The Broncos enter their Week 16 matchup with the Raiders ranked 26th in the league in total defense (378.1 YPG).

Analysis: Denver ranks much better in terms of scoring defense (10th at 21.4 PPG) and has shown solid playmaking ability, ranking sixth in takeaways (24) and sixth in sacks (42). Meanwhile, the Oakland offense ranks 29th in scoring (18.9 PPG) and 30th in sacks allowed (48) and is largely devoid of playmakers beyond TE Jared Cook. The Broncos are allowing only 16 PPG over their last four games and that total should be attainable against the Raiders in what is as good a matchup as you'll find for Week 16.

The Broncos allowed 389 total yards of offense during last week's disappointing 20-14 loss to the 49ers. They'll face the Browns in Week 15.

Analysis: The loss may have derailed Denver's hopes of securing a wild-card berth. The performance was especially gutting in that the damage came from relative unknowns, as 2017 undrafted free agent Nick Mullens torched Denver for 332 yards through the air while undrafted rookie Jeff Wilson supplied 90 yards on the ground. It's easy to overreact, but Cleveland will likely use the same formula that San Francisco used to exploit Denver's defensive holes. Budding stars Baker Mayfield and Nick Chubb will…read more

The Broncos are allowing just 16.3 PPG over their current three-game win streak.

Analysis: Denver has positioned itself for a playoff push following a strong November. It's fair to say the offense has found its rhythm, but there's no discrediting the defensive surge happening in the Mile High City. In last week's win over the Bengals, the Broncos held the Cincinnati to just 313 total yards of offense and forced three forced turnovers in the process. Seventh in the NFL in takeaways with 21, expect Denver to force errant decision-making against Nick Mullens and the 49ers come Sunday.…read more

The Broncos boast the league's 13th-ranked scoring defense (22.9 PPG) entering Week 13's tilt with Cincinnati.

Analysis: Aside from a putrid October stretch, Denver has been a surprisingly strong team throughout 2018. While the concept of moral victories is a bit ironic in a sport predicated on wins and losses, the Broncos' defense has nearly engineered two wins over Patrick Mahomes' Chiefs this season. Likewise, wins over the Chargers, Steelers and Seahawks all indicate that Denver can play with anybody in large part due to its defensive playmakers. The ever-impactful Von Miller has found his Robin with the…read more

Broncos CB Bradley Roby (concussion) and LB Brandon Marshall (knee) are nursing injuries heading into Sunday's game against the Steelers.

Analysis: Roby and Marshall both started the week not practicing, and their potential absence against Pittsburgh's high-octane offense would not be ideal. The Broncos allowed 479 yards of offense to the Chargers last week, but forced a pair of turnovers and had three sacks to help hold them to 22 points to earn the win. Denver ranks middle of the pack in points (23.5) and yardage (375.5) allowed as well as takeaways (14), but are seventh with 31 sacks. Overall the Broncos defense has fared relatively…read more

Broncos cornerback Bradley Roby is nursing an ankle injury ahead of Sunday's tilt with the Chargers.

Analysis: Roby's availability could loom large given how hot Los Angeles' passing game has been as of late. With Keenan Allen and Melvin Gordon leading the skill positions, Philip Rivers doesn't look like an aged man these days. The Broncos have proven capable in out-gaining opponents in terms of yardage, but Denver has failed to win the turnover battle in each of its last two contests. If Roby can suit up, don't be surprised if Vance Joseph's squad keeps the lid on the Chargers' explosive offense,…read more

The Broncos enter Week 9 with the 22nd-ranked total defense (373.3 YPG).

Analysis: Denver has dropped five of its last six contests and, while it's not a direct result of defensive issues, the Broncos' defense isn't fully excused from blame. In each of their last five losses, the Broncos have surrendered 23 or more points. Granted, most defenses are not tasked with playing the Chiefs twice and Rams once over a five-game stretch, but that's just the way the schedule worked out. While Denver has been inconsistent in the takeaway department, Vance Joseph's unit has been stout in…read more

Denver enters their Week 8 matchup with the Chiefs as the league's 13th-best scoring defense (23.4 points per game).

Analysis: Denver is beginning to shape its identity as a matchup play. They aren't quite capable of controlling their own fantasy destiny, but as they proved in Week 7 against an anemic Arizona offense, the Denver defense is still capable of delivering big outings in favorable settings. Unfortunately for Denver, Week 8 won't feature one of those favorable matchups with the blazing-hot Chiefs facing off against them. En route to smashing offensive records left and right, second-year QB Patrick Mahomes has…read more

The Broncos rank 27th in yardage allowed (403.8 per game) and 21st in points allowed (25.7 per game) heading into Thursday's game against the Cardinals.

Analysis: Denver allowed 444 yards of offense to the Rams in Week 6 -- including 208 rushing yards from Todd Gurley -- but clamped down enough to hold the opposition to 23 points. This week's matchup will feature another young quarterback (Josh Rosen) on the opposing side, but he has yet to provide a major spark to an offense that ranks in the bottom two in the NFL in both points and yards per game. The Cardinals rank 21st with 10 giveaways, but six of those belong to QB Sam Bradford, who started the…read more

The Broncos enter their Week 6 matchup with the Rams ranked 23rd in the NFL in scoring defense (26.2 points per game).

Analysis: Denver's electrifying pass-rushing duo of Von Miller and rookie Bradley Chubb has paid dividends in the early going, but the rest of the defense has struggled to live up to the typical standards in the Mile High City. The Broncos gave up a season-high 34 points last week to the Jets and rookie quarterback Sam Darnold, resulting in Denver dropping its third straight game. With the high-powered 5-0 Rams coming to Denver, it's unlikely the Broncos will work out their problems come Sunday. If this…read more

The Broncos allowed 27 points to the Chiefs in Week 4. They'll play the Jets in Week 5.

Analysis: Even in a losing effort last week, Denver's defense remained somewhat impressive. They seemed to be the first team to give red-hot QB Patrick Mahomes any difficulty this season. In the end, Mahomes and the Chiefs' offense proved to be too much, but Denver's performance caught the eyes of many. Their Week 5 draw against the Jets provides a solid rebound opportunity. New York's offense seems to be reeling a bit, having struggled mightily since their 48-17 win over the Lions in Week 1. With a…read more

Broncos linebacker Von Miller ranks atop the NFL with 4.0 sacks through three games.

Analysis: There is no denying the talent on this Denver defense which is always headlined by Miller. With each passing week, it's only reasonable to expect Bradley Chubb to get better and show drastic improvement with his professional feet underneath him. But even with all of the defensive talent, the Broncos haven't looked like the best version of themselves in the early portion of the season. Denver, a team typically near the top of team defense statistical categories, ranks 16th in scoring defense…read more

The Broncos enter Week 3 ranked 14th in scoring defense (21.5 PPG).

Analysis: Denver's defense has been good not great through the first two games of the season. Led by Von Miller, Vance Joseph's defense has registered 7.0 sacks through two weeks, good enough to rank fifth-best in the league. In Week 3, Denver catches Baltimore fresh off a disappointing 34-23 loss to the Bengals. The Ravens enter this week's matchup with added rest having played in last week's Thursday night game, but the Ravens still have major question marks on the offensive side of the ball. Factoring…read more

The Broncos narrowly escaped Sunday with a 27-24 win over the Seahawks during Week 1.

Analysis: Even with all the attention and focus Von Miller commands from opposing offensive lines on a weekly basis, the AFC's best pass rusher found a way to drag Russell Wilson to the ground on three occasions Sunday. Miller accounted for only half of the team's sacks, however, as Denver totaled six of them during the season-opener. Denver's defense also picked off Wilson twice en route to victory. The Broncos have a chance to build off of a strong defensive debut as they draw the Raiders in a Week 2…read more

Defensive end Zach Kerr was ruled out for Sunday's season finale against the Chiefs with an ankle injury.

Analysis: The Chiefs usually represent a difficult matchup for fantasy defenses as they rarely turn the ball over and have multiple elite weapons, but with them locked into the No. 4 seed in the AFC playoff race, starting QB Alex Smith, RB Kareem Hunt, WR Tyreek Hill and TE Travis Kelce are all likely to sit out Week 17 (only Smith & Hill have been confirmed, though). Denver does feature the second-best NFL defense in total yardage (284.1) and will be facing rookie QB Patrick Mahomes without most of…read more

The Broncos allow 276.8 total yards per game, which ranks first in the NFL.

Analysis: The Denver defense has put together back-to-back good performances against the Jets and Colts, having allowed only 13 total points and 328 total yards the last two weeks. The Redskins offense ranks 18th in the NFL in both points per game (21.8) and total yards per game (329.7), and also rank 25th in giveaways (22). The Broncos biggest pitfall this has been a lack of takeaways (ranked 28th with 13), while the turnover-prone offense often forces them to defend a short field. Denver's defense has…read more

Defensive tackle Domata Peko is listed as questionable for Thursday's game against the Colts with a knee injury.

Analysis: Peko has missed the past two games but coach Vance Joseph expects him to be available, which would provide a major boost to the interior of the Broncos defensive line. The Denver defense's shutout of the Jets in Week 14 is arguably their best performance of the season, and they even managed to force a pair of turnovers, one of their biggest weaknesses as a unit in 2017. The Colts offense has been inconsistent at best with Jacoby Brissett under center, and have failed to score more than 17…read more

Broncos defensive end Derek Wolfe is dealing with a neck injury ahead of Sunday's game against the Jets.

Analysis: Wolfe's availability for Sunday's game remains in question. While he might not be the focal point of the defense, Wolfe's availability should not be understated entering Week 14. The Jets offense, believe it or not, has been one of the hottest groups over the past several weeks. Wideout Robby Anderson is having an award worthy season and veteran quarterback Josh McCown has exceeded every expectation imaginable coming into the season. We won't advise against playing Denver's defense given the…read more

Denver defensive tackle Domata Peko is nursing a knee injury ahead of Sunday's game against the Dolphins.

Analysis: The Broncos have been bitten by the injury bug as of late with Peko, Derek Wolfe (neck), Shane Ray (illness), and Adam Gotsis (ankle) all in jeopardy of missing Week 13. With that being said, the Broncos are still a strong play this week considering who they're going up against. Miami's offense ranks near the bottom in every offensive statistical category and just a few weeks ago Dolphins head coach Adam Gase referred to the team's offense as the "worst in football." While Denver has…read more

Linebacker Shane Ray is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Raiders with ankle and wrist injuries.

Analysis: Ray sustained both injuries in last week's loss to the Bengals and is likely to be a game-time decision. The Denver defense responded after a few rough games with a solid performance last week holding the Bengals to 190 yards of offense, but again allowed two short-field touchdowns after turnovers by the offense. The Broncos continue to struggle forcing turnovers and have only seven takeaways on the season, with only the interception-less Raiders having fewer. One would like to think the game…read more

The Broncos starting defense is fully healthy heading into Sunday's game against the Bengals.

Analysis: Tom Brady and the Patriots made it two consecutive poor performances for the Broncos defense, as opponents have scored 92 points over the past two games. Not all of the points have been given up by the defense, but it still marks the unit's worst two games of the season. The Bengals offense has struggled throughout the season and is averaging only 16.6 points and a league worst 274 yards per game. The Broncos have struggled to force turnovers this season (five INTs, two fumbles), but the…read more

Defensive end Derek Wolfe (neck) practiced fully Friday and won't carry an injury designation into Sunday's game against the Patriots.

Analysis: The Broncos put in an embarrassing performance against the Eagles in Week 9, allowing 419 yards of offense and 51 points, which marked the first time this season they have given up more than 300 yards or 30 points in a game. The defense was redeemed for fantasy purposes with linebacker Brandon Marshall's 19-yard fumble return for a touchdown in the fourth quarter off of Eagles' backup QB Nick Foles, but overall it was a very uninspired performance. One has to hope that Denver kicks things back…read more