Game Info
Kickoff: Sunday, October 31st at 4:25 PM ET
Location: Empower Field at Mile High, Denver, CO
Betting Odds: WAS +3, 43.5 total via Oddsshark
Network: FOX
Washington Football Team
Quarterback
Taylor Heinicke (Sit, QB2)
Taylor Heinicke had another 20-point fantasy performance last week thanks to his 95 rushing yards. Of the six games he’s started, Heinicke has four games of 20+ fantasy points and two with less than 10. I still can’t trust him fully in one-quarterback leagues, but you could do worse in two-quarterback formats.
Running Backs
Antonio Gibson (Start, Low-end RB2), J.D. McKissic (Start, Flex)
Unfortunately, Antonio Gibson is not living up to expectations this year, and his lingering shin injury could be holding him back. Well, it’s either the injury or the coaching. Gibson is a talented back, but the way Washington forces him between tackles and struggles to get Antonio into open space is frustrating. Plus, the Football Team is bad and tends to fall behind quickly, further limiting Gibson’s chances. To make matters worse, J.D. McKissic’s presence continues to limit Gibson’s ceiling. McKissic out-snapped Gibson last week, but Antonio still had more carries. This game against a struggling Broncos defense is a crucial test for Gibson’s fantasy relevance. I’m going to be very concerned if he can’t produce RB2 numbers this week. McKissic’s share in the passing game should keep him Flex-worthy in PPR leagues.
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends
Terry McLaurin (Start, Low-end WR1), Adam Humphries (Sit), Ricky Seals-Jones (Start, Low-end TE1)
Terry McLaurin had an impressive game against the Packers last week and put up 25 fantasy points. His ridiculous volume in the passing game should keep him in the “must start” category going forward. McLaurin must face a capable Denver secondary this week, but it won’t be enough to take him out of WR1 territory. Terry was sidelined with an ankle injury on Wednesday, so fantasy managers need to monitor his status this week. Still, I think “Scary Terry” will do well on Halloween.
Adam Humphries is technically the WR2 for Washington with Curtis Samuel out, but he hasn’t done enough to warrant any fantasy relevance. Humphries is best left on the waiver wire.
With Logan Thomas sidelined, Ricky Seals-Jones has seen 22 targets in his last three games. That’s an encouraging workload for a tight end. Seals-Jones should have the opportunity for a low-end TE1 performance even though the Broncos have been quite good against tight ends this year.
Denver Broncos
Quarterback
Teddy Bridgewater (Sit, QB2)
Teddy Bridgewater is nursing multiple injuries and hasn’t scored more than 20 fantasy points since Week 2. I’m having trouble trusting Teddy even with a potential bounce-back game against a struggling Washington defense coming up. He’s still solidly in QB2 territory, even with the enticing match-up.
Running Backs
Javonte Williams (Start, High-end Flex), Melvin Gordon III (Start, High-end Flex)
I’ve ranked Javonte Williams and Melvin Gordon next to each other because the 50-50 split in Denver has left these backs with nearly identical value. They are seeing the same amount of touches each week, but Gordon is getting more carries while Williams is more involved in the passing game. Javonte seems like the better back (he out-gained Gordon on the ground with four fewer carries last week), but it looks like the Broncos want to stick with the split backfield. Williams’ role in the passing game makes him slightly more valuable in PPR leagues, but his upside will remain limited as long as Gordon is around. Still, both are start-able this week against a bad Washington defense.
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends
Courtland Sutton (Start, Low-end WR2), Jerry Jeudy (Start-able, Flex), Noah Fant (Start, Low-end TE1)
Courtland Sutton did well in weeks five and six but didn’t do much last week with a decreased target share. That’s a bit concerning, especially if Jerry Jeudy commands a significant target share in his first week back. On the other hand, the return of Jeudy could help Sutton’s game if it means defenses pay less attention to the latter. There are plenty of unknowns here, but I still like Sutton’s chances for a low-end WR2 performance against a Washington secondary that is allowing the most passing yards in the league.
Jerry Jeudy is expected to make his return after an ankle injury kept him out the last six weeks. Jeudy is likely the most valuable player on the Broncos, so Denver may feel like they need to ease him in so he doesn’t reaggravate his ankle. He should eventually be the focal point of this offense again, but I don’t think Jerry will see a crazy workload his first week back. Still, Jeudy is an incredibly talented receiver and the Washington defense is struggling. Jerry belongs in the Flex conversation this week.
Noah Fant has a reliable target share in Denver, but it seems like many of the passes that come his way are for short gains. Noah’s fantasy production has been up-and-down this year, scoring as many as 24.7 points and as few as 3.5. Jeudy’s return could limit Fant’s ceiling, but the talented tight end should still be ranked somewhere around low-end TE1 territory against a Washington defense that’s been so-so against fantasy tight ends this year and is giving up plenty of passing yards.
-Ryan Kruse (@ryanpkruse)