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The Denver Broncos 2022 season hasn't started off the way many folks thought it would. With Russell Wilson under center, many figured that the Broncos offense would take off from the get go. Instead, they have struggled to find their footing, and have labored through the first two games of the season.
It's safe to say that the Broncos offense is undergoing a bit of a learning process right now. Wilson has struggled to get on the same page as his new head coach Nathaniel Hackett and his playmakers, and it's been clear as day to those who have watched them in their initial two contests of the season. Chances are they will begin to figure things out soon, but so far Denver's offense has been a bit of a mess.
That has made it tough to trust any players on the Broncos when it comes to fantasy football. Their offense will likely turn things around soon, which has allowed for some of Denver's top weapons on offense to become surprising sleeper picks. Let's look at who their best sleeper is heading into Week 3 and why you need to have him on your roster moving forward.
Broncos Week 3 fantasy football sleeper
TE Albert Okwuegbunam
Entering the season, there were a lot of expectations for the Broncos offense. With star players such as Wilson, Javonte Williams, Courtland Sutton, and Jerry Jeudy in tow, it was reasonable to expect Denver's offense to take the league by storm. As mentioned, that hasn't happened, and while the aforementioned players have all had their struggles, no one has been hurt by these struggles more than Albert Okwuegbunam.
Okwuegbunam was expected to emerge as a solid tight end option for fantasy owners with the arrival of Wilson in Denver. He put together a decent sophomore campaign despite the Broncos inconsistencies under center last year, and many believed that Wilson would only help Okwuegbunam emerge as a solid tight end option for fantasy owners.
Through two games, that hasn't been the case. Okwuegbunam was OK in Denver's season opener against the Seattle Seahawks, hauling in five passes for 33 yards. But he didn't have a single catch against the Houston Texans in Week 2, leaving fantasy owners to wonder what the heck was going on with the Broncos top tight end.
Much of Okwuegbunam's early struggles can be traced back to the Broncos overall struggles in the passing game. Wilson was completely out of whack against the Texans, and aside from Sutton, nobody in the passing game did much of anything. Again, that should change moving forward, but until it does, Okwuegbunam's fantasy output will not be worth counting on.
It's clear, though, that Okwuegbunam's fantasy potential does exist. The Broncos do have a bit of a crowded tight end room, but Okwuegbunam has commanded the most targets of Denver's tight ends in the early going.
That in itself isn't necessarily surprising, but when you consider that Andrew Beck had two catches for 52 yards in Week 1, and Eric Saubert hauled in Wilson's only touchdown pass of the day against the Texans in Week 2, it's clear the production from the tight end position is there. It's only a matter of time until it begins to find its way to Okwuegbunam.
Okwuegbunam's massive frame (6'5, 258 lbs) makes him a very strong red zone threat throughout the season. Once Wilson figures things out, it's clear that Okwuegbunam will be one of the top red zone threats Denver has on their roster. That may make Okwuegbunam a bit of a touchdown dependent fantasy player, but it seems likely his touchdown count will increase as the season progresses.
There are still a lot of questions in the Broncos offense that need answers and could prevent Okwuegbunam from really becoming a strong tight end option for fantasy owners. Wilson hasn't looked like himself dating all the way back to midway through last season, and there's a chance he's regressing. Even then, he may look to other targets over Okwuegbunam in the red zone.
But there's a lot to like about Okwuegbunam's potential early on in the season. He's Denver's top tight end, and Wilson clearly likes throwing to his tight ends; there's a good chance that this will work out in the end.
Right now, Okwuegbunam is a player you stash on your bench and hope he will turn things up moving forward. He has upside, but his production through two weeks of action doesn't make it seem like he's very close to reaching that potential. There's a chance that could change in the future, though, which is why stashing Okweugbunam ahead of Week 3 seems like a smart move for fantasy owners.
