Fantasy football managers were excited about the prospect of Denver Broncos TE Greg Dulcich this summer, given his athletic profile and 12.5 yards per catch as a rookie. However, a hamstring injury suffered in Week 1 resulted in him being placed on injured reserve (IR). Dulcich is set to return to action tonight against the Kansas City Chiefs, but does that mean he should be scooped up off of your waiver wire?
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Should Fantasy Football Managers Add Greg Dulcich?
Would it surprise you to know that the Broncos rank seventh in yards per play through five weeks? This offense is more effective than you might assume, and while it’s not always pretty, they have been moving the ball with a level of consistency.
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What Dulcich did in limited action last season requires us to pay attention to him. In an offense that was floundering, he had three games with a 30-yard catch and earned eight targets in three of his final four games.
Is Dulcich a must-add? He’s not. This offense is only going to be able to sustain so many pass catchers, and with Jerry Jeudy and Courtland Sutton both healthy, Dulcich is — at best — the third option in an offense that ranks 26th in time of possession.
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Of course, Dulcich plays the TE position, so he’s not an unreasonable add. If you’re interested in the physical tools, I suggest taking a wait-and-see approach over the next month.
Denver goes on their bye in Week 9, and barring a Sam LaPorta-like run of production between now and then, odds are good that Dulcich is back on the waiver wire after Week 8.
Dulcich’s Rest-of-Season Outlook
For me, the rest-of-season outlook carries more optimism than the short-term picture I painted. Those of us without stability at the TE position need to plan ahead when it comes to addressing the position, and Dulcich could easily peak at the perfect time.
- Week 14: at Chargers
- Week 15: at Lions
- Week 16: vs. Patriots
- Week 17: vs. Chargers
- Week 18: at Raiders
To me, that looks like four matchups where the Broncos are going to be asked to score to remain competitive, which is the environment I want my tight end to be in.
Those streaming the TE position are looking for band-aids on a weekly basis. While I’m not willing to look Dulcich’s way immediately upon his return, I am ear-marking him.
We will learn just how healthy (and involved) he is by tracking the usage stats over the next month. If he checks all the boxes, the savvy play may be stashing him (free of charge) with a late week add in Week 9 with Denver on bye.
If you plan on doing that, you can structure your roster accordingly. It’s a low-risk maneuver that I’m considering all leagues in which I am streaming the position and have the benefit of deeper benches.