Game Info
Kickoff: Sunday, December 5th, 8:20 PM ET
Location: Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
Betting Odds: KC -10 , 47.5 Total on Vegas Insider
Network: NBC
Denver Broncos
Quarterback
Teddy Bridgewater (Sit, QB2)
With Teddy Bridgewater, you’re not going to get a high ceiling; he’s only finished as a QB1 three times this year. At the same time, he’s only finished lower than a QB2 one time. With Bridgewater, you know you’re getting a conservative quarterback for a run-oriented offense, which means mid-QB2 production. Is that a player you’re starting? Hopefully not, though Bridgewater is in position to air it out more at Kansas City this week.
Running Backs
Javonte Williams (Start, RB2), Melvin Gordon (Start, RB2)
This backfield split continues to be maddening. As a rookie, Javonte Williams ranks fifth in yards after contact/attempt, second in missed tackles forced, and is tied for 10th in yards/rush attempt (4.9). Yet, he continues to split the backfield with Melvin Gordon, who has also been productive this season with a 78.3 PFF rushing grade. Considering that it continued to be a 50/50 split between the two even after the bye week, where rookies generally see their snap rates increase, neither is a better start than the other. Luckily, with a run-heavy offense facing one of the league’s worst run defenses, you can start both of them! What a beautiful development!
Wide Receivers / Tight Ends
Jerry Jeudy (Start If You Must, WR3/FLEX), Courtland Sutton (Sit, WR4), Tim Patrick (Sit, Low-End WR4), Noah Fant (Sit, High-End TE2)
Denver recently signed Courtland Sutton and Tim Patrick to contract extensions, and have used first-round picks on Jerry Jeudy and Noah Fant. Nevertheless, you get the sense that this offense is really coming together for whoever the new quarterback is in 2022. Bridgewater’s conservativeness and the limited passing volume within this offense restricts these receivers’ ability to produce, with none seeing more than four targets last week. Right now, Jeudy is the only one that you can start, especially since Fant’s production is down since he’s been losing snaps to Albert Okwuegbunam. Still, I can’t wait to see what this offense looks like next year.
Kansas City Chiefs
Quarterbacks
Patrick Mahomes (Start, QB1)
Are you actually not going to start Patrick Mahomes after likely drafting him as the top quarterback in your fantasy draft? I didn’t think so. Hopefully, Mahomes can get back on track after the bye; he’s on pace for a career low in PFF passing grade (71.1), yards/pass attempt (7.1), and big-time throw rate (3%). Denver’s defense isn’t the easiest to do that again, but the talent is there for them to eventually “boom”. Will it be this game, though.
Running Backs
Clyde Edwards-Helaire (Start, Low-End RB2), Darrell Williams (Sit)
In his return from injury in Week 11, Clyde Edwards-Helaire played fewer snaps than Darrell Williams, but I expect that to change following the bye week, where Edwards-Helaire had a chance to get even healthier. The Chiefs have been targeting their running backs more to combat defenses playing more two-high shells against them. Will that lead to more production for Edwards-Helaire, or was that specifically designed for Williams? That’s the question we’ll get an answer to this week, and I’m betting it’s the former.
Wide Receivers / Tight Ends
Tyreek Hill (Start, WR1), Byron Pringle (Sit, WR6), Mecole Hardman (Sit, WR6), Travis Kelce (Start, TE1)
All of the Chiefs’ targets are condensed to two players: Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce. Both have produced up to expectations as elite fantasy assets, and you start them with ease every week. Unfortunately, Mecole Hardman’s breakout season isn’t coming. His snap rate has been decreasing significantly in recent weeks, and it was down to 18% in Week 11. Sigh. Hopefully, Kansas City finds a third option in the passing game they can trust eventually. Sadly, though, it doesn’t appear that they have that right now.
All Stats via Pro Football Focus