Week 12 at Carolina Panthers
Russell Wilson's dreadful season rambled on in Week 11 as the Broncos lost on a walk-off overtime touchdown and he only managed 247 scoreless yards against a bad Raiders defense. The Broncos currently rank last in the NFL in both touchdowns and points per game. Russ gets the Panthers on the road this week. Carolina does not have a great defense, but they still offer more resistance than the Raiders on a weekly basis and Wilson has struggled against multiple bad defenses already this season. We're long past the point of tossing out our priors on Wilson and the Broncos' offense, and fantasy expectations need to be adjusted to reflect the fact that Denver has one of the league's worst offenses. Wilson is a QB2 and nothing more as we head into Week 12.
Week 11 vs. Las Vegas Raiders
Week 10 brought us another forgettable performance from Russell Wilson with 286 yards on 42 pass attempts to go along with a single touchdown and an interception. Wilson has a single QB1 finish in fantasy this season, which came way back in Week 4 when he played the very same Raiders team he gets in Week 11. The matchup is nice for Wilson this week, but he has struggled in similar spots on multiple occasions this year in what has been a disastrous debut season in Denver. Also working against Wilson this week is Jerry Jeudy's ankle issue, which looks set to take away one of his main targets in the passing game. Even in one of the more plush matchups Wilson will get all year, he can only be trusted as a QB2 for fantasy purposes.
Week 10 at Tennessee Titans
Coming off the bye week, Russell Wilson will travel to Tennessee to take on the Titans and is hopefully now 100% healthy after dealing with some nagging ailments in the first half of the season. The Titans have a below-average pass defense, but the efficiency concerns for Wilson will continue until he shows he can consistently move the ball through the air and convert red zone opportunities, both areas where the Broncos have struggled this year. The Titans are dealing with some quarterback uncertainty, and the Vegas betting total on Wilson's matchup with the Titans is down to a measly 38 points. In what projects as a low-scoring rock fight, Wilson is merely a QB2 as we head into the home stretch.
Week 8 vs. Jacksonville Jaguars (London)
Russell Wilson sat out Week 7 with a hamstring issue and will now travel to London to take on the Jaguars in an early morning game on Sunday. You know the story with Wilson by now. The Broncos offense is arguably the most disappointing unit in all of the NFL and Wilson is a big part of that. His wayward accuracy has led to a 2-5 start for the team and a single week with Wilson finishing as a QB1 in fantasy in six games played. Wilson has six total touchdowns in those six games. It was impossible to imagine this sort of season unfolding in Denver back in August. The Jaguars present an average matchup for Wilson on paper, and the hope if you're starting him is that he will right the ship while fighting through multiple injuries. Until we see some substantial improvement, that does not look like something to count on and it would be best to avoid starting Wilson if at all possible.
Week 7 vs. New York Jets
Russell Wilson is tentatively lined up to play in Week 7 despite nagging shoulder and hamstring issues after a limited Wednesday practice. Shockingly, it's fair to wonder whether the Broncos would be better off shutting Wilson down for a couple weeks in light of his recent play. Wilson came out scorching in Week 6 by going 10/10 with a touchdown in the first quarter against the Chargers, and then fell off the face of the Earth by completing five passes for 15 yards in the second half and overtime combined. Wilson has generally been poor this year, and now he has multiple injuries to play through. Wilson's five passing touchdowns through six games tells you all you need to know about his play this season for fantasy purposes. Wilson has yet to put together a complete performance this season and simply cannot be considered a fantasy QB1 in the current state of the Broncos offense.
Week 6 at Los Angeles Chargers
Russell Wilson and the Broncos will travel to Los Angeles to take on the Chargers as their miserable offensive season continues into Week 6. Wilson's performance in Week 5 was horrendous as he threw two interceptions, including a bizarre and careless throw near the end of the game, and again failed to record a touchdown. Now we hear word that Wilson has a partial tear in his throwing shoulder that he will attempt to play through. Needless to say, Wilson's tenure in Denver is off to a rocky start. Wilson is still throwing the ball deep (he's sixth in air yards), but his accuracy has been a serious issue and he appears to be having serious trouble seeing the middle of the field. His five total touchdowns through five games is not workable as a QB1 for fantasy purposes. The Chargers are dealing with a bunch of injuries on defense, but the fact of the matter is Wilson is not a starting quality fantasy option in single-QB leagues right now.
Week 5 vs. Indianapolis Colts
Russell Wilson had his best performance of 2022 in Week 4 when he posted 9.5 yards per attempt on only 25 passes. Wilson logged 237 yards with a pair of scores as the Broncos fell to the Raiders. Wilson's overall numbers are fine through four weeks. He is averaging 7.5 yards per attempt on the season and has a 4:1 TD:INT ratio. The four touchdowns are disappointing but the Broncos offense was brutally bad through the first three weeks of the season before looking more like we expected against Las Vegas. Wilson has established a good connection with Courtland Sutton, but he will have to work to get Jerry Jeudy and the tight ends more involved after losing Javonte Williams for the year. Thursday brings a matchup with the Colts and their average defense against opposing passers. Wilson remains a solid starting option for Week 5.
Week 4 at Las Vegas Raiders
Things have not gone according to plan for Russell Wilson in Denver through three games as the offense continues to struggle to maintain drives. The Broncos punted ten times on Sunday and recorded a remarkable eight three-and-outs. It is reasonable to be concerned about Wilson from a fantasy perspective at this point. He is offering virtually nothing as a rusher, which is a big issue when Wilson and the Broncos only have two passing touchdowns in three games. The Raiders present a get-right matchup in Week 4, but Wilson has already struggled in good spots against the Seahawks and Texans this season. It still feels early to be out on Wilson entirely, especially with a good matchup on deck, so he can still be started in fantasy but he cannot be considered a no-doubt QB1 at this juncture. It's possible the Broncos and Wilson figure things out starting this week, but we're officially at the "believe it when we see it" stage with this offense.
Week 3 vs. San Francisco 49ers
It's been far from a fairytale start for Russell Wilson in Denver as the offense has struggled to move the ball consistently against two weak defenses in Seattle and Houston through two weeks. Wilson's 559 passing yards through two games is fine, but his fantasy performance has been disappointing in that he only has two passing touchdowns and virtually nothing in the rushing department to this point. Some of the Broncos' issues stem from a rookie coaching staff, but Wilson's play in 2022 has looked similar to the rough patches he endured in 2020 and 2021 rather than the efficient deep ball passer we have become accustomed to. The 49ers travel to Denver as an opponent with a strong defense and one familiar with Wilson from his decade in Seattle. While the Broncos are unlikely to struggle like they have so far all season, Wilson's rough play to open the season and the difficult matchup make him nothing more than a borderline starter in single-QB leagues.
Week 2 vs. Houston Texans
It was an uneven start to the season for the Broncos offense in Week 1 as they moved the ball consistently but botched multiple goal line possessions and only scored 16 points in an upset loss to the Seahawks. Russell Wilson himself had a solid game with 340 passing yards and a long touchdown to Jerry Jeudy on 42 attempts. There is no way the Broncos' RBs fumble away most of their red zone possessions in Week 2, meaning the offense should experience some positive regression in the scoring department and a matchup against Houston's weak defense is the perfect opportunity for Russ to take advantage. It should be noted that Wilson only rushed one time for two yards, another sign that his days of rushing production could be over. That being said, things went about as poorly as they could for the Broncos in Week 1, but fantasy managers starting Wilson can expect a better fantasy output in Week 2 as the Broncos return home looking for a rebound. Wilson is again a QB1 heading into Week 2.
