Denver Broncos vs Indianapolis Colts
The Denver Broncos and the Indianapolis Colts both played this game conservatively, leaning on their defenses and running games from start to finish. In the end, the Colts made a big play with their backs against the wall, and Adam Vinatieri hit a 51-yard field goal with 22 seconds left to give the Colts a 15-13 home victory. Time of possession was essentially tied, and both teams committed 10 penalties. Vinatieri did miss a field goal and an extra point that could have added to the margin of victory, but this was essentially an evenly played game.
Denver Broncos
Quarterback
- Joe Flacco: 20/32, 174 yards | 1 carry, 9 yards, 3 sacks
Joe Flacco remains a lower-end QB2 every week outside of the juiciest of matchups, where he could be a desperation streaming option in one quarterback leagues. Outside of some explosive plays by Courtland Sutton, this is a short passing game that lacks playmakers and wants to focus on the run, especially with Emmanuel Sanders now in San Francisco. Denver had 32 pass attempts and 28 carries, and that ratio is what the Broncos would like to see each week. Though Denver drops to 2-6, they’ve had some heartbreaking close losses, and the coaching staff will likely stick with this gameplan for the rest of the year. Flacco looked a little better in the pocket this week and didn’t make any devastating mistakes. But his low passing volume and lack of big plays make him a stay away in fantasy.
Running Backs
- Phillip Lindsay: 14 carries, 59 yards | 5 targets, 5 receptions, 17 yards
- Royce Freeman: 12 carries, 40 yards, 1 TD | 2 targets, 1 reception, 5 yards
Phillip Lindsay and Royce Freeman continue to split the backfield work, and there is little reason to think that will change as long as both are healthy. Lindsay looked like the more explosive runner, as he darted upfield through a hole on several plays, but never could break a big one, topping out at a long rush of 11 yards. His five receptions were encouraging, but he was only able to turn those opportunities into 17 yards. Plating for a low scoring offense, those receptions are going to be huge for Lindsay’s value in PPR leagues especially. Freeman saw his receiving work drop after two straight weeks with four catches or better, but he paid off in the end with a rushing touchdown. Freeman continues to be undervalued, though his upside is capped in this low scoring offense. Both running backs are high floor, low ceiling options most weeks going forward.
Wide Receivers/ Tight Ends
- Courtland Sutton: 6 targets, 3 receptions, 72 yards
- Diontae Spencer: 2 targets, 2 receptions, 18 yards | 1 carry, 5 yards
- Fred Brown: 2 targets, 1 reception, 16 yards
- DaeSean Hamilton: 1 target, 0 receptions
- Noah Fant: 8 targets, 5 receptions, 26 yards
Outside of Courtland Sutton, this group of pass-catchers disappointed in a game where the Broncos desperately needed a big play. Sutton caught an in-breaking route and looked fast running after the catch for a 33 yard gain, and is the Broncos’ number one receiving option. However, in a low volume passing offense that was happy to play things close to the vest, Sutton’s day was disappointing overall. He will have some big weeks in games where the Broncos fall behind and are forced to air the ball out. Anyone rostering DaeSean Hamilton in hopes of increased usage after the Sanders trade can move on, as Hamilton was only targeted once and took a backseat to Diontae Spencer. Spencer looked fine, catching both of his targets and taking a reverse for five yards, but is off the radar for fantasy purposes. Tight end Jeff Heuerman was injured with what might be a serious leg injury, and Noah Fant set season-highs with 8 targets and 5 receptions, an encouraging sign for the rookie tight end. On the downside, Fant was only able to turn 8 targets into 26 yards. He may be on the desperation streaming radar for tight ends but offers very little upside, as most of his targets are short passes, and he didn’t show much after the catch in this one.
Indianapolis Colts
Quarterback
- Jacoby Brissett: 15/25, 202 yards | 6 carries, 34 yards, 4 sacks, 1 fumble lost
Jacoby Brissett was under pressure early and often and was frequently running for his life, producing a disappointing fantasy line after last week’s impressive performance. Brissett did a good job moving in the pocket and taking yards on the ground when needed, but he was often forced to abandon his progressions too quickly to allow the play to develop. Brissett made the play of the game from his own end zone on the game-winning drive, avoiding a sack and hitting T.Y. Hilton deep down the sideline to set up the go-ahead field goal. Brissett managed the game well and avoided the big mistake overall. But for fantasy purposes, Brissett will likely find himself in these games from time to time, where he’s asked to manage the game and rely on the running game and defense to win. Brissett is a very matchup-dependent fantasy quarterback.
Running Backs
- Marlon Mack: 19 carries, 76 yards, 1 TD | 1 target, 1 reception, 14 yards
- Nyheim Hines: 4 carries, 12 yards | 3 targets, 3 receptions, 34 yards
- Jordan Wilkins: 2 carries, 5 yards
Marlon Mack continues to dominate this backfield, and made fantasy owners happy on his 10-yard touchdown where he displayed excellent patience and footwork. Mack saw one target and looked good on it, turning a swing pass into 14 yards on a nice touch pass from Brissett. But the fact remains that he is not a big factor in the passing game, which especially limits him in PPR leagues. With no passing game to back the Broncos defense off the line of scrimmage, Mack had a tough time finding room to work throughout. The passing game work went to Nyheim Hines, who felt more involved than his three catch, four carry stat line would suggest. He had some nice yards after the catch on his 20-yard reception and had a carry of 11 yards where he showed a little burst. However, Hines has a low ceiling and is no more than a desperation floor play at flex. Even in the event of a Mack injury, Hines wouldn’t take on an every-down role, so he isn’t worth stashing on your bench either. Jordan Wilkins remains the clear third option, though he would be the logical fill-in for Mack in the event of an injury.
Wide Receivers/ Tight Ends
- T.Y. Hilton: 6 targets, 2 receptions, 54 yards
- Chester Rogers: 2 targets, 1 reception, 7 yards
- Zach Pascal: 2 targets, 1 reception, 6 yards
- Parris Campbell: 1 target, 0 receptions
- Jack Doyle: 5 targets, 4 receptions, 61 yards
- Eric Ebron: 4 targets, 3 receptions, 34 yards
T.Y. Hilton drew a tough matchup in this one, drawing the coverage of top-end cornerback Chris Harris throughout most of the game. Hilton’s 35-yard catch on the final drive was the play of the day and salvaged what could have been an even more dreadful fantasy performance. Regardless, Hilton remains the clear number one option in the passing game, and this offense sputters when Hilton doesn’t produce. Long-term this isn’t a performance to worry about, as Hilton simply faced one of the league’s best corners in Harris. Behind Hilton, the receivers produced a combined two catches for 13 yards on 5 targets. It was good to see rookie receiver Parris Campbell return from injury, though he was a non-factor. These secondary receivers aren’t worth pursuing most weeks, as they take a backseat to the running game, Hilton, and the tight ends. Speaking of the tight ends, Jack Doyle and Eric Ebron were frequently involved, and an injury to either would make the other an interesting weekly starter at the tight end position. For now, they are splitting up too much of the work to be reliable. Doyle caught a wide-open pass that could have been a bigger play, but he fell as he caught the ball. He was so open that he was able to get back up and run, but it may have cost him a big play. Ebron played his typical third down and red zone role but comes off the field too often to be more than a touchdown-dependent streaming option.
— Erik Smith