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Editor's note: Ian will have his usual fantasy piece published later this week. In the meantime, here are a few of my thoughts on the fantasy football world for this week and beyond.
In Gary Kubiak's offense last season, Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco finished the year as the 13th-best quarterback in fantasy football with 249 points. In 2013 under Kubiak, Matt Schaub scored 105 fantasy points in eight starts. Doubled to equal the length of a season, Schaub's 210 fantasy points would have ranked 20th among QBs that year.
Flacco and Schaub's combined average ranking of 16.5 sounds about right for Osweiler. Expect him to finish in the middle of the pack among QBs this week. If you don't have a top 16 QB, Osweiler is worth adding. If you're not confident in your backup, Osweiler is worth adding.
Bottom line: Osweiler is worth adding.
The Bears have allowed an average of 17.6 points per game to QBs this season, ninth-most in the NFL. That's a favorable mach-up for Brock. If Manning's injury keeps him out for a few weeks—some expect that it will—Osweiler will face a Patriots defense allowing 16 points per game to QBs the following week.
If you need a QB, Brock is your man.
Other fantasy implications for Denver's offense
Granted, Brock was playing in garbage time on Sunday and Denver needed to pass to try to score quickly, but his target distribution could provide some foresight into his favorite targets going forward.
No real change: Demaryius Thomas led all receivers with eight targets from Osweiler, but DT's been a must-start all season. Now he may just have some more upside. Owen Daniels had three targets and remains a TD-dependent option at tight end. Running backs Ronnie Hillman and C.J. Anderson may see more carries going forward, but it's hard to have confidence in either of them until one can prove he's worth weekly consideration.
Worth adding: Behind Thomas, tight end Vernon Davis and receiver Cody Latimer tied for the second-most targets (four each). If you're desperate at receiver or tight end, both Davis and Latimer are worth stashing on the bottom of your roster.
Also, with Oz in at QB, gotta wonder if Latimer will continue his pre-season and camp chemistry with Brock.
— Jeremy G. (@okbroncos) November 16, 2015
Worth monitoring: Andre Caldwell had three targets and scored on one of them, but you shouldn't overreact to that. Bennie Fowler has more upside, and he has shown flashes of brilliance this season. He scored five-plus points twice during a three week stretch earlier this season in MHR's staffers PRR league, and he's worth keeping an eye on. If you're in a league with other Broncos fans, he probably won't be available much longer.
Don't get cute: Juwan Thompson saw some playing time on Sunday, but he's not worth adding to your fantasy team as long as Hillman and Anderson are healthy. He had one target and zero rushing attempts against the Chiefs.
Other NFL players to add this week
Probably not available: Michael Floyd (WR), Steve Johnson (WR), Kamar Aiken (WR), Dorial Green-Beckham (WR), Jordan Reed (TE), Austin Seferian-Jenkins (TE), Jeremy Langford (RB), Matt Jones (RB), Karlos Williams (RB), James Starks (RB), Blake Bortles (QB), Derek Carr (QB) and Tony Romo (QB) are all sexy names, but they're probably not available in your league. If any of them are available, add them now.
Put in a claim: Danny Amendola (WR), Mark Sanchez (QB), Ryan Fitzpatrick (QB), Brock Osweiler (QB), Crockett Gillmore (TE), and David Cobb (RB) are must-adds this week.
Don't be fooled: Kirk Cousins (QB) is not a top fantasy QB. You'd be better off playing whoever plays the Saints' secondary each week. Zach Miller (TE) is not worth starting, but if your tight end depth is horrible, you could stash him. Unless you're handcuffing Marshawn Lynch, Thomas Rawls (RB) is not worth a roster spot. Despite a tough showing against Kansas City, Denver's DST should not be benched in any league.
Sleeper: If you need a QB, consider Jay Cutler and Tyrod Taylor. If you need a WR, Dwayne Harris, Chris Givens, Brian Hartline, Dontrelle Inman, Devin Funchess, Cole Beasley, Cody Latimer, Bennie Fowler, and Jamison Crowder are among your options. If you need a RB, keep Jay Ajayi, Shaun Draughn, Andre Ellington, Marcel Reece, and James White in mind.
Coma: In PRR play, FB/TE Kyle Juszczyk has some upside. ESPN and Yahoo! list him as a RB.