have a great shot of totaling 1,000 receiving yards yet again.

Denver Broncos Owner and CEO Greg Penner said that quarterback Bo Nix (ankle) is "ahead of schedule" and "doing very well" in his recovery from ankle surgery, per Zac Stevens of DNVR. Nix suffered a fractured ankle in Denver's AFC Divisional round win over the Buffalo Bills that ended his 2025 postseason run prematurely. However, it sounds as though the 26-year-old is on track to be a full participant with the team throughout the summer. Across 17 games in 2025, Nix completed 63.4% of his pass attempts for 3,931 yards, 25 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. His ability to impact games with his legs is a big part of his fantasy appeal, as he's rushed for 786 yards and nine touchdowns on 175 attempts through his first two NFL seasons. Nix also got some additional pass-catching help this offseason when Denver traded for former Miami Dolphins wideout Jaylen Waddle. As long as he continues to progress well with his recovery, Nix profiles as a borderline fantasy QB1 heading into 2026.

Running back J.K. Dobbins (foot) recently agreed to a two-year, $16 million deal to return to a Denver Broncos team that he led in rushing in 2025 despite missing the final seven games of the season. Denver had made upgrading the position a public priority before essentially returning the same unit from last year. With the Broncos picking comfortably outside of the range to add an impact rookie like Jeremiyah Love, the team looks to be heading into 2026 with Dobbins, RJ Harvey, and Jaleel McLaughlin again topping the depth chart. Dobbins was easily the most effective runner of that group in 2025, averaging nearly a yard and a half more per carry than Harvey, and pacing toward 1,300 rushing yards before his Week 10 foot injury. Denver returns all five starters from an offensive line that has regularly been considered among the best in the league, and they made a splash by trading for former Dolphins receiver Jaylen Waddle, a move that should elevate the entire offense.

There is a new pecking order among Denver Broncos wide receivers after the team acquired Jaylen Waddle from the Miami Dolphins last week for three draft picks. Waddle could end up being the Broncos' WR1, ahead of Courtland Sutton, and his presence will definitely make playing time and targets hard to come by for Marvin Mims Jr. The Athletic's Nick Kosmider writes that the Broncos "aren't in any hurry to make a trade to thin the room," though, which includes Sutton, Troy Franklin, Pat Bryant, and Mims. Injuries thinned the team's WR room late last year, so they "want to be more equipped for those potential setbacks." Although Waddle and Mims may have similar skill sets and roles on offense, Mims' ability to run the football out of the backfield, be a Pro Bowl return man on special teams, and operate as a big-play threat on offense "makes him a different weapon" than Waddle. Teams could be calling about a player like Mims, but Kosmider doesn't think a team with Super Bowl aspirations will pull the trigger. In dynasty and redraft leagues, Mims' stock will take a notable hit if he stays in Denver, however.

Most fantasy managers were not thrilled about Denver Broncos running back RJ Harvey's fantasy value going into 2026 when the Broncos re-signed J.K. Dobbins. But Harvey will continue to factor into Denver's offense, and the coaching staff thinks he's "ready for a Year 2 jump," according to Nick Kosmider of The Athletic. Harvey wasn't exactly efficient on a per-carry basis in his rookie campaign, averaging 3.7 yards per carry on 146 rushing attempts in 17 regular-season games. He ranked 29th out of 32 RBs with at least 75 attempts with a 3.4 yard-per-carry average after Dobbins went down with a season-ending foot injury. Despite his limitations, Harvey had 540 rushing yards, 47 catches, 356 receiving yards, and 12 total touchdowns (seven rushing). While Dobbins' return limits the 25-year-old's fantasy upside, Harvey still has a pretty bright future in terms of his dynasty/keeper outlook. Dobbins has been incredibly injury-prone in his career, too, so it might not be long before Harvey is again Denver's RB1.

The Denver Broncos restructured wide receiver Jaylen Waddle's contract on Tuesday to convert $15.416 million of an option bonus into a signing bonus for salary cap purposes, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Sports. Waddle's new salary is at $1.215 million. The move frees up $7.961 million in cap space for this season. The Broncos might not be done yet after making a big move recently to acquire Waddle from the Dolphins in exchange for three draft picks, including their first-rounder next month. The 27-year-old former sixth overall pick by Miami in the 2021 draft out of Alabama immediately is a boost to Denver's passing attack, and he could lead the team in targets and production in 2026 as one of quarterback Bo Nix's favorite targets over the short and middle areas of the field. Waddle produced 1,000-yard seasons in his first three years in the NFL and could get back to that mark if he stays healthy in his first year in Denver.

Denver Broncos wide receiver Evan Engram was already coming off a very frustrating 2025 season, and now, he could face even greater competition for targets in 2026. The Broncos made a stunning offseason trade to acquire Jaylen Waddle, giving Bo Nix a star-studded pass-catching unit that includes Waddle, Courtland Sutton, Troy Franklin, Pat Bryant, and Engram. While Engram is the outlier on that list as the lone tight end, that doesn't mean he's guaranteed to have a substantial role. As the Broncos' No. 1 tight end in 2025, he was held to just 50 catches, 461 yards, and one touchdown. He finished as the overall TE29 in PPR leagues despite playing 16 games. Unless the Broncos plan to overhaul their offensive scheme this offseason, it seems unlikely that Engram will be due for increased production next year. In fact, his pass-catching volume could be scaled back even further as Waddle joins the mix and Franklin and Bryant both ascend into larger roles. Engram might have a little name value that could get you a late-round draft pick in a trade, but otherwise, it'll be tough to find any takers for him in dynasty leagues this offseason.

Broncos wide receiver Pat Bryant saw his snap count and target share spike down the stretch of his 2025 rookie season, and although he exited both of Denver's playoff games due to injury, he was a clear and early focal point of both game plans. Heading into his sophomore season, he had been pegged as a popular breakout candidate, but following the Broncos' trade for former first-round pick Jaylen Waddle on Tuesday, he may be trending toward a depth role in 2026. Including Bryant, the Broncos now have seven players on the roster who saw at least 45 targets in 2025 and none who topped 120, making it a difficult offensive environment to stand out in and one that could look drastically different from week to week, depending on game plan and opponent.

Denver Broncos wide receiver Troy Franklin finished his second season behind only Courtland Sutton in terms of team targets, receptions, yards, and touchdowns, though he spent the final stretch of the season in a competition with rookie Pat Bryant for playing time and opportunities. With most of the raw statistics suggesting Bryant had overtaken him on the pecking order by the time the playoffs arrived, he was already in for a fight come the 2026 season. With the Broncos' addition of Jaylen Waddle via trade, Franklin could now see himself relegated to more of a situational role. At best, he will be competing with Bryant and Marvin Mims Jr., both capable downfield threats, for the primary work in three-receiver sets.

Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix targeted six different players at least 45 times in 2025, all of whom are still on the roster, and with the team's recent acquisition of Jaylen Waddle from the Dolphins, he will add one more weapon in 2026. Waddle joins a receiver room with Courtland Sutton, Troy Franklin, Marvin Mims Jr., and Pat Bryant, giving the third-year signal-caller one of the more versatile groups of pass-catchers in the league, before even factoring in tight end Evan Engram or running back RJ Harvey. With Denver adding an explosive playmaker like Waddle to practically the exact offense that Nix led to the AFC Championship game in his second year as a starter, the pieces are in place for him to take a massive leap forward in Year 3.

Denver Broncos wide receiver Courtland Sutton has finished the past two seasons with nearly identical stat lines, but he's arrived there in drastically different ways. In Bo Nix's 2024 rookie season, Sutton more than doubled the next closest teammate in targets. As Nix's passing volume increased in 2025, so too did his diversity of targets, and Sutton earned a share only 3% higher than that of Troy Franklin. With the Broncos trading for former first-round pick Jaylen Waddle, Nix will presumably have a new number one option, and Sutton will be next up in a competitive room that still features Franklin, Marvin Mims Jr., and Pat Bryant, as well as tight end Evan Engram and pass-catching back RJ Harvey. Sutton turns 31 in October, and while he will still be featured prominently in Sean Payton's pass-heavy offense, he faces his stiffest competition for targets since Denver spent a first-round pick on Jerry Jeudy.