Week 3 at Baltimore Ravens
Even though Demaryius Thomas was targeted 11 times last Sunday versus Oakland, he ended up with just five grabs for only 18 yards with a long reception of seven yards. While some of the passes his direction were uncatchable, Thomas had a couple drops in the win. Even though the targets and catches were team highs, he is off to a bit of a slow start the first two weeks, totaling 81 yards. Thomas will be facing a Baltimore defense that yielded three TD catches to A.J. Green in its last game, so this week’s contest could be a good opportunity for him to get on track.
Week 2 vs. Oakland Raiders
With Case Keenum throwing for 329 yards in his Denver debut, Demaryius Thomas posted good numbers—six catches, 63 yards and a TD. Even though he had a couple of drops, Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders were able to get open against the Seahawks' secondary. The duo combined to receive 21 targets from Keenum and the passing attack should be clicking again at home versus an Oakland defense that allowed 233 passing yards and a couple of TDs to Jared Goff last Monday. Keep on starting Thomas.
Week 1 vs. Seattle Seahawks
In his ninth season as a Bronco, Demaryius Thomas will have his fifth different QB throwing to him in Week 1, as Case Keenum is Denver’s new gunslinger. After recording five straight 1,000-yard seasons, Thomas was held 51 yards shy of that mark during the 2017 campaign with Trevor Siemian and Paxton Lynch under center. The offense is expected to be better with Keenum, so Thomas should get off to a good start, especially against a suspect Seahawks secondary that may be without Earl Thomas. The wrist injury he suffered during the preseason is fine, so go ahead and start No. 88.
Fantasy Upside
For the past two seasons, Demaryius Thomas has been catching passes from Trevor Siemian and Paxton Lynch. He should see an upgrade at QB for the 2018 campaign with Case Keenum, which should allow for his numbers to increase. You can pretty much lock Thomas into your starting fantasy lineup, as he has played in every contest the past six years, recording over 90 receptions and 1,000 yards during five of them.
Fantasy Downside
Despite playing in all 16 games last year, Thomas registered 949 receiving yards, the first time since 2011 he failed to reach 1,000 yards. He caught 35 TDs from 2012 to 2014 but has totaled only 16 the past three seasons. He had just one 100-yard outing in 2017 and was held out of the end zone in each of the final seven games. Even though he has over 600 career receptions, drops have plagued No. 88 throughout his career.
2018 Bottom Line
Once again, Thomas will be the Broncos' No. 1 WR and should receive plenty of looks throughout the season. The 30-year-old has averaged 147 targets, resulting in 96 catches over the past six seasons. There is no reason to believe he won’t post similar numbers again with Keenum at the helm. He is still an elite WR and makes for a solid fourth- or fifth-round selection.
Week 17 vs. Kansas City Chiefs
With Brock Osweiler under center for the Broncos last week in Washington, Demaryius Thomas led the team with 52 receiving yards on 4 receptions. Emmanuel Sanders is out, so Thomas will continue to see a fair share of targets from Paxton Lynch on Sunday. Thomas has not been in the end zone in four of the past five weeks and has eclipsed the century mark just once in 2017. Thomas caught 5 passes for 66 yards in the loss at Kansas City in October.
Week 16 at Washington
With Trevor Siemian and Brock Osweiler combining to throw for 261 yards last Thursday in the win at Indianapolis, Demaryius Thomas was targeted 8 times, leading to 5 grabs for a team-leading 69 yards. DT has only one 100-yard game on the season and likely won't sniff the century mark on Sunday if Paxton Lynch is at QB. Even though Washington allows over 220 passing yards per game, Thomas should be considered a WR3/FLEX play.
Week 15 at Indianapolis Colts
Trevor Siemian completed only 19 passes last Sunday in the win over the Jets, but Demaryius Thomas had his most productive game since mid-October. On 12 targets, he finished with 8 grabs for 93 yards and his fourth score in the past six weeks. In the past two contests with Siemian back under center, Thomas has received 22 looks. Thomas has another favorable matchup on Thursday against the league’s third-worst pass defense, so he should remain in your fantasy lineup, despite the struggles the Denver offense has had for most of the season.
Week 14 vs. New York Jets
Trevor Siemian attempted 41 passes last week at Miami and Demaryius Thomas was targeted on 10 of those attempts—but DT caught just 2 passes for 27 yards. Thomas had registered three straight 5-reception games and scored in three of the previous four outings, but the Dolphins did a good job of shutting down the Denver passing attack. While all three of his TDs this season have come with Brock Osweiler under center, Thomas’ better games have come with Siemian leading the team. The Jets are No. 20 versus the pass and were just torched by Tyreek Hill last week, so expect a much better game from Thomas.
Week 13 at Miami Dolphins
Demaryius Thomas’ numbers took a big dive last week in Oakland with Paxton Lynch under center into the third quarter. He was targeted 8 times, leading to 5 catches for just 18 yards, with his longest reception accounting for only 6 yards. Trevor Siemian will be back as the starting QB this week, but all three of Thomas’ TDs this season came with Brock Osweiler leading the team. The offense should have more flow to it on Sunday, however, making Thomas a viable fantasy player. The Dolphins are No. 17 versus the pass, so keep on starting DT.
Week 12 at Oakland Raiders
It’s becoming a habit lately—the Broncos fall behind and then get a fourth-quarter touchdown from Demaryius Thomas. He scored for the third straight game last week to bring Denver within a field goal versus the Bengals, but Denver couldn’t complete the comeback. Thomas finished with 5 catches for 64 yards. In the October win versus the Raiders, Trevor Siemian only threw for 179 yards with DT held to just an 11-yard grab. A new coordinator and new QB in Paxton Lynch likely won’t be much of a spark for the offense, but go ahead and keep on starting Thomas, as he’s become a scoring machine.
