The Denver Broncos were on bye in Week 12. That was enough time to trade for RJ Harvey and Troy Franklin in fantasy football. Here’s a fun fact: Franklin is WR15 in points per game since Week 7 — his last five games — while fellow wide receiver Courtland Sutton is WR36. Harvey, meanwhile, totaled 11 out of a possible 21 carries for 59 yards in Week 11, pacing the backfield in touches. He totaled three receptions as well for a total of 14 touches. The next running back had seven.
RJ Harvey
Harvey is a locked-in RB2, with 15 touches as his floor most weeks, including Week 13. The Washington Commanders, meanwhile, allow the seventh-most rushing yards per game and the fifth-most points per game. This is a spot for the Broncos’ skill position players to tee off on the Commanders’ defense.
Troy Franklin
Franklin, a slot wide receiver, is a volume-based flex with WR2 upside.
Franklin’s targets, receptions, and yards in the past five games: 45, 22, 259 (51.8 yards per game)
Sutton’s targets, receptions, and yards in the past five games: 34, 18, 267 (53.4 yards per game)
Franklin is No. 32 in PFSN’s WR Impact Score, while Sutton is No. 30. So, the bye week was the time to buy low on Franklin while casuals thought Sutton was the No. 1 WR for the Broncos in fantasy football. Franklin is the No. 1 WR for the Broncos in fantasy — detractors be damned.
Pat Bryant
Bryant is worthy of a bench spot heading into Week 13. Sutton is taking away the opposing defense’s No. 1 cornerback — and more –, and it’s trickling down. He’s no better than a flex play. But the rest of the receivers are reaping the rewards.
Head coach Sean Payton said, “We get some [WR] Courtland [Sutton] double. Philly, near the end of the game, we had a play we liked and shoot, the safety went right to him. We ended up throwing it away. So a lot of it depends on the defensive coordinator. [Chiefs Defensive Coordinator] Steve [Spagnuolo] has done this long enough. He’ll try to take away your targets in certain situations. Last week, we got some safety lean.”
So, Bryant is worth a speculative add. He is coming off a five-reception, 82-yard game on six targets. In Week 10, Bryant caught a 43-yard reception as well. Yes, Marvin Mims Jr. returned in Week 11 after a two-game absence, but he did not record a target — although he totaled 100-plus scrimmage yards off punt returns and a carry.
