The Denver Broncos have a new starting quarterback. Bo Nix will be leading the charge for the team’s Week 1 game against the Seattle Seahawks. However, before that game takes place, fantasy football managers have their own game to play in the form of their draft.
With so many players that are well-known across the league, finding the diamonds in the rough could be the difference between a playoff seed and a sleepwalk through the year.
Here’s a look at two under-the-radar players on the Broncos.
Tim Patrick, WR
At this point, everyone except for Courtland Sutton could be argued as a fantasy sleeper this season. However, when it comes to names that might have been forgotten prematurely, Tim Patrick leads the pack.
Patrick hasn’t tallied a statistic since 2021 due to injury. However, this year, he is back and look as good as ever.
In the team’s preseason tilt against the Packers, Patrick had four catches for 30 yards and a touchdown. This would be a decent outing as a flex player. However, when healthy and working with less-than-desirable talent at quarterback, Patrick was productive. The Broncos receiver earned at least 700 yards in each of the last two seasons in which he tallied a single statistic.
This isn’t a green light to drop everything to draft him. That said, he is definitely worth a thrifty pickup.
Josh Reynolds, WR
Josh Reynolds emerged as an interesting option with the Los Angeles Rams. Then, he emerged as an interesting option with the Detroit Lions. Now, he serves as an interesting option for the Broncos.
In terms of total production, Reynolds has earned more every season since 2021. He started with 396 yards in 2021, jumping to 479 yards in 2022 and 608 yards in 2023. If he keeps pace this year, he should be a usable option as a bench player with flex upside as a floor.
With Sean Payton manning the controls of the offense using a quarterback of his choosing, it will be interesting to see if it could even lead to his biggest jump yet. Considering Patrick’s injury history, there is a chance Reynolds could be the team’s second receiver by the end of the year.
As it stands, it would be best to draft Patrick on the cheap and at the first sign of trouble, pick up Reynolds. This, of course, assumes that managers are hoping to keep at least one slot in the Payton offense.
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