RADIO
Pat Bryant Could Avoid the Injured Reserve
Denver Broncos wide receiver Pat Bryant (ankle) may avoid the injured reserve after the ankle injury he sustained in the 24-14 loss to the San Francisco 49ers. Bryant had his ankle trapped beneath him and was carted off the field, prompting reports that he would be placed on the IR. However, both Bryant and star cornerback Pat Surtain might avoid the list despite reports that they would miss the next four weeks. To start his second season, Bryant has hauled in nine of 12 targets for 133 yards and a touchdown, while adding 16 rushing yards on one carry. While he's expected to miss multiple weeks, if Bryant stays off the injured reserve, that would be good news for his fantasy outlook this season, though he should only be rostered in deeper leagues.
Source: Zac Stevens - DNVR
Source: Zac Stevens - DNVR
Sean Payton Takes Over Some of the Offensive Play-Calling Duties
Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton has begun to take over some of the play-calling duties from first-year offensive coordinator Davis Webb, according to former NFL wide receiver and current Denver Sports 104.3 contributor Brandon Stokley. He noted that Payton began the process of getting more involved with play-calling in last week's loss to the San Francisco 49ers, and he'll be even more involved in Week 5 against the Los Angeles Chargers. At this point, it's unclear whether Payton will assume full control of the offense, but at the very least, his influence will be substantial. "I'm hearing he's taking over the majority if not all of the play calling," Stokley wrote on X. The shift in coaching duties makes sense, as Denver's offense has ranked sixth-worst in total yards under Webb this year. They've also ranked fourth-worst in rushing yards and sixth-worst in offensive points scored. Those are unacceptable numbers from a unit with Bo Nix, Jaylen Waddle, Courtland Sutton, and a three-headed backfield of J.K. Dobbins, R.J. Harvey, and Jonah Coleman (ankle, IR). Perhaps Payton's expanded play-calling role and a matchup against the 0-4 Chargers will be an opportunity for this Broncos offense to get back on track.
Source: Brandon Stokley
Source: Brandon Stokley
Courtland Sutton Can Be Cut in Shallow Fantasy Leagues
Denver Broncos wide receiver Courtland Sutton is still playing enough to make this uncomfortable, but four weeks of poor production have pushed him onto the chopping block. He has nine catches for 86 yards without a touchdown, and three of his four games have ended with 25 receiving yards or fewer. Sunday was the worst of the bunch. Sutton drew six targets against San Francisco and turned them into one catch for four yards. The volume is not completely gone, which is why this is not an automatic drop in every format, but the results have been brutal. RotoBaller's Week 5 Cut List has Sutton in the hold-and-bench or drop-in-shallow-leagues tier, and that fits where his value sits right now. Managers in 10-team leagues can move on if there is a useful replacement available. In deeper 12-team formats, Sutton is easier to stash on the bench for another week, but he should not be anywhere near fantasy lineups until the production changes.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Troy Franklin Only a Deep-League Waiver Stash for Now
Denver Broncos wide receiver Troy Franklin has barely been involved this season, but Pat Bryant's ankle injury at least cracks the door open for him again. Franklin has drawn only four targets through four games, catching two for 48 yards, after finishing 2025 with 65 receptions for 709 yards and six touchdowns. Bryant is expected to miss a few weeks, so Denver will have snaps to redistribute behind Jaylen Waddle and Courtland Sutton. Marvin Mims Jr. is still in that mix too, which is why Franklin's opportunity is more interesting than trustworthy right now. He was not targeted at all against San Francisco in Week 4 and has yet to see more than two targets in a game this season. RotoBaller has him at WR63 for Week 5 against the Chargers, and he does not appear among its current top 85 mid-week waiver options. In deeper leagues, Franklin is a speculative stash to watch rather than someone worth chasing with meaningful waiver priority.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Marvin Mims Jr. to See Increased Role with Teammate Injured
Denver Broncos wide receiver and returner Marvin Mims Jr. caught one of three targets for 10 yards in the 24-14 loss to the San Francisco 49ers. Although Mims didn't have a productive Week 4, his role increased after second-year receiver Pat Bryant was injured. Mims' snap share rose from 17% in Week 1 to 27% in Week 4. With Bryant (ankle) expected to be placed on injured reserve, Mims could see his role grow further in the coming weeks. While he's still likely to play a smaller role than Jaylen Waddle, Courtland Sutton, and Troy Franklin, Mims is a receiver to watch in deeper leagues and is one injury away from a solid role in the Broncos' receiving room.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Pat Bryant Expected to Miss "A Few Weeks" With Ankle Sprain
Denver Broncos wide receiver Pat Bryant (ankle) suffered a sprained ankle in Sunday's Week 4 loss to the San Francisco 49ers and is now expected to miss "a few weeks," a source told Adam Schefter of ESPN. Bryant hurt his ankle near the end of the second half and had to be carted to the locker room at Levi's Stadium. Before leaving the game, Bryant caught all three of his targets for a season-high 47 yards, but he failed to find the end zone after scoring in last week's win over the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday Night Football. With Bryant set to miss some time now, both Marvin Mims Jr. and Troy Franklin will be in line for more passing-game work behind starters Jaylen Waddle and Courtland Sutton. Bryant's 47 receiving yards on Sunday were second only to running back RJ Harvey, who caught all 10 of his targets for 68 yards. Mims only had one reception for a 10-yard pickup, while Franklin was not targeted at all against the Niners. In four games so far in his second NFL season in Denver, Bryant has caught nine of his 12 targets for 133 yards and one touchdown.
Source: ESPN - Adam Schefter
Source: ESPN - Adam Schefter
Courtland Sutton Becoming Harder to Keep in Fantasy Lineups
Denver Broncos wide receiver Courtland Sutton gave fantasy managers another reason to hesitate Sunday, catching just one of six targets for four yards in a 24-14 loss to San Francisco. The six targets were not the issue. Sutton simply did almost nothing with them, and this is becoming more than a one-week problem. He has now been held to 25 receiving yards or fewer in three of Denver's first four games and sits at nine catches for 86 yards without a touchdown on the season. Sutton did see enough volume to have a chance at a useful afternoon, but the production never came. Jaylen Waddle has already emerged as the more productive piece of Denver's passing game, while Sutton has struggled to turn his opportunities into anything fantasy managers can trust. At this point, he is becoming harder to keep in starting lineups until there is a real change in either the production or his role.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Pat Bryant Catches Three Passes, But Was Carted to Locker Room In Loss to 49ers
Denver Broncos wide receiver Pat Bryant (ankle) was carted to the locker room during a 24-14 loss to the San Francisco 49ers in Week 4, according to Zac Stevens of DNVR Broncos. Stevens later reported that Bryant was designated as questionable to return. He suffered the injury in the third quarter. Bryant finished the day with three receptions (on three targets) for 47 yards, including a 30-yard catch. Bryant's status moving forward is unclear, but receiving the questionable tag instead of being ruled out may provide some room for optimism. If Bryant misses time, quarterback Bo Nix and the Broncos will rely on wide receivers Jaylen Waddle, Courtland Sutton and Marvin Mims Jr., tight end Evan Engram, and their running backs in the passing game.
Source: Zac Stevens - DNVR Broncos
Source: Zac Stevens - DNVR Broncos
Pat Bryant Hopes to Continue His Momentum in Week 4 vs. 49ers
Denver Broncos wideout Pat Bryant is coming off his best fantasy performance in 2026. The 23-year-old caught both his targets for 44 yards and landed in the end zone for 14.4 PPR points. However, Bryant has fallen victim to an inconsistent, shaky start by the Broncos' passing game and is teetering on being flex-viable in deeper leagues. As a result, Bryant enters Week 4 as RotoBaller's PPR WR55 against a stout San Francisco 49ers defense. The 49ers defense has allowed the second-fewest touchdowns (3) and the 10th-fewest receiving yards this season. Bryant can be plugged into lineups as a desperation flex option in deep leagues for Week 4. He could become a reliable fantasy option for managers if the Broncos' passing offense becomes more consistent.
Source: NFL.com
Source: NFL.com
Courtland Sutton Remains a Risky Week 4 Flex
Denver Broncos wide receiver Courtland Sutton has yet to get much going through the first three weeks. He has eight catches for 82 yards on 16 targets without a touchdown, although Week 3 brought at least a little progress. Sutton drew a season-high seven targets against the Rams and finished with three catches for 46 yards, both his best marks of the year. The bigger issue is where he now fits in Denver's passing game. Jaylen Waddle has already had a 10-target, 138-yard game, and Sutton is no longer operating as the clear top option he was in recent seasons. Denver also has been more balanced offensively under new play-caller Davis Webb. Sutton is healthy entering Sunday's trip to San Francisco, but RotoBaller has him at WR41 for Week 4. The seven targets last week keep him in the flex conversation, though fantasy managers should not treat him as an automatic starter until the production becomes more consistent.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Jaylen Waddle Struggling to Find Consistency
Denver Broncos wide receiver Jaylen Waddle failed to follow up a massive Week 2 performance with another fruitful effort in Week 3. Waddle finished a win over the Los Angeles Rams with just two receptions on seven targets, totaling 10 yards receiving and adding one carry for 14 yards rushing. Outside of his 10-reception, 138-yard performance against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 2, Waddle has finished with just three receptions for 12 yards in his team's other two matchups. The Broncos take on the San Francisco 49ers in Week 4, whose pass defense allowed Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Michael Wilson to record 11 receptions for 89 yards and a touchdown last week. Waddle is RotoBaller's 22nd-ranked wide receiver and is projected to score 11 fantasy points against San Francisco.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Courtland Sutton is Struggling to Make an Impact
Denver Broncos wide receiver Courtland Sutton has not been able to find much success early in the season. Heading into Week 4, Sutton has recorded eight receptions on 16 targets for 82 yards with zero touchdowns. The veteran wideout did finish with a team-high 46 receiving yards last week. The expectation was that the addition of Jaylen Waddle this offseason would hurt Sutton, but it wasn't supposed to make him irrelevant. Fantasy managers shouldn't give up on the veteran wideout just yet. He has posted top-15 seasons in each of the last two years, so give him some time to get going. We'll see if it gets better for Sutton against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 4.
Source: Pro Football Reference
Source: Pro Football Reference
Jaylen Waddle Off the Injury Report, Good to Go for Week 4
Denver Broncos wide receiver Jaylen Waddle (foot) is off the injury report after practicing in full all week. Waddle was seen wearing a boot on his foot after Week 3's win over the Los Angeles Rams, but head coach Sean Payton was not concerned. He is now good to go for Week 4 against the San Francisco 49ers. In three games, Waddle has caught 11 of 20 targets for 150 yards and added 14 rushing yards on one carry. He's played just 68% of snaps and 74% of routes, but has been used in every alignment in the offense except the offensive line this season. He faces the 49ers in Week 4, who have allowed the ninth-fewest fantasy points to wide receivers this season, including strong performances against Puka Nacua, Davante Adams, and Marvin Harrison Jr. While Waddle is off the injury report, he carries some risk in a tougher matchup.
Source: Zac Stevens - DNVR
Source: Zac Stevens - DNVR
Jaylen Waddle a Full Participant in Wednesday's Practice
Denver Broncos wide receiver Jaylen Waddle (foot) should be ready to go for the Week 4 game in San Francisco this Sunday against the 49ers after practicing in full on Wednesday. Waddle was seen wearing a walking boot after Sunday night's comeback win over the Los Angeles Rams, but the boot is off now, and the 27-year-old looked good during the first practice of the week. Fantasy managers can stand down for now and leave the speedy wideout in their starting lineups for the week. Head coach Sean Payton said that Waddle is "doing fine." Waddle has bookended ugly performances with a strong Week 2 showing against the Jacksonville Jaguars, in which he caught eight of 10 targets for 138 yards. He has yet to find the end zone in his first three games in Denver, and in his other two games, he has just three catches on 10 targets for 12 yards while adding a 14-yard rush. Expect the Broncos to try to force-feed Waddle the ball more, starting this weekend against a strong 49ers defense. Savvy fantasy managers may want to see if they can buy low on the former Miami Dolphins wideout.
Source: Denver Broncos
Source: Denver Broncos
Jaylen Waddle Moving Around Well in Practice
Denver Broncos wide receiver Jaylen Waddle was moving around well at the team's practice on Wednesday, according to Zac Stevens of DNVR Sports. Waddle was seen wearing a walking boot after the Week 3 win over the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday night, but he is fine and should be a full-go for another tough matchup this Sunday on the road against the 3-0 San Francisco 49ers. The 27-year-old was listed as a full participant on Wednesday, per Parker Gabriel of The Denver Post. Waddle took over the Week 2 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars with eight catches on 10 targets for 138 yards, but in the other two games against the Rams and Kansas City Chiefs, he was virtually non-existent, catching a combined three passes on 10 targets for just 12 yards. Denver's offense looked better in the second-half comeback against L.A., but Waddle's lack of involvement early in the year has been a frustrating development for fantasy managers who were expecting him to be Denver's clear WR1 in 2026. There is still time for the speedy wideout to gain more chemistry with quarterback Bo Nix, and he should be left in starting lineups against the Niners this weekend.
Source: DNVR Sports - Zac Stevens
Source: DNVR Sports - Zac Stevens
