Week 8 at Cincinnati
Vernon Davis has put together two very nice fantasy weeks for owners, who needed him to replace Jordan Reed. Last week, Davis caught six balls for 79 yards on six targets, following up a 2-50-1 line in Week 6.
With Reed's status once again in question, Davis is poised for another productive week. He's 10th on our TE list in what is a very nice matchup. The Bengals are just 28th in allowing fantasy points to TEs, so owners should be able to continue to start Davis in lineups this week. The only downfall is he hasn't been targeted as much as Reed usually is from the position and Jamison Crowder seems to be benefiting from that. Davis is averaging five targets the last two weeks.
Week 7 at Detroit
Vernon Davis had himself a pretty nice game last week despite only catching two balls. He played on 97-percent of the snaps and finished with two catches on four targets for 50 yards and a TD. He was a nice fill-in for Jordan Reed and of course the TD didn't hurt his final fantasy numbers.
Reed is making progress, but hasn't been cleared from a concussion, so it's possible Davis gets another start this week against the Lions. Detroit is 30th in allowing fantasy points to TEs, so it's a great matchup. However, the risk with Davis is he's just not quite involved as much in the offense as Reed would be on any given week. Davis could be TD-dependent, and as a result, is down our list at just 17th. Start him with caution.
Super Bowl vs. Carolina
Peyton Manning looked Vernon Davis' way early in the game versus New England two weeks ago, but the pass fell incomplete. TE Owen Daniels caught both of Manning’s TDs in the win and will be utilized more in the Super Bowl than Davis. There is no reason to have Vernon on any fantasy roster.
AFC Championship vs. New England
Vernon Davis was not a part of the Broncos game plan last week versus the Steelers. He caught two passes for 10 yards in the win over the Pats in the regular season, but should not be part of your fantasy lineup on Sunday.
Week 19 vs Pittsburgh
During the final month of the regular season, Vernon Davis was an afterthought in the Denver passing game. Owen Daniels received more looks from Denver QBs than Vernon, who doesn’t make for a good fantasy play even versus a poor Steelers pass defense. At Pittsburgh in Week 15, Davis had a key fourth quarter drop.
Week 17 vs. San Diego
On Monday night versus Cincinnati, Vernon Davis was not a part of the game plan, finishing without even a target from Brock Osweiler. Vernon caught two passes for 25 yards versus the Chargers in Week 13 and should be used as only a desperation TE start in the regular season finale.
Week 16 vs. Cincinnati
In the loss to the Steelers last week, Vernon Davis finished with only one grab for five yards and for the second straight game had a costly fourth quarter drop. Brock Osweiler was having more success throwing to his WRs than TEs, as Owen Daniels collected only two grabs at Pittsburgh. Davis’ drops and inconsistency make him a very shaky start at home on Monday night.
Week 15 at Pittsburgh
In what was his best game with the Broncos last week versus the Raiders, Vernon Davis’ fourth down dropped pass is what will be remembered by the Denver faithful. Vernon collected seven grabs for 74 yards and found himself open in the secondary on many occasions. Brock Osweiler has consistently utilized his TEs, a trend that should continue against the Steelers on Sunday. Davis should be considered a low TE1 play.
Week 14 vs. Oakland
With Brock Osweiler only attempting 26 passes for 166 yards last Sunday against the Chargers, Vernon Davis caught two balls for 25 yards before leaving with a concussion. In his five games with the Broncos, Vernon has 12 receptions for 122 yards. Even if he clears the protocol, he is not a good fantasy option.
Week 13 at San Diego
In the overtime win over the Patriots last Sunday, Vernon Davis caught only two passes for 10 yards. Brock Osweiler looked to his other TE Owen Daniels for five receptions on the night. While Osweiler will continue to utilize the TEs during his rollouts, it appears he has a bit better rapport with Daniels. Davis makes for no more than a TE2 play versus the Chargers.
