Denver Broncos fantasy mailbag: Evaluating quarterbacks

The Denver Broncos were not exactly an overflowing well of fantasy football excellence in 2020. How can the QBs change that in 2021?

The moment that every football fan has been waiting for is finally back: fantasy season.

The months of July and August are jam-packed with fantasy drafts, coverage, and predictions. Draft parties are in full swing, where friends turn to foes in the draft room. The months leading up to the NFL season are the one time of the year where everyone can sit down and forget about the real world. The only thing that everyone is focused on is drafting the best players for their team.

The only thing that could make this time even better is a guide to drafting not only the best players but your favorite players in this draft.

I’m referring to the men in orange from Mile High.

All eyes are on the Denver Broncos offense this season. With a young core of skill players ready to explode, there’s no telling what kind of success they could have in fantasy. From the likes of Jerry Jeudy, Noah Fant, and the always-speedy KJ Hamler, this Broncos offense could be the key to winning some fantasy leagues this season.

Let’s not forget about the defense as well. The Denver Broncos defense made some notable splashes in the offseason, landing some big-name secondary players in Kyle Fuller, Ronald Darby, and rookie Patrick Surtain II. George Paton also managed to ink Justin Simmons and Shelby Harris to long-term deals.

With the defense looking to make a strong return in 2021, there’s a very good chance the squad can add exceptional value to the fantasy world. With a stronger defensive line providing pressure, the secondary can do their jobs and create interceptions. The return of Von Miller, along with Chubb, should also give the Broncos a boost in the sack count.

Put it all together, and the Broncos defense could be averaging over 10 points per game in P.P.R. (points per reception) leagues.

Let’s get rolling.

Denver Broncos 2021 fantasy football: QBs

Following the normal chronological order, we’re going to take a look at the values each Denver Broncos position group brings to fantasy football.

First up on the list: quarterbacks.

The Broncos quarterback room has the potential to have one of the biggest fantasy booms out of any NFL franchise. With the young and explosive offense surrounding them, both Lock and Bridgewater have the opportunity to produce quality numbers.

Here’s the biggest question: are they ready to take the step forward?

Both of them had down years in fantasy last season, partly due to the lack of offensive firepower. Bridgewater ran an offense without Christian McCaffrey for the majority of the season, and Drew Lock had to step up to the plate without Courtland Sutton or Noah Fant for most of the year. With a fresh start due for both quarterbacks, this could be the perfect opportunity for each of them to shine.

Let’s take a look at each of their values going into the 2021 season and what potential they have in the fantasy football realm.

Drew Lock

It’s safe to say that Drew Lock has not been the best fantasy quarterback.

Over the span of the 2020 season, Lock averaged around 14 points per game in most P.P.R. fantasy leagues. In terms of fantasy quarterback rankings, he was at the very bottom of the list. According to fantasypros.com, Drew Lock was ranked 34th out of all NFL quarterbacks in fantasy, just behind his competition in Teddy Bridgewater.

Drew Lock is obviously not Patrick Mahomes or Josh Allen, but he is still a young quarterback with a strong supporting cast. Much of his offense was out last season due to opt-outs and injuries, making his statistics seem much worse than they should’ve been.

Lock was, “thrown into the fire.”

To add to things, Lock was thrown into a whole new offensive scheme when the Broncos replaced Rich Scangarello with former Giants Head Coach Pat Shurmur. The new offensive playbook relied on a deeper pass game rather than the short, “dump and go” style that was familiar in the past. Therefore, there were a lot of cases where Lock ran into interceptions trying to force the deep ball.

Now that Lock has a full offseason with OTA’s to adjust to Coach Shurmur’s scheme, there’s a chance he produces much higher numbers in 2021. His mechanics have also improved especially with his footwork. When he drops back, he no longer throws off of his back foot. Instead, he uses his forward momentum to push the ball farther and much more accurate. This could prove to be much more successful in Shurmur’s offense, especially in situations with play-action.

The squad is here to help

Not only is Lock back to being 100% healthy, but his weapons are back as well. Veteran wide receiver Courtland Sutton is returning from a major knee injury, and Noah Fant is back to 100% after dealing with multiple injuries. Other offensive line pieces such as Graham Glasgow and newly-signed Bobby Massie are also up to speed and ready to protect Lock.

When all of these components are put together, Lock could be seeing consistent numbers similar to what we saw versus Carolina and Atlanta last season. 2-4 touchdowns per game with a rating around 100-110 is where Lock could shine as a fantasy quarterback. These numbers should translate to around 20-22 fantasy points per week.

Obviously, Lock has to get through training camp first and prove he is the better starting option over Teddy Bridgewater. However, if he can get past this hurdle, he could be in for a sleeper fantasy season.

Denver Broncos fantasy football: Teddy Bridgewater

In terms of experience, Bridgewater is definitely the better fantasy quarterback in Denver.

Teddy Bridgewater had himself a solid, but not fantastic season in Carolina. He averaged around 16 fantasy points per game, totaling around 241 points. After throwing for 3,733 yards and 15 touchdowns, Bridgewater proved he can successfully maneuver an NFL offense again.

To make things a little more impressive, Bridgewater was the first starter in Carolina under Head Coach Matt Rhule. Rhule came right up from Baylor University, meaning his offense was destined to have some hints of college scheme. However, he proved to have a productive NFL-style offense that Bridgewater took charge of quickly.

For this upcoming season, Teddy Bridgewater is in an interesting scenario. Although he has proven to be a game-managing starter, he now has to prove himself again and win the starting Denver job versus Drew Lock.

So far, he has successfully shown he is the starter for Denver. Throughout the majority of OTA’s and now moving into training camp, Bridgewater has been taking the first-team reps. He’s also formed a nice connection with former first-round selection Jerry Jeudy. The two have connected on the deep ball on multiple connections, begging the question of chemistry between Jeudy and Lock.

Bridgewater could take a huge step forward if named the starter

At a glance, the Denver offense is very similar to how Carolina functioned last season. The memo is primarily run-heavy, with the option of the deep ball along the outside. Carolina made it work with Mike Davis and star Christian McCaffrey. Now with Denver, Teddy Bridgewater will have to work with Melvin Gordon and rookie Javonte Williams. Both are violent, “ground and pound” runners that work the same way Carolina performed last year.

Denver also has young, speedy receivers on the outside to help with the deep ball threat. KJ Hamler has already proven to succeed in this type of offense, while Jerry Jeudy is an all-around wideout. Noah Fant and Albert Okwuegbunam are also fast tight ends that could prove successful in deeper play-action situations.

The most notable upgrade for Bridgewater is the change in offensive lines. Bridgewater had one of the NFL’s worst offensive lines in the Panthers last season. The unit was a revolving door with players coming in-and-out of injury, and both Bridgewater and PJ Walker were continuously under pressure.

Now in Denver, who ranks 21st in offensive lines according to Pro Football Focus, Bridgewater should have an easier time getting the ball out of the pocket and managing a successful run game. Denver has a young and potentially explosive core in Lloyd Cushenberry, Dalton Risner, and second-team All-Pro Garrett Bolles.

Bridgewater had a solid season in fantasy football last year and proved to be an on-and-off starter in many lineups. However, in this new offense, Bridgewater could be very scary in 2021. Watch out for him to also produce high numbers if the starter.

Denver Broncos: Players on the chopping block at each position

The Denver Broncos will have plenty of difficult roster decisions to make in 2021. Which players are on the chopping block at each position group?

In summary, Denver’s quarterback room has a lot of potential going into the 2021 fantasy season. However, the main concern for the moment is finding a concrete starter. Once that is decided, the rest of the success will unfold. For now, continue to monitor the quarterback battle before making a pick on Lock or Bridgewater.