Top 50 Bold Preseason Predictions:
As the dust begins to settle on the first serious fantasy injury of the preseason, let's start looking at the last AFC division we haven't covered: the West:
(15) Peyton Manning -- QB4 ADP
Prediction: Not a top 8 QB
This year's Broncos will have a different look and feel from what we've seen the past few years. New head coach Gary Kubiak and offensive coordinator Rick Dennison are expected to install a more run-heavy offense. This doesn't mean Peyton and his top receivers will be neutralized. It does, however, mean that many drafters are overpaying for this seemingly ageless elite talent. We must also recognize that, while he’s never missed a game midseason, each year increases the odds that the decreasingly mobile (not that he ever was mobile) Manning will get hurt. Yes, it’s true for all QBs. But age slows recovery times. A two-week injury to Russell Wilson likely will be more costly to Peyton. Assuming he plays 16 games, I'm expecting no more than 4,200 yards and 32 TDs, which will place him outside the top 8 QBs.
(16) Emmanuel Sanders -- WR13 ADP
Prediction: Not a top 25 WR
Sanders is coming off the board in the early- to mid-third round. That's insane. With Sanders recently announcing he’s moving to the slot in three-wideout sets, he’ll get fewer big-play opportunities on a team that's likely to run the ball more. It's a bad combination for a guy who benefited from the "Bronco Bump" after looking downright pedestrian in four seasons with Pittsburgh.
(17) Cody Latimer -- WR53 ADP
Prediction: Top 40 WR
Latimer is primed to be a fantasy contributor starting in Week 1. 800+ yards and 5+ scores are realistic for the heralded second-year pro who did next to nothing his rookie season because, as Yahoo's Charles Robinson put it, the receiver took "a laid back approach to pretty much everything that comes along with NFL preparation." This preseason he's reportedly buried himself in Denver's playbook and has looked sharp at camp. And with the opportunity to start opposite Demaryius Thomas in three wideout sets, Latimer should show off enough big-play ability to garner flex-worthy numbers most weeks.
As the dust begins to settle on the first serious fantasy injury of the preseason, let's start looking at the last AFC division we haven't covered: the West:
(15) Peyton Manning -- QB4 ADP
Prediction: Not a top 8 QB
This year's Broncos will have a different look and feel from what we've seen the past few years. New head coach Gary Kubiak and offensive coordinator Rick Dennison are expected to install a more run-heavy offense. This doesn't mean Peyton and his top receivers will be neutralized. It does, however, mean that many drafters are overpaying for this seemingly ageless elite talent. We must also recognize that, while he’s never missed a game midseason, each year increases the odds that the decreasingly mobile (not that he ever was mobile) Manning will get hurt. Yes, it’s true for all QBs. But age slows recovery times. A two-week injury to Russell Wilson likely will be more costly to Peyton. Assuming he plays 16 games, I'm expecting no more than 4,200 yards and 32 TDs, which will place him outside the top 8 QBs.
(16) Emmanuel Sanders -- WR13 ADP
Prediction: Not a top 25 WR
Sanders is coming off the board in the early- to mid-third round. That's insane. With Sanders recently announcing he’s moving to the slot in three-wideout sets, he’ll get fewer big-play opportunities on a team that's likely to run the ball more. It's a bad combination for a guy who benefited from the "Bronco Bump" after looking downright pedestrian in four seasons with Pittsburgh.
(17) Cody Latimer -- WR53 ADP
Prediction: Top 40 WR
Latimer is primed to be a fantasy contributor starting in Week 1. 800+ yards and 5+ scores are realistic for the heralded second-year pro who did next to nothing his rookie season because, as Yahoo's Charles Robinson put it, the receiver took "a laid back approach to pretty much everything that comes along with NFL preparation." This preseason he's reportedly buried himself in Denver's playbook and has looked sharp at camp. And with the opportunity to start opposite Demaryius Thomas in three wideout sets, Latimer should show off enough big-play ability to garner flex-worthy numbers most weeks.