Game Info
Kickoff: Sunday, September 19th at 1:00 PM ET
Location: TIAA Bank Feild, Jacksonville, Florida
Betting Odds: JAC +6, 45.5 total via Oddsshark
Network: CBS
Denver Broncos
Quarterback
Teddy Bridgewater (Sit)
Teddy Bridgewater came out in week 1 and put those who thought Drew Lock should be starting to bed. Not only did he win the game but he threw for 264 yards and two touchdowns and NO interceptions. That being said it was against a lackluster Giants defense and that can not be said about the Jacksonville Jaguars in week 2. The loss of Jerry Jeudy will hurt Bridgewater’s production. He lacks the big-play ability and the Broncos will rely on the running game more. If they get behind I could see Bridgewater repeating his stat line from week 1 but I don’t see it going up much from there. I think he is at his ceiling for fantasy.
Running Backs
Melvin Gordon (Start, RB2), Javonte Williams (Start, Flex)
I know what you will say. 70 out of Melvin Gordon‘s 101 yards were on one play. Yes, that is true. It is true that Javonte Williams out carried him 14 to 11. What you aren’t bringing up is the passing game work. Gordon got 3 targets to Williams 1. It’s not earth-shattering targets but its touches and opportunity. With the loss of Jeudy and being on the road, the Broncos will need to run the ball and Gordon has proved he can carry the load. Let us also take into account that if you take away the one rush for 70 yards, Gordon would have a stat line very similar to Williams. 10 rushes for 31 yards. that’s a 3.1 yards per carry average compared to Williams’s 3.2. Both will get their work in this week and both should be in your lineup. I think Gordon did enough to keep his starting role.
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends
Courtland Sutton (Start, WR2), KJ Hamler (Sit, Flex), Tim Patrick (Sit, Flex), Noah Fant (Start), Albert Okwuegbunam (Start, Flex)
An ankle injury takes away Jerry Jeudy which hurts the team but actually helps in fantasy (unless you drafted Jeudy, in which case, sorry). Noah Fant was already the target hog in week 1 and should be able to hang onto that role. The 7 targets that Jeudy had will get spread around and I expect Courtland Sutton to absorb a majority of them. He is a talented wide receiver coming back from a major injury last season. If he can get his targets up from 3 to the 5-6 range he should be able to convert that into a good fantasy day. After Sutton, there is KJ Hamler and Tim Patrick. I think both are stash candidates. It’s hard to say who will be the big winner from the Jeudy injury so I wouldn’t start them unless you don’t have other options. I can see them as flex plays in deeper leagues. Albert Okwuegbunam is a great stash or dynasty asset. He showed great chemistry with Drew Lock last year and could see a ton of targets if there is another injury.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Quarterback
Trevor Lawrence (Sit. QB2)
I said last week that we couldn’t start him till you knew what he was going to be in the NFL. We saw a good but not great quarterback in week 1. He had 51 passing attempts which don’t look likley to replicate itself in week 2. He threw for 3 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. Those numbers are good, then bad. If you can stand the interceptions that will come for Trevor Lawrence while he adjusts, he isn’t a horrible start for fantasy purposes. I’m still not starting him this week against a tough defense. The Broncos came into the season as one of the top-rated secondaries in the NFL. They combine that with a good pass rush that will frustrate Lawrence.
Running backs
James Robinson (Start, RB2), Carlos Hyde (Sit, Flex)
Everyone was shocked by the usage of Carlos Hyde over James Robinson in week 1. There was very little rushing from the Jaguars in general. Hyde saw 9 carries and Robinson got 5. I expect things to change this week. There is no way the Jaguars want Lawrence passing 51 times every week. I expect Robinson to get 15 carries this week and Hyde to see under 10. The issue is the Bronco’s defense. They just held Saquon Barkley to 26 hards. I still think Robinson will get enough work and yards to be fantasy-relevant. You are hoping for a touchdown for Robinson and Hyde. What was shocking with both backs was the receiving work. Hyde, who is known for his receiving skills only got 2 targets and Robinson got 6. Another sign that Robinson will have the opportunities to make him fantasy relevant.
Wide Receivers/ Tight Ends
D.J. Chark (Start, WR2), Laviska Shenault (Start, Flex), Marvin Jones (Sit, Flex), Chris Manhertz (Sit), James O’Shaughnessy (Start)
The stat lines for the Jaguars wide receivers and tight ends look good coming out of week 1. This came off 51 passing attempts. Most people expect that number to come down to a more realistic number. D.J. Chark led the team with 12 targets and he should continue to lead the team. He was the first look for Lawrence and found the end zone. He should continue that trend in week 2. Laviska Shenault led the team in receptions and got more high-quality targets. He lacked the long bomb catches but was consistent with his catches. He is a flex play against a tough defense but should be somewhat of a safety blanket for Lawrence given his size. Marvin Jones got a touchdown and a ton of targets (9) but I don’t see that repeating in a game where the defense will be shutting down the Jaguars. James O’Shaughnessy was also a big benefactor of the massive passing attempts in week 1. He lost a touchdown to Chris Manhertz but that’s an exception, not a rule. O’Shaughnessy will be the other security for Lawrence who will be under pressure. In the world of meh tight ends O’Shaughnessy can be a good start.
– Dustin Ludke (Dunit13dl on Reddit)