Broncos RB Javonte Williams was one of the least efficient runners in the league last year. He averaged just 3.6 yards per carry and ranked 42nd among 49 qualifiers in NFL Next Gen Stats’ Rush Yards Over Expected Per Attempt. It's certainly worth noting that Williams was returning from an October 2022 multi-ligament knee injury. He was cleared for the start of training camp last summer, but it’s fair to wonder if the knee was still a factor throughout the season.
After a promising rookie year, Broncos RB Jaleel McLaughlin continued to develop this offseason. Per The Athletic’s Nick Kosmider, “McLaughlin’s offseason program turned heads among coaches, teammates, and onlookers at practice. It would not be a stretch to say he was the Broncos’ most dynamic offensive player during OTAs and minicamp.”
Broncos HC Sean Payton said recently that his backfield is an open competition heading into the season. "All these guys, they're all competing for different roles, spots," Payton said. "We never put a cap on what they're competing for. I wanna see it. And then we'll go by what we see."
The Broncos selected Notre Dame RB Audric Estime in Round 4 of the NFL Draft. A four-star prospect, Estime chose Notre Dame over others like Maryland, Rutgers, Virginia, and Nebraska. After a quiet freshman season behind Kyren Williams, the New York native split carries in 2022. The result? Team-highs in yards (920), yards per carry (5.9), and TDs (11). His production then rose across the board last fall. He flashed top-notch power with 4.27 yards after contact per attempt and tallied a strong Elusive Rating from PFF (126.5). The raw numbers turned up several career highs (209 carries, 1,341 yards, 18 TDs). While Estime caught all 26 of his college targets, we don’t forecast much of a receiving ceiling in the NFL. He also lacks the top-end speed to rip off explosives at the next level. Estime’s 4.71 forty-time at the NFL Combine was disappointing, but his Relative Athletic Score of 6.58 shows the strength of his complete profile. At 221 pounds, he tallied an 86th-percentile vertical and an 87th-percentile broad jump. Also note: Estime’s ten-yard split placed him in the 53rd percentile. The rookie joins a crowded backfield in Denver alongside Javonte Williams, Jaleel McLaughlin, and Samaje Perine – although Williams and Perine are both scheduled to be free agents next offseason.
Broncos RB Javonte Williams didn't just let you down with his production in Saturday night's loss to the Lions. He saw his playing time and route participation tumble. It started with Denver putting Jaleel McLaughlin on the field to open the game. Williams took over for the second possession and still led the backfield in playing time and touches. But his 48% playing time for the game marked his lowest since a Week 6 return from a quad injury. That followed three straight games of 60%+. His biggest dip came in the passing game. Williams ran a route on just 25.7% of QB Russell Wilson's dropbacks. That marked a significant fall vs. three straight outings of 40.5% or more. Williams ran just nine routes vs. eight for Samaje Perine and five for Jaleel McLaughlin. Combine that with now seven straight games of averaging less than 3.9 yards per carry, and it's tough to see Williams as more than an "if you need him" starter for a Week 16 matchup with the Patriots. We'll see about his role and performance in that game before declaring his usability for a better matchup with the Chargers in Week 17. Perine drew just 1 target for the game but caught it for 11 yards and averaged 6.2 yards across his 6 carries. That followed a 5-catch Week 14 and couldn't have hurt his chances at getting playing time the rest of the way. McLaughlin garnered just 4 touches for the game. He has topped 6 touches just once in his past eight games.
Broncos RB Samaje Perine (knee) is active for today’s game vs. the Chargers. He didn’t practice on Friday but is evidently heathy enough to suit up today. Perine will likely continue to handle obvious passing downs for Denver but isn’t a viable fantasy play.
Broncos RB Samaje Perine (knee) is expected to play vs. the Chargers today, per ESPN's Adam Schefter. Perine figures to continue to play in passing situations but isn't a viable fantasy option.
Broncos RB Samaje Perine (knee) is questionable for this weekend’s game vs. the Chargers. He was a full-go on Wednesday and Thursday but did not practice on Friday. Hopefully Perine wasn’t in your Week 14 fantasy plans. But his absence would be a boost to RB Javonte Williams’ target projection. Perine has averaged 3.3 targets per game this season.
Broncos RB Javonte Williams is questionable to return to Sunday's game vs. the Browns with a neck injury. We'll update his status when we know more. Williams' absence leaves Denver's backfield to Samaje Perine and Jaleel McLaughlin.
Update: Williams returned on Denver's second possession.
Broncos RB Javonte Williams racked up 25 touches in Monday night's win at Buffalo. That included his second straight game of 21+ carries and third straight game with at least 3 receptions. Williams has seen his three largest touch counts of the season -- 18, 30, 25 -- over the past three games. The receiving work has stayed in line with earlier performances, while the carries have climbed significantly. Winning three straight games has certainly helped. Denver spent a surprising amount of time leading both the Chiefs and Bills the past two games. The defense seems to have improved quite a bit, delivering its four best weekly DVOA ratings over the past four games. That included the best performance of any defense -- by a wide margin -- in Week 8 against K.C. If that continues, it'll help Williams' chances of continued higher rushing volume. The Broncos get negative RB-scoring matchups with the Vikings and Browns the next two weeks, but expect competitive games to help Williams' touch counts. He'll likely land comfortably inside RB2 range in our rankings for those two contests, with greater matchup upside over the final five fantasy weeks.
Broncos RB Javonte Williams stayed busy with 27 carries in Week 8. He wasn’t efficient, mustering only 3.1 YPC against a Kansas City unit down LB Nick Bolton. Still, adding 3 targets, Williams easily set a season-high in touches. He even added a receiving score on a designed screen. With his health and role trending up, Williams profiles as a clear RB2 going forward. He’ll face Buffalo after a Week 9 bye.
Broncos RB Javonte Williams posted a mini breakout in Week 7. On a season-high 15 carries, he gained 82 yards (5.5 per attempt) while adding 3 receptions. Williams easily led the way in snaps (31) and narrowly edged Samaje Perine in routes (13 to 10) and targets (4 to 3). Jaleel McLaughlin remained a factor with 2 targets and 5 catches. Ultimately, Williams’ health looks to be on the rise, so there’s reason for optimism going forward. He’ll look for his first TD of 2023 this week vs. Kansas City.
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