Despite being 0-2, there are a lot of positive signs for fantasy football managers coming from the Denver Broncos right now, particularly on offense. Through two games, the Broncos are scoring three points per drive, which leads the NFL. While Russell Wilson is playing well, the rushing game of the Broncos hasn’t quite gotten it going yet.
With Javonte Williams and Samaje Perine in the backfield, the Broncos have two solid running backs. Which one is more likely to produce, and thus, make your lineup in Week 3?
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Javonte Williams Fantasy Outlook Week 3
Through two games, Williams has been on the field for 59 snaps, compared to 62 by Perine. However, despite basically a 50/50 split in total snaps, Williams has carried the ball 25 times. Perine, on the other hand, has only seen it nine times.
It is a very positive sign for fantasy managers with Williams on their roster that he is dominating the carries between the two running backs.
Williams is coming back from a torn ACL suffered last season and is still getting back to being the explosive player he was.
In 2021, when he was healthy, he rushed for 903 yards and four touchdowns, while also catching 43 passes for 316 yards and three scores.
At full strength, he is a three-down back who can make plays both on the ground and through the air.
Samaje Perine Fantasy Outlook Week 3
Similar to his time in Cincinnati, Perine is looked at as a guy teams want on the field. However, when he is on the field, he isn’t touching the ball that much.
Despite being on the field more than Williams, his rushing volume doesn’t reflect his snap share. Thankfully, he has been involved a decent amount in the passing game, as he has seven catches through Week 2’s action.
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The areas where Perine thrives don’t necessarily translate to big fantasy numbers. He does a great job in pass protection, for example.
While he does many things to help a team win football games, you don’t get points for that in fantasy.
Which of the Broncos’ RBs Should You Start?
If you have Williams on their team, you should be optimistic about his carries the last two weeks.
He is currently RB21 in the PFN Consensus Rankings, while Perine is RB37.
This is a perfect matchup for him to post his first big game of the season. The Miami Dolphins enter this game with one of the worst rush defenses in the NFL.
Through two games, the Dolphins are allowing 160.5 rushing yards per game, which ranks 28th in the NFL. They have struggled to stop teams from moving the chains with the run game, allowing 13.5 first downs per game on rushes. No team has allowed more.
That number was inflated because of the opener against the Los Angeles Chargers (233 yards allowed) and they did do a better job against the New England Patriots’ offense in Week 2.
However, with how the Broncos are attacking deep downfield, Miami is going to have to keep safeties deep, giving Denver the advantage in the box. Look for Williams to have his best game of the season on Sunday, with a 100-yard, one-touchdown day being a possibility.