Las Vegas Raiders @ Denver Broncos
Final Score: Broncos 10 , Raiders 7
Writer: Steven Pintado (@coachstevenp)
If you were hoping Week 10 of fantasy football would start off with a bang, you were probably left disappointed. In what was easily one of the worst Thursday Night Football games of the year, the Broncos managed to capture an ugly win over the Raiders. Las Vegas actually struck first on an Ashton Jeanty touchdown, but things went downhill from there. Turnovers and the Broncos’ defense/special teams dominance completely flipped the momentum, and the Raiders’ offense never found its footing outside of a few scattered drives. Denver didn’t look much better early on — they didn’t even record their first first down until midway through the second quarter. Bo Nix spent most of the night under heavy pressure, and the offensive game plan looked disjointed and uninspired.
If you missed this one, don’t worry — you really didn’t miss much.
Two Up
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Troy Franklin – Franklin was the most productive and heavily targeted receiver among all pass catchers in this game. He is establishing himself as the WR1 in the passing game.
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Tyler Lockett – Lockett was Geno Smith’s go-to receiver, particularly on key third-down situations. His consistent chemistry and reliability may keep him locked in as the team’s WR2 for the rest of the season.
Four Down
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Tre Tucker – Not entirely his fault, but the lack of targets was the main issue. Many expected Tucker’s workload to increase following Jakobi Meyers’ release, yet that bump in target share never materialized.
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Courtland Sutton – Sutton appears to be losing his grip on the WR1 role in this offense. He saw just four targets in a game where Denver was trailing for much of the night — a concerning sign for his rest-of-season outlook.
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Both Offensive Lines – Tough night for both units. Quarterbacks were under duress constantly as the Broncos recorded six sacks and battered Geno Smith, while the Raiders generated steady pressure that kept Bo Nix uncomfortable throughout the game.
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Don’t’e Thornton Jr. – Needed to take advantage of Meyers’ departure but had a costly dropped deep ball that could’ve gone for a big gain with plenty of separation from the defender.
Las Vegas Raiders
Quarterback
Geno Smith: 16/26, 143 Yards, INT | 3 Carries, 7 Yards
t was a night Geno Smith will want to forget. The veteran quarterback had little to no protection behind this struggling Raiders offensive line, getting sacked six times and constantly forced out of the pocket. With relentless pressure in his face, Smith was forced into quick, short throws for most of the game, never finding a rhythm downfield.
His lone interception wasn’t entirely on him — it came when Ashton Jeanty failed to secure a short pass, which deflected off a defender’s hand and into another’s for the turnover. Smith also had a touchdown nullified by a pass interference penalty, further adding to a frustrating night.
To make matters worse, Smith suffered a quad injury early in the fourth quarter after taking a low hit on a tackle and having a defender fall on him late. We’ll need to monitor his status closely, as a significant injury would likely lead to Kenny Pickett taking over next week.
Kenny Pickett: 0/1
Running Back
Ashton Jeanty: 19 Carries, 60 Yards, TD | 5 Targets, 3 Receptions, 3 Yards
The rookie running back operated as a true volume play against the Broncos. While Ashton Jeanty didn’t find much success on the ground — his longest official run went for just 10 yards — he did have a 32-yard gain wiped out by a holding penalty. His involvement in the passing game was limited despite seeing five targets, as most of them came on short check-downs.
Jeanty scored the Raiders’ only touchdown of the game on a short rushing attempt, salvaging what would’ve otherwise been a quiet fantasy night. His lone major mistake came on a dropped short pass that was tipped and intercepted, a costly turnover. Even with his inefficiency, Jeanty’s volume and goal-line role keep him firmly in play as a fantasy flex option moving forward.
Raheem Mostert: 1 Carry, 4 Yards | 1 Target, 1 Reception, 11 Yards
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Brock Bowers: 3 Targets, 1 Reception, 31 Yards | 1 Carry, -4 Yards
Coming off his blow-up return game last week, Brock Bowers completely disappeared in this one. He saw just three targets, all coming in the first half, and failed to record a single target or touch after halftime. The Raiders clearly game-planned to take him out of the offense, using double teams at times to limit his impact.
His lone reception did go for the Raiders’ biggest offensive play of the night, as he found himself wide open downfield for a nice gain. Better days should be ahead for Bowers, but games like this will happen when facing a tough defense paired with shaky quarterback play.
Tre Tucker: 3 Targets, 2 Receptions, 28 Yards | 1 Carry, 7 Yards
The supposed new WR1 in the Raiders’ offense was a major disappointment in this one. Tre Tucker finished with just four total touches and three targets, ranking fourth on the team in opportunities. While the box score looks bleak, he did have a 30-yard touchdown wiped out by a penalty that would’ve made his stat line far more respectable.
It wasn’t entirely Tucker’s fault — Geno Smith rarely had enough time to throw, and the Raiders’ game plan didn’t do much to scheme touches for Tucker’s speed or get him involved in space, even while trailing for much of the game. Outside of his early-season blow-up performance, Tucker has looked like an unreliable fantasy option in this offense moving forward.
Tyler Lockett: 6 Targets, 5 Receptions, 44 Yards
The not-so-surprising receiver to step up following the departure of Jakobi Meyers was the veteran himself, Tyler Lockett. He reminded everyone he can still play at a high level, leading the team with six targets and serving as Geno Smith’s reliable short-area and third-down option throughout the game. Smith consistently looked Lockett’s way for quick 4–6 yard completions to keep drives alive.
We’ll have to monitor Smith’s injury status moving forward, as any missed time could affect Lockett’s outlook. Still, their long-established chemistry remains one of the most stable elements in this Seahawks passing attack.
Dont’e Thornton: 2 Targets, 1 Reception, 4 Yards
Dont’e Thornton saw plenty of playing time in this matchup but failed to make a meaningful impact. He had a chance to flash on a deep route where he created solid separation, but he dropped a perfectly placed ball from Geno Smith. Until he proves he can capitalize on those opportunities, he remains difficult to trust. Thornton also had a penalty for pass interference that would call back a touchdown.
Michael Mayer: 4 Targets, 3 Receptions, 22 Yards
The backup tight end Michael Mayer was surprisingly involved early in this matchup, as the Raiders leaned heavily on 12 personnel sets. Mayer benefited from the extra tight end usage, seeing increased snaps and a few short-area targets in the first half. However, his involvement faded after halftime, as he failed to record a catch in the second half.
If the Raiders continue featuring 12 personnel more often, Mayer could emerge as a deep-league streaming option, especially in matchups that favor short-to-intermediate passing.
Jack Bech: 1 Target
Currently buried on the depth chart. Committed a holding penalty miles from the play on a rush that Jeanty broke for a long gain, negating it entirely.
Denver Broncos
Quarterback
Bo Nix : 16/28, 150 Yards, TD, 2 INT | 5 Carries,-2 Yards
This was a game Bo Nix will want to forget, as he turned in one of his worst performances of the season. He faced constant pressure throughout the night, frequently rolling out of the pocket to avoid sacks, which threw off the rhythm and timing of the Broncos’ passing game.
Nix struggled to get anything going through the air, with the offense stalling on multiple three-and-out drives early on. A few key drops from his receivers didn’t help, killing any early momentum. He also failed to provide his usual rushing production — even when lanes opened up, he often opted to force throws instead of taking off.
His two interceptions came on miscues: one on an ill-advised deep throw that floated directly to a defender, and another off Troy Franklin’s hands, which tipped into the arms of the defense. He nearly threw a third interception in the first quarter as well.
While Nix should bounce back in future matchups, this game clearly showed how pressure disrupts his rhythm and limits his fantasy ceiling when he’s not given a clean pocket.
Running Back
J.K. Dobbins: 18 Carries, 77 Yards | 1 Target, 1 Reception, 7 Yards
J.K. Dobbins was clearly the RB1 in this backfield, handling the bulk of the workload early in the game. The Broncos’ offense struggled to find rhythm at first, but whenever Dobbins was able to rip off a solid gain, the unit seemed to move the ball more efficiently down the field.
As the Broncos pulled ahead in the second half, Dobbins began to find his groove, taking advantage of a tiring Raiders defense. He recorded six runs of seven yards in the final two quarters, helping sustain drives and control the tempo. Dobbins remains firmly entrenched as the lead back for Denver and continues to show steady volume and reliability moving forward.
RJ Harvey: 4 Carries, 9 Yards | 3 Targets, 2 Receptions, 9 Yards
RJ Harvey saw six total touches in this game but failed to make much of an impact. He didn’t flash on the ground, with minimal yardage overall, and his best plays were a seven-yard run and a seven-yard reception. It’s somewhat surprising that Harvey isn’t earning more touches or playing time given the Broncos need for a spark. For now, he remains a deep bench stash until his role expands.
Tyler Badie: 1 Targets
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Courtland Sutton: 4 Targets, 3 Receptions, 24 Yards
Once again, Courtland Sutton had a minimal impact against the Raiders in a matchup where he should’ve been able to produce. Much of his quiet night stemmed from Bo Nix being on the run too often to deliver consistent looks his way. Sutton saw a handful of targets throughout the game, but his best play was a modest 14-yard reception.
The Raiders’ defense did a good job taking Sutton out of the game and forcing Nix to look elsewhere. Sutton has now been average at best in four of his last five games, and it’s starting to look like he’s losing his WR1 role in this offense to Troy Franklin. Fantasy managers can only hope for a bounce-back performance next week in what should be a higher-scoring matchup.
Troy Franklin: 9 Targets, 4 Receptions, 40 Yards, TD
The Broncos’ top receiver of the night was rookie Troy Franklin, who led the team with nine targets. Oddly, he didn’t see his first look until the second quarter, but quickly made his presence felt by catching three early passes, including a tough four-yard touchdown grab with a defender draped all over him.
However, the rest of his night was less efficient — Franklin caught just one of his final six targets for zero yards. Two of those incompletions were involved in interceptions: one on an overthrown deep ball by Bo Nix, and another that bounced off Franklin’s hands into a defender’s arms.
Despite the uneven stat line, it’s becoming clear that Franklin is emerging as Denver’s WR1, commanding consistent volume and trust from his quarterback. His usage trend makes him a name to monitor closely for fantasy managers.
Evan Engram: 5 Targets, 2 Receptions, 12 Yards
Evan Engram turned in another disappointing performance, finishing with just 12 receiving yards. His first target of the night was a dropped short pass late in the first quarter, and another was essentially uncatchable as Bo Nix, under heavy pressure, threw the ball at Engram’s feet.
Most of Engram’s production came on short-area dump-offs, with nothing notable after the catch. It was another quiet showing that reinforces what we’ve seen all season — Engram’s fantasy value remains minimal in this low-ceiling passing attack.
Pat Bryant: 2 Targets, 1 Reception, 43 Yards
Adam Trautman: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 2 Yards
Adam Prentice: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 13 Yards
Adapted by Kurt Wasemiller (@kurt_player02 on Instagram & Threads @kuwasemiller.bksy.social on BlueSky)