Never Too Early: Denver Broncos Fantasy Football Preview

With Fantasy Football season ready to kick in high gear, Fantasy FanHouse is here to preview each and every team. Listen closely, you're almost guaranteed to win your FREE fantasy football league, only over at Fleaflicker.

Meet The ...
Team coached by a man that hates you. Haven't you heard? I don't need to explain it any further to you, because it's been done to death by every columnist on the planet. Basically -- in case you are new to fantasy football -- anytime you have counted on a back in the Denver system for the past five years or so, you have gotten screwed. If someone is supposedly going to start, they don't get many carries. If someone is supposed to be the backup, Mike Shanahan uses someone else. Etc. Etc. Etc. This year there is a stable of at least four guys that can, on any given Sunday, produce huge fantasy numbers. So you should avoid the backfield ...

The Breakout
... but here's the thing: this theory of Shanahan hating fantasy football has become so played and mainstreamed, any Broncos RB is going to be stigmatized in your fantasy draft. Travis Henry had the jaws of life locked on this job last year until injuries and a drug suspension derailed him. I'm going for it and naming Selvin Young the breakout of this team. He's got the job now, and he'll keep the job all year ... in a sure sign of apocalypse.

The Bust
Brandon Marshall had 102 catches for 1,325 yards and seven TDs last year. He was also the recipient of the most targets in the NFL. Of course, he also likes to show up on the police blotter. You know who doesn't like that? Roger Goodell. Look, even if Marshall avoids suspension, you can't like him to repeat those stellar numbers in a predominantly running offense, especially in a division that stops the pass so well. Don't pay for the numbers, otherwise he'll make you pay.

The Depth Chart
QB1 - Jay Cutler
QB2 - Patrick Ramsey
RB1 - Selvin Young
RB2 - Michael Pittman
RB3 - Ryan Torain
RB4 - Andre Hall
WR1 - Brandon Marshall
WR2 - Darrell Jackson
WR3 - Brandon Stokley
WR4 - Keary Colbert
WR5 - Eddie Royal
WR6 - Samie Parker
TE1 - Tony Scheffler
K - Matt Prater

The D/ST
Nothing overly exciting here. Sure, Champ Bailey is a stud ... he also only picked it off three times last year. He's a better real player than fantasy, and he alone is enough to make this unit overrated. They were 24th in points last year in my league (again, defensive points vary from league to league, but should be generally comparable). Don't expect much of an improvement. Ignore.

The Skinny
Cutler's got plenty of receiving options with all the new additions, but no one is particularly exciting for this season. I've seen him ranked as high as tenth, and I believe that would be a big-time mistake. He's more suited as a backup QB spot-starter -- you certainly don't want to count on him against the Raiders or Chargers, for example.

Scheffler is a startable TE in any league and should be quite a solid late pick ... as long as he gets healthy.

Have fun deciding how to handcuff Young. The best move is probably just to not waste a roster spot and wait on the waiver wire situation in shallow leagues. In deep ones, I'd go with Pittman and always be ready to make a switch via the wire.

Also, the receiving corps is a mess behind Marshall. Any of the guys listed above could prove to be a bust or a quality pick. I don't like drafting "coulds" or "maybes."

Lots of unknowns, but the one thing you do know? They will run the football, and they will run it well. Thus, I'm loving Selvin Young.