Denver Broncos: Brandon Lloyd Will Struggle in Return vs. Tennessee Titans

Denver Broncos wide receiver Brandon Lloyd missed the team's Week 2 game due to a groin injury. According to the Denver Post, he is fully expected to return for this weekend's game against the Tennessee Titans.

However, matching up with Cortland Finnegan likely means he'll struggle on Sunday.

The paper's Lindsay H. Jones analyzed the situation:

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Denver is confident that Lloyd will be able to play this weekend at Tennessee. But if Lloyd suffers a setback during practice, the Broncos could promote one of the wideouts on their practice squad — Eron Riley​ or D'Andre Goodwin. Demaryius Thomas, a former first-round draft pick, remains out while recovering from Achilles tendon surgery and a broken finger.

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Lloyd caught six passes for 89 yards against a weak Oakland Raiders secondary before going down with the injury. Groin ailments are tough to shake for wide receivers because of the amount of cutting they do every week, both in practice and during games.

The Titans pass defense is allowing the third-fewest passing yards through two weeks. Furthermore, Finnegan, who will likely shadow Lloyd, is coming off a very strong game against the Baltimore Ravens.

When these two teams met last season, Lloyd caught 11 balls for 115 yards. He won't be able to match that performance, which was mostly due to Josh McDaniels' aggressive offense. With the Titans giving up over 100 yards per game on the ground, look for Willis McGahee to see another heavy workload.

There is always the chance of a setback, as well. If Lloyd was willing to miss a game because of the pain, there's a chance he could play a half and call it a day. Inserting him back into your fantasy lineup is risky to say the least.

However, if he can shake the injury and move forward, his value should get back to the level that was expected in the preseason. That is, a top-20 receiver. If Eric Decker becomes a legitimate second option in the passing game, Lloyd could be even better.

There are too many red flags to start Lloyd in fantasy leagues this week. Use another option and watch to see if he can make it through the game unharmed. If he does, he'll be a great play in Week 4 against a struggling Packers secondary.

Prediction: Five catches for 65 yards and no touchdowns