Brock Osweiler, Ronnie Hillman, Vernon Davis Post-Week 14 Fantasy Advice

Somehow, someway, the Denver Broncos managed to lose their game against the Oakland Raiders on Sunday even though Oakland cobbled together only 126 total yards. Even Denver’s two turnovers shouldn’t have been enough to explain that outcome.

The key to the game was Denver’s inability to punch the ball into the end zone, and it had to settle for five field-goal attempts instead of touchdowns on its promising drives. That limited the fantasy impact of the team's primary offensive playmakers, including quarterback Brock Osweiler, running back Ronnie Hillman and tight end Vernon Davis.

Here is a look at the final tallies for the three players as well as some fantasy reactions for each:

Completions	Passing Yards	Interceptions	Touchdowns	Carries	Rushing Yards	Fantasy Points
35 of 51	308	0	0	3	10	13.32

The yardage was there for Osweiler, and he didn’t commit any turnovers. That is often enough to win games for quarterbacks, but his lack of touchdowns proved to be costly for the Broncos and fantasy owners. 

Part of the problem for Osweiler was the fact that he was sacked five times. Denver’s offensive line ranked a middling 15th in the league in pass blocking entering the matchup, per Football Outsiders, but Sunday’s game was more about Khalil Mack’s dominance than anything else, as the NFL shared:

As for Osweiler’s fantasy value moving forward, he has thrown for two touchdowns only once in five games this year. Sunday was his third contest with at least 250 passing yards but only his first with 300. In all, his numbers have been solid but unspectacular, which is an upgrade on the 2015 version of Peyton Manning (17 picks in nine games). 

Still, the chance of a Manning return looms as a dark cloud for fantasy owners who are hoping to ride Osweiler into the playoffs. Osweiler doesn’t have the monster fantasy numbers to make it worth the risk of having him as your primary quarterback at this point, especially since Manning was on the field for warm-ups Sunday and could return soon, per Fox Sports.

Carries	Rushing Yards	Catches	Receiving Yards	Targets	Total Touchdowns	Fantasy Points
12	20	7	41	9	0	6.1

C.J. Anderson is dealing with injuries and didn’t see the field Sunday, which opened the door for Hillman. He didn’t take advantage in the rushing attack, although he salvaged what would have been an awful outing with a number of receptions.

Much like Manning's potential return limits Osweiler’s long-term fantasy potential, Anderson could be a problem for Hillman owners, especially since the former has averaged more than seven yards per carry in his last two games.

Hillman has averaged only 2.45 yards per carry in his last two games and doesn’t look like the dangerous playmaker he was earlier in the season. What’s more, his receiving yards Sunday were more of an anomaly than a sign of things to come, considering it was his first time with more than nine in a game this season. 

Hillman is worth flex consideration, since he has topped 100 rushing yards three times in 2015, but his recent struggles on the ground and Anderson’s presence are serious red flags.

Catches	Receiving Yards	Touchdowns	Targets	Fantasy Points
7	74	0	9	7.4

On the surface, Davis tallied 74 receiving yards, which was second on the Broncos to only Demaryius Thomas. That is a solid fantasy day from Davis, but there were a number of concerning signs, including a critical drop on a fourth-down pass that contributed to Denver’s loss. 

He also ran backward on a play to avoid defenders, which prompted this response from Jim Trotter of ESPN:

In those moments, Davis looked nothing like the tight end who caught 13 touchdown passes in 2013. Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com did not hold back on his analysis:

Sunday was the fourth time this year Davis has topped 60 receiving yards, but he still hasn’t found the end zone. He did see nine targets, compared to Owen Daniels’ four, but the production has been too inconsistent to rely on Davis moving forward.

Sunday’s performance may have looked fine on paper, but the nuances of it that went beyond the box score could make it harder on Denver’s quarterbacks and coaches to trust Davis. That would spell more trouble for frustrated fantasy owners.