Julius Thomas' Instant Fantasy Reaction After Week 11

He only had one career reception before the 2013 season, but Julius Thomas has now become one of the best fantasy tight ends in the NFL, and he came away with yet another big game in Week 11.

Thomas was off to a hot start with the Denver Broncos up 17-10 at halftime over the Kansas City Chiefs.  He already had three receptions for 43 yards and a touchdown, giving him 10 fantasy points in ESPN's standard scoring leagues.  That was all he was able to do for the night, however, as the Chiefs focused on him for the rest of the game.

Before Sunday, Thomas had been one of the most productive tight ends in football.  He entered the game with 42 receptions for 547 yards and nine touchdowns, tying with Demaryius Thomas, Wes Welker and Calvin Johnson for the second-most touchdowns in the NFL behind Jimmy Graham.

The main reason for Thomas' success has been Peyton Manning, as he's having the best season of his career, even at 37 years old.  Thomas is capable of creating space against defenders, and Peyton just needs a tiny window to throw to, giving Thomas plenty of opportunities to make plays.

While there are other big tight ends like Graham and Rob Gronkowski, Thomas has emerged as a serious weapon, and he's always a must-start tight end.

Although it must be noted that he suffered a knee injury in the second half (via Lindsay Jones of USA Today):

"

The Broncos initially announced no injury for Julius Thomas, but he didn't return. I did see him pacing the sideline in 4th Q.

— Lindsay Jones (@bylindsayhjones) November 18, 2013"