Broncos' Jaleel McLaughlin: Estimated as DNP on Monday
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McLaughlin (quadriceps) was listed as a non-participant on Monday's estimated practice report, Zac Stevens of TheDNVR.com reports.
McLaughlin exited Sunday's win over the Colts early with the injury. Prior to leaving, McLaughlin rushed seven times for 21 yards and caught all three of his targets for 13 yards in the pass game. If McLaughlin can't play Thursday night against the Chargers, rookie Audric Estime would be in line for more work alongside Javonte Williams out of Denver's backfield.
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Broncos' Jaleel McLaughlin: Exits Sunday's game
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McLaughlin left Sunday's game against the Colts after sustaining a quad injury, Parker Gabriel of The Denver Post reports.
Before his exit from the contest, McLaughlin carried seven times for 21 yards and caught all three of his targets for 13 yards. In his absence, Javonte Williams and Audric Estime will handle Denver's Week 15 backfield duties.
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Broncos' Jaleel McLaughlin: Sleeper RBs
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It's risky to trust a Broncos running back because on any given week we could see McLaughlin, Javonte Williams or Audric Estime lead the team in carries. But in Denver's last game in Week 13 against Cleveland, McLaughlin looked great with 14 carries for 84 yards and one catch for no yards on two targets. If he gets that amount of work again in Week 15 against Indianapolis then McLaughlin will be a solid flex option in all leagues. The Colts are No. 4 in most Fantasy points allowed to opposing running backs, and five running backs in the past three games against Indianapolis have scored at least 12.2 PPR points.
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Broncos' Jaleel McLaughlin: Week 15 Waiver Priority List
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The last time we saw McLaughlin, he operated as the lead running back for the Broncos in Week 13 against Cleveland with a season-high 14 carries for 84 yards and one catch for no yards on two targets. The only other time he had double digits in carries was in Week 1, so take that into account. We could still see Javonte Williams or Audric Estime lead Denver in touches in Week 15 against Indianapolis, but McLaughlin is worth adding to use as a potential flex. The Colts are No. 4 in most Fantasy points allowed to opposing running backs, so this is a great matchup for McLaughlin if he gets a quality workload.
You could start McLaughlin in Week 15 against the Colts. I wouldn't mind flexing him. But that does require that you trust Sean Payton to do the same thing with his running backs after the bye as he did before. I would rather see one more week. If McLaughlin is the clear lead back for the third week in a row then we'll feel much better about starting him in Week 16 against the Chargers and even moreso in Week 17 against the Bengals.
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Broncos' Jaleel McLaughlin: Week 14 Waiver Priority List
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We're waiting for a running back to step forward in Denver's backfield, and maybe McLaughlin did that Monday night against Cleveland. He had 14 carries for 84 yards and caught one pass for no yards on two targets. Prior to that, McLaughlin combined for 13 carries in his past three games, so keep that in mind, and Javonte Williams and Audric Estime aren't expected to go away. But it's not a bad idea to speculate on McLaughlin, even with the Broncos on a bye, and he's worth adding for 5 percent of your remaining FAB.
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Broncos' Jaleel McLaughlin: Stashes (RB Preview)
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McLaughlin is on bye, so he is strictly a playoff stash. He's been running efficiently for a month and was rewarded in Week 13 with a career-high 14 rush attempts, which he turned into 84 yards. It's dangerous guessing what Sean Payton will do on a week-to-week basis at this position, but for now, we're projecting McLaughlin to be the Broncos top back after their bye.
McLaughlin rushed 14 times for 84 yards while catching one of two targets for no gain in Monday's 41-32 win over Cleveland.
McLaughlin received 10 more carries than any teammate in Monday's primetime matchup. This comes on the heels of the second-year pro leading Denver in rushing yards a week prior. Audric Estime remained in the mix with three carries for 12 yards, but Javonte Williams had the worst rushing day of the trio despite punching in a short touchdown. McLaughlin handled the increased workload in stride, making him a potential hot pickup coming out of the Broncos' upcoming bye week.
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Broncos' Jaleel McLaughlin: Leading rusher on seven carries
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McLaughlin took seven carries for 44 yards and failed to bring in his lone target in Sunday's 29-19 win over Las Vegas.
McLaughlin surprisingly finished as the Broncos' leading rusher after seemingly falling to third on the depth chart a week ago. Starter Javonte Williams couldn't gain positive yards after his eight carries while assumed backup Audric Estime finished second with 15 yards off of three rushing attempts. McLaughlin has reached double-digit carries only once this season (Week 1), which makes him an unlikely candidate to become a fantasy force despite being effective against the Raiders. We may simply have a classic RBBC situation in Denver, making every tailback on the roster a risky play against the Browns next Monday.
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Broncos' Jaleel McLaughlin: Minimal involvement against Atlanta
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McLaughlin rushed four times for 16 yards in Sunday's 38-6 win over the Falcons.
McLaughlin assumed the role of the Broncos clear-cut No. 3 running back, as Javonte Williams and rookie Audric Estime both handled more playing time and carries in the contest. The second-year running back played just nine of Denver's 62 offensive snaps, while Williams and Estime played 32 and 14 snaps, respectively. With head coach Sean Payton repeatedly hinting at an increased workload for Estime as the season progresses, McLaughlin will likely continue to be the odd man out in the Broncos' backfield rotation. The 24-year-old should not be in consideration for fantasy lineups heading into a Week 12 matchup against the Raiders.
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Broncos' Jaleel McLaughlin: Limited to two carries Sunday
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McLaughlin rushed two times for 12 yards in the Broncos' 16-14 loss to the Chiefs on Sunday.
Sunday brought a changing of the guard to the Broncos backfield, as McLaughlin and Javonte Williams combined for just three carries to rookie Audric Estime's 14. McLaughlin had logged at least three rush attempts in each game this season and a combined 13 over his previous two contests, so the drop in involvement, which also included his third game without a target, was notable. McLaughlin figures to continue operating in a passing down role, whether it's behind Williams or Estime, in a Week 11 home matchup against the Falcons.
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Broncos' Jaleel McLaughlin: Eight touches against Baltimore
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McLaughlin carried the ball five times for 10 yards and caught all three of his targets for 10 yards in Sunday's 41-10 loss to the Ravens.
McLaughlin played the No. 2 running back role Sunday, playing 23 of the Broncos' 72 offensive snaps while starter Javonte Williams played 39 snaps in the contest. Through nine weeks, the 24-year-old McLaughlin is averaging just under six rushing attempts and roughly 23 yards per game. The second-year running back has not seen enough consistent involvement in Denver's offense to make him an attractive option for fantasy purposes. In addition, Chris Tomasson of The Denver Gazette reports Broncos head coach Sean Payton said Monday that rookie Audric Estime could see his role increase as the season progresses. Assuming this comes to fruition, it would almost undoubtedly lead to even fewer opportunities for McLaughlin down the stretch. In what could become an even messier situation in the Denver backfield, the 24-year-old should not be trusted for fantasy purposes heading into a Week 10 matchup against the Chiefs.
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Broncos' Jaleel McLaughlin: Week 9 Waiver Priority List
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Javonte Williams should remain the starter for the Broncos heading into Week 9 at Baltimore, but he struggled in an easy matchup in Week 8 against Carolina with 17 carries for 44 yards and four catches for 8 yards on five targets. McLaughlin, meanwhile, had eight carries for 47 yards, one catch for 9 yards, and a touchdown on one target against Carolina, and maybe he'll get more work moving forward. He's now scored at least 11.5 PPR points in two of his past four games, and he could be a flex option in deeper leagues if he gets more work for Denver. It's worth stashing McLaughin on your bench for 5 percent of your remaining FAB.
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Broncos' Jaleel McLaughlin: Five touches in loss
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McLaughlin rushed three times for eight yards in Sunday's 23-16 loss to the Chargers. He added two receptions on two targets for 17 yards.
McLaughlin continued to operate as Denver's No. 2 running back in the contest, playing 14 of the Broncos' 55 offensive snaps. Meanwhile, starter Javonte Williams played a healthy 37 snaps but saw just three more carries than McLaughlin. The Denver backfield has failed to become a strong unit so far in 2024, as play has been inconsistent and unimpressive through five games. With rookie Audric Estime rejoining the team after a four-week stint on injured reserve, the running back situation could become more muddied as the coaching staff tries to get the ground game going. The 24-year-old McLaughlin remains difficult to trust for fantasy purposes with his limited role in Denver's offense. The Broncos will visit the Saints in Week 7.
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Broncos' Jaleel McLaughlin: Week 6 Waiver Priority List
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Javonte Williams is the No. 1 running back for the Broncos, but McLaughlin continues to operate as the No. 2 option. He's scored a touchdown in two of the past three games, and he can be considered a flex option in deeper leagues heading into Week 6 against the Chargers. McLaughlin also has lottery-ticket potential if Williams were to miss any time due to injury. McLaughlin is worth adding for up to 5 percent of your remaining FAB.
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Broncos' Jaleel McLaughlin: Week 5 Waiver Priority List
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It seems like Sean Payton really wants to use three running backs each game, but now he's down Tyler Badie (back) after he was injured in Week 4 at the Jets. Javonte Williams remains the best running back in Denver, but now maybe McLaughlin will get more touches if a third running back isn't used in Week 5 against the Raiders. McLaughlin has scored 8.4 PPR points or less in every game this season, but he can hopefully make an impact against Las Vegas in Week 5 and then become a factor to close the season. He's worth adding for 1 percent of your remaining FAB.
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Broncos' Jaleel McLaughlin: Produces 46 yards
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McLaughlin ran for 46 yards on nine carries against the Jets on Sunday, adding one reception for zero yards on one target.
McLaughlin's previous single-game high for rushing yardage was 27 on 10 carries in Week 1, so the 46 yards against the Jets was a welcome improvement. The Denver defense was dominant Sunday, giving the offense the luxury of leaning on the run game longer even when returns weren't immediately good. The Broncos kept wearing down the Jets defense over the course of the game, however, and started running with more ease in the second half. McLaughlin still functioned behind Javonte Williams, who ran for 77 yards on 16 carries, but perhaps the victory will give reason for coach Sean Payton to pursue a similar offensive template in upcoming weeks. The Las Vegas defense could prove more vulnerable in Week 5 than the Jets did Sunday.
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Broncos' Jaleel McLaughlin: Less involved in Week 2
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McLaughlin rushed three times for six yards in Sunday's 13-6 loss to the Steelers.
After leading Denver's running backs in touches in Week 1, McLaughlin took a back seat to teammate Javonte Williams against the Steelers. The second-year back played just 17 of the Broncos' offensive snaps in the contest, well behind Williams, who was on the field for 40 snaps. McLaughlin also failed to see a target in the passing game, though he logged a healthy five targets in Week 1. With that said, the 24-year-old has an explosive skill set, yet he has been unable to produce efficiently in Denver's struggling offense as the second option out of the backfield. Next up for for McLaughlin and the Broncos is a road matchup with the Buccaneers in Week 3.
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Broncos' Jaleel McLaughlin: Most touches in Week 1 loss
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McLaughlin carried the ball 10 times for 27 yards with a lost fumble and caught all five targets for one yard in Sunday's 26-20 loss to Seattle.
McLaughlin finished the day with five more touches than co-starter Javonte Williams. Neither tailback performed well in quarterback Bo Nix's first start, as each averaged less than three yards per carry. Sunday's workload bodes well for McLaughlin's fantasy managers heading into next Sunday's tilt against Pittsburgh, but neither back looks appealing following underwhelming starts.
McLaughlin is still available in almost 40% of leagues, which makes him my clear top choice if you need a Week 1 fill-in. I project McLaughlin for eight to 12 touches on a weekly basis and last year he averaged 5.3 yards per touch. We still don't know exactly what Sean Payton's rotation is going to look like, but we do know his Broncos will throw the ball to their running back a ton. McLaughlin should see his fair share of those targets.
