Broncos Start Em, Sit Em: Week one vs. Seahawks

Week one of the NFL season is here which means that fantasy football is ready to go as well. You hopefully have finished your drafts and came away with a couple Denver Broncos players on your team. If so, I am going to give you weekly advice about which Broncos player you should start or sit during the upcoming weeks fantasy matchup.

This week, the Broncos opener vs. the Seahawks is one that likely favors the Broncos. With that said, playing in Seattle is never easy and this is a revenge game for both sides. So, it could be a tricky one to project because of that.

So, let me give you the start em, sit em for the Denver Broncos fantasy relevant players for week one of the 2022 regular season.

Quarterback Russell Wilson - Start

Two of the three Seattle cornerbacks starting week one are rookies playing in their first regular season game. Veteran Sidney Jones is their CB1 while rookies Tariq Woolen and Coby Bryant are the number two and slot corner. I would expect the Broncos to target these two rookies early and often during the game and should find success.

Also, let's add in the human element into it. Russell Wilson had a falling out in Seattle and he was traded away during the offseason in a historic trade. Now, in week one, in his first game with the Broncos, he will travel back to Seattle and play his old team. That’s basically a Hollywood script right there. Wilson is already highly motivated, but this extra motivation should fuel him to put up a pretty big stat line against his former team.

With that said, there is a chance he could disappoint in the fantasy world. Seattle likely is not putting up a ton of points so the scoring opportunities could be low. Also, the Broncos offense has had some growing pains early on. We need to see if those carry over into week one of the regular season. Finally, it’s the Broncos run game. We could see Javonte Williams and Melvin Gordon get the red zone touches and scores which would limit Wilson’s scoring.

Running back Javonte Williams - Start cautiously

The Broncos running back has been called a potential fantasy breakout star this season but one insider is pumping the brakes on that. Benjamin Allbright who is around the team and inside the building is saying that we could see a 55-45 split between Williams and veteran Melvin Gordon.

If that is the case, Javonte’s fantasy value drops a good bit. He still will likely be successful and good on the field, but his upside in fantasy is capped. Especially with Melvin Gordon getting some red zone work. He has had 17 total rushing touchdowns the past two seasons combined. So, he could steal some scoring chances from Javonte.

However, we have not seen both on the field or how Nathaniel Hackett will divide the carries. So, he is a risky start who could boom and be a week one winner for you or be a total bust for you.

Wide receivers Courtland Sutton/Jerry Jeudy - Start

Sutton has been Wilson’s top target throughout camp and that should continue into week one. He will be matched up against veteran Sidney Jones and that’s a battle he should win most of the time. Look for Wilson to target Sutton deep often and I think he could top 100 yards and get a score. Honestly, you should be starting each and every week.

As for Jeudy, I would start him in this one as well. He will be going up against a rookie making their first start and he should find success early and often. Jeudy is a tough cover for the best in the NFL so I think we’ll see his elite route running skills showcased in this one. He has the ability to create after the catch as well so he should be a high-upside start for you this week.

Tight End, Albert Okwuegbunam - Sit if you can

The Broncos' tight end was an offseason darling in fantasy circles. The Broncos traded away Noah Fant which elevated Okwuegbunam into the starting role. However, an interesting preseason usage that saw him play a decent amount of football has some wondering about his exact role.

The big thing with Albert O. is his blocking. He’s not very good at it and that could have him off the field in certain situations. We saw that in the preseason. However, he’s a big athletic target who should be a mismatch problem.

For me, I want to wait a week or two and see how he is used in this offense. Will he split out wide more? or will be splitting snaps with the Broncos blocking specialists. He is a risky start with major boom/bust qualities.

Broncos D/ST - Start with confidence

The Broncos' defense might be my start of the week from this group. They face Geno Smith and a Seahawks offense that should struggle to score points this season. You have two rookie tackles starting and an offensive line that hasn’t been great recently. I expect the Broncos' pass rush to get after Smith early and often.

The Seahawks have solid weapons in D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett but the Broncos' secondary looks to be solid. Pat Surtain II will likely shadow Metcalf while veteran Ronald Darby will be on Lockett.

I think we could see multiple turnovers and plenty of sacks by the Broncos' defense, so they’re a solid start for me.

Other Notable Players

• Running Back Melvin Gordon: He is the RB2 in Denver, but as I mentioned above, he is still going to be involved in the offense. How much remains to be seen so he’s a risky fantasy play. I would be comfortable playing him as a touchdown-dependent FLEX but nothing more.
• Wide Receiver K.J. Hamler: He missed most of the offseason but did play some in the preseason finale. How often he is used early on remains to be seen. He is a risky FLEX play at best but should be a bench stash until we see how much he plays and how effective he can be.
• Kicker Brandon McManus: He was 7 for 7 in the preseason and seems like a safe play in fantasy. If the Broncos offense is high scoring, he should have plenty of chances to give your team points. So, I would start him and feel good about it, even on the road in a tough environment.