The Denver Broncos are heading into Monday Night Football with the chance to be the next team at 3-0 in the NFL and the only thing standing in their way for the ESPN broadcast is the Oakland Raiders, who will make the trip to Colorado for their first primetime game this season.
The Broncos have been one of the best teams in the league this season and Denver is coming off of a nice victory last week against the Giants that once again saw the efficiency of Peyton Manning and the offense, including players like Wes Welker, Eric Decker, Knowshon Moreno, Julius Thomas and Demaryius Thomas, who have all put up solid numbers for fantasy owners this year. Peyton Manning has almost too many targets to choose from and after many fantasy owners were worried that there wouldn't be enough to go around, that has not proven to be true.
The team is playing against a Raiders defense that has played well against the pass this season, but that likely won't stop Manning on Monday night. One of the toughest parts for fantasy owners is deciding who to start and after the Broncos defeated both the Ravens and Giants by large deficits, definitely START the three main wideouts in Wes Welker, Eric Decker and Demaryius Thomas, because they are a matchup nightmare for the Raiders, while Julius Thomas is also a safe start at tight end after being one of the early breakout players this season.
Manning played well against the Raiders last season in both games and this year all his receivers should have chances, including Welker and Decker, who have been very good in sets this season when on the field together. Decker has been the one who has gotten the short end a bit this season, making just two catches in week 1, but he made up for that with nearly 10 in Week 2 and he could have another big game if the Raiders decide to target Welker and Thomas.
Thomas is a huge target and he has been excellent this season while making 10 catches for over 200 yards and two touchdowns and while the bulk of that came in the Week 1 game against the Ravens, he is poised to breakout on Monday night. Thomas made two touchdown catches in the first game against the Ravens and after being held out in Week 2, he could find pay dirt on Monday night. The other Thomas is a hard start as well, because even though the Raiders linebackers have improved, Thomas has shown that he is more athletic than all of them.
Thomas has made three touchdown catches this season and he has been targeted 18 times by Manning while making 11 catches for just over 150 yards. Last week he had six catches but added a touchdown and after scoring twice and gaining over 100 yards in Week 1, he could be poised to do it again on Monday.
The running game was expected to be a two headed monster with Ronnie Hillman and Montee Ball heading into the season, but so far it has been a one man show with just Knowshon Moreno and that could continue on Monday. Moreno is a definite start in the game after rushing for 92 yards and two scores last week and he has been by far the most consistent running back for the Broncos.