In the 10th of a 32-part series, we are featuring all National Football League teams with a prediction of where each team will finish within their division, key off-season acquisitions and their top fantasy stars. Here are the Denver Broncos.
Key Off Season Acquisition
The Broncos made a blockbuster trade with the Miami Dolphins on March 18. Miami traded wide receiver Jaylen Waddle of Houston, Texas to Denver with a fourth round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft for a first, third, and fourth round pick in 2026.
Waddle, who was the sixth overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft out of the University of Alabama, played the last five seasons with the Dolphins from 2021 to 2025. In 2022, Waddle led the NFL with 18.1 yards per catch. In 2025, he had 64 catches for 910 receiving yards and six touchdown catches. Waddle also had two rushes for 28 rushing yards.
With the Broncos, expect Waddle to be a WR2 behind Courtland Sutton of Brenham, Texas. Last season, Sutton had 74 catches for 1017 receiving yards and seven touchdown catches.
Fantasy Stars
The Broncos have the sixth best rated defense heading into the 2026 NFL regular season. The most high profile Broncos defender is linebacker Alex Singleton of Thousand Oaks, California. Singleton, who is also well known in the Canadian Football League for his time with the Calgary Stampeders, battled testicular cancer last season. He still played 16 games and had 135 combined tackles.
Projected Finish
The Broncos are unlikely to blow teams out, and that seems to be perfectly fine with head coach Sean Payton. The identity of this team is defense, but we are seeing some definite progression from the dependable offensive line and starting quarterback Bo Nix. Expect the Broncos to win the AFC West for a second straight year.
