After a bye week for the Denver Broncos, fantasy owners can start making decisions on which Broncos should start this week for their team(s). It will be an AFC West matchup between the Broncos and Chiefs this week in Denver, and one that won't be good for the Broncos' defense. Right now the Broncos are tied for the second-worst fantasy defense with the Houston Texans at 10 points in ESPN's fantasy scoring. Looking at the bottom four teams (Buffalo, Denver, Houston and Jacksonville), there's no point in having any of them on your fantasy roster. Jacksonville is the best of the bunch with 13 points. The next best team? The Minnesota Vikings with 29 points. Those four are some truly bad fantasy defenses.
In terms of total defense, the Broncos have the No. 22 defense in the league because they have been able to stop teams from throwing all over them. However, they rank No. 31 in rushing defense. The Kansas City Chiefs have the top rushing offense in the league at 179.6 yards per game. Jamaal Charles, though held to only 53 yards by the Raiders last week, will still be a prime option for fantasy owners with the way the Broncos have stopped the run this season. His ability to catch passes out of the backfield will help owners more than Charles' teammate, Thomas Jones. The Broncos allow the 27th most points in the league at 27.9. Unless the Broncos figured things out during the bye week, the Chiefs may have the Broncos' number on Sunday.
The Kansas City Chiefs' defense is No. 13 in ESPN's rankings with 62 points. That's tied with the New York Jets, but 44 points away from the Packers' No. 1 defense at 106 points. The Chiefs have a top 10 rushing defense, allowing less than 100 yards a game. This does not bode well for the Broncos rushing game, because it is mostly nonexistent. Unless Knowshon Moreno is able to pound the ball for 20-plus rushes in the game, the Chiefs' defense will hold the line on the ground. Also, the Broncos have the No. 3 passing offense in the league, while the Chiefs have the No. 21 passing defense. Kyle Orton and Brandon Lloyd will look to burn the defense.
Verdict: Stay clear of the Broncos' defense; start the Chiefs.