The Denver Broncos offense didn’t have very many bright spots in 2022, but the production from rookie TE Greg Dulcich was encouraging. Now with new head coach Sean Payton in the mix, what can we expect from Dulcich in fantasy football heading into the 2023 NFL season?
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Greg Dulcich’s Fantasy Outlook
Dulcich was plagued by a hamstring injury his rookie season, but he still managed to finish as a top-12 tight end in five of 10 games played last year (PPR formats).
His stat line of 33-411-2 with a TE29 finish doesn’t exactly have people screaming “future fantasy superstar” from the rooftops, but his five targets per game as a rookie is a sign the Broncos see him as a viable threat in the passing game.
More importantly, new head coach Sean Payton sees it too. Payton alluded to Dulcich having “traits that are exciting” while mentioning some of the previous tight ends he’s worked with, such as Jeremy Shockey, Jason Witten, and Jimmy Graham.
If Payton uses Dulcich in his “joker” role, which is a TE or RB with exceptional ball skills that allows a coach to create mismatches against opposing defenses, then you can certainly make the case that Dulcich is going to have a significant role in this passing attack in 2023.
Should You Draft Greg Dulcich at His Current Draft Day Price?
When trying to decide whether or not to invest in this Broncos offense, it’s worth asking yourself this question…
Do you believe Denver will finish dead last in the league in points per game for a second straight season? To me, the answer is an emphatic no.
Payton’s résumé of elite offensive production is too lengthy to dismiss. He is likely to have a profoundly positive impact on Russell Wilson, who has an eight-year run as a top-10 fantasy QB on his résumé. After all, it’s not like Drew Brees was on a Hall of Fame trajectory prior to joining forces with Payton in New Orleans.
Payton’s fantasy impact extends beyond the QB position, though. Since 2011, Payton’s offense has produced six top-10 TE seasons (more if you include Taysom Hill).
If you specifically look at Graham’s production, he saw 120+ targets for a four-year stretch from 2011-2014, which produced four straight TE1 or TE2 overall finishes during that span.
MORE: 2023 Fantasy Player Projections
Dulcich still has a ways to go before I project him for the type of fantasy impact that Graham produced for a lengthy period of time. But if Payton believes he’s worth mentioning in the same breath as Graham, then we should probably listen.
Dulcich’s rookie production as a pass-catching tight end and potential upside in Payton’s offensive scheme makes him well worth a selection at his current ADP of 124 overall.
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