The Denver Broncos struggled with one of the AFC's best teams in Week 9, as they suffered a 43-21 defeat to the New England Patriots. Denver trailed 27-7 at halftime, so this matchup got out of hand early on Sunday afternoon.
Peyton Manning, Emmanuel Sanders put up big fantasy numbers in Broncos loss
Denver was outplayed throughout all of Week 9, but Manning still managed to throw for more than 400 yards. We break down the fantasy implications.
Jared Wickerham
Playing with such a large deficit, Peyton Manning and the Broncos offense put up lofty numbers as they played in comeback mode for most of the game. Let's examine their fantasy performances from Week 9.
Peyton Manning: Garbage time can be a fantasy owner's best friend. Manning racked up 438 yards and two touchdowns on 35 of 57 passing. While he struggled with one of the better defenses in the NFL, he still provided a solid stat line at the end of the day. Manning threw two interceptions (one was tipped by Wes Welker) and he was 0 for 4 on fourth down. The Broncos playcalling seemed a bit odd at times. One example would be Jacob Tamme seeing targets on back-to-back plays in the end zone. Denver at least gets a much easier matchup next week against the Oakland Raiders. Manning should easily hit 300-plus yards in Week 10.
Ronnie Hillman: It wasn't an easy day running the ball for Denver. Hillman rushed for 16 yards on 10 carries, but he came through for fantasy owners with a 1-yard touchdown run and a 15-yard touchdown reception. Hillman caught seven passes for 47 yards and looked impressive as a receiver. He reportedly tweaked his ankle at the start of the game, but after having it taped up on the sideline, he managed to play the rest of the afternoon. Hillman did miss the last two series as C.J. Anderson served as the hurry-up back. There was no point to keep Hillman in, though, so he was likely resting. He remains an RB1 next week against the Raiders.
Demaryius Thomas: He caught seven passes for 127 yards against the Patriots. Thomas now has five straight games with at least 100 yards receiving. He's on pace to finish 2014 with 108 catches for 1,700-plus yards. Thomas is the top wide receiver to own and should feast again in Week 10.
Emmanuel Sanders: With 16 targets from Manning, Sanders led the team in that category and finished with 10 receptions for 151 yards. Manning just missed Sanders on a go route in the fourth quarter that would've been a touchdown. Sanders briefly left the game early on after Rob Ninkovich landed on him, but he was back in on the following series. Like Thomas, Sanders is a WR1 every week.
Julius Thomas: By far the most disappointing piece of the Broncos offense in recent weeks, Thomas caught two passes for 33 yards and a touchdown in Week 9. Manning hit him with a perfect pass on a fade route for an 18-yard touchdown to start the third quarter. He didn't look for his No. 1 tight end much the rest of the night, though. Thomas' numbers are still likely to improve on a weekly basis, but the lack of targets is starting to be more of a concern.
