Broncos-Seahawks DFS Showdown: Depth and Injury Analysis

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Russell Wilson takes control of the Denver Broncos, and it is only fitting that he’ll be returning to Seattle for his first outing. He still offers a dual-threat ability, but we’ll be much more reliant on how he can sling it from the pocket. Geno Smith will be the first starting quarterback to open the season for the Seahawks that isn’t named Russell Wilson in ten years. Smith has a strong familiarity with the Seahawks’ offense given his few years as Russ’s backup while offering us a similar rushing upside to his predecessor. 

Denver still appears to be rolling with the split backfield for the time being. Javonte Williams will likely get the edge on the ground and through the air over Melvin Gordon, but both will get a decent amount of volume. First-time head coach Nathaniel Hackett said he’ll ride the hot hand, so both options offer upside. Mike Boone will be the third guy out of the backfield, but he’ll only get minimal opportunities unless one of the top two guys goes down. 

Rashaad Penny is in line to be a potential workhorse back as Kenneth Walker’s injury leaves a scarce backfield. We will rely on carries with Penny as we can’t expect too many targets to come his way. Deejay Dallas should see some volume as the RB2 out of the backfield and is a threat to eat up a few targets. Travis Homer will have a role as the RB3 and could also see some looks from Smith through the air. Seattle hasn’t been an offense to feed running backs a noticeable amount of targets, so it is tough to expect Pete Carroll to change things up.

The Broncos will mainly look to operate with their one, two punch of Courtland Sutton and Jerry Jeudy as Russ’s primary targets. Sutton seems positioned to take the reigns as the WR1 with the ability to take off on the defense. Jeudy is poised to see a substantial volume of targets given his excellent route running abilities as Wilson’s second or ‘1 B’ option. KJ Hamler is ready to step into the WR3 role with game-changing speed, giving Russ another toy in his arsenal. Hamler was listed as questionable in the final injury report but is expected to give it a go tonight. Montrell Washington will be the rotational fourth guy, with Kendall Hinton, Tyrie Campbell, or Jalen Virgil offering the potential to see minimal targets if active. 

DK Metcalf should be Smith’s primary target, and we know how he can do everything. Tyler Lockett is still hanging around, giving Smith another reliable veteran option who can eat up a fair share of targets. There is expected to be a noticeable drop-off after those two guys, but Penny Hart appears to have the WR3 role. Dee Eskridge and Marquise Goodwin are factors to see some rotational work as the fourth and fifth receivers. Dareke Young will likely be inactive but won’t see any meaningful opportunities.

Albert Okwuegbunam will be the top tight end for Denver and Russ’s third option overall. He should be in line to see added looks in the red zone in particular. Behind ‘Big O,’ Eric Saubert and Eric Tomlinson will primarily serve as run blockers and will only see minimal targets.

Noah Fant heads into Seattle as their TE1, hoping to be a reliable option for Smith. Fant saw the most red-zone targets of any Bronco last season, so ideally, we would like to see some additional targets tonight. Will Dissly isn’t a complete nonfactor as a TE2, so he’ll see some opportunities through the air. If active, Colby Parkinson likely won’t be anything more than a run blocker.