As if we didn’t get enough excitement over Thanksgiving with the Lions’ last-minute change at quarterback, fantasy football owners who are using Broncos on their squads are now officially put on notice.
According to reports, after spending the majority off the season on IR with a thumb injury, Denver’s 2019 first-round draft choice, Drew Lock, is expected to make his season debut in Week 13 against the Chargers.
Outside of a two-quarterback league, it seems unlikely Lock will be used as a fantasy starter, but the ripple effects from the change under center could have a significant impact as people fight for a playoff spot.
If you have been using either Phillip Lindsay or Royce Freeman, the switch to Lock is actually a positive one for you. When the Broncos made the switch from Joe Flacco to Brandon Allen, defensive schemes became fairly easy to plot out. Allen was never considered a strong passer, so heavy blitz packages and run-stuffing game-plans were implemented, making it more difficult for the Broncos to run the ball effectively.
Freeman’s touches took a dramatic decrease while Lindsay’s targets all but dried up. Neither has been particularly effective and the two have combined for just one touchdown during Allen’s tenure.
Things should change, though, even if the Chargers implement a similar defensive game plan. Their defense lacks a strong run-stopper up the middle, which should help open up better running lanes. But more importantly, Lock seems to have more poise when standing in the pocket and will have the good sense to check-down to Lindsay while staring down pass-rushers like Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram. The Chargers have been burned on numerous occasions when their pass-rushers over-commit.
You should expect the Chargers to stack the box early to force Denver to rely on the pass, but that shouldn’t be much of an issue. Lock has a stronger, more accurate arm than his predecessor and should have little trouble finding his receivers downfield.
Lock has spent all week working with Courtland Sutton, Tim Patrick, DaeSean Hamilton and tight end Noah Fant. Not everyone will eat in this matchup, but you can rest easy if you need to use Sutton or Fant. Sutton has spent plenty of time with the franchise quarterback in anticipation of this day, and it is common to see rookie quarterbacks lean heavily on their tight ends.
Though you shouldn’t expect a 75-yard touchdown bomb like we saw over Thanksgiving with David Blough and Kenny Golladay, you have no reason to dismiss the supporting cast around Lock this weekend. We should see a nice balance between the run and the pass with resurgent stats from Lindsay, Freeman, Sutton and Fant. Chemistry takes time to develop, but this group will get off to a great start.
Howard Bender is VP of operations and head of content at FantasyAlarm.com. Follow him on Twitter @rotobuzzguy and catch him on the award-winning “Fantasy Alarm Radio Show” on the SiriusXM fantasy sports channel weekdays at 4 p.m. Go to FantasyAlarm.com for all your fantasy football advice and NFL player rankings.
