Until this past season, Denver Broncos wide receiver Brandon Lloyd had been an afterthought as a fantasy wide receiver. In the league since 2003, he has spent time with San Francisco, Washington and Chicago before landing in Denver. His best seasons came in 2004 and 2005 when caught a total of 91 balls for 1298 yards. After playing in two games for the Broncos in 2009, Lloyd has come into his own as one of the top fantasy wide receivers in 2010.
He has already tied his career high in passes (48) and touchdowns (six) and should pass the 1,000-yard mark in Monday’s game against the Chargers. ESPN.com’s fantasy experts rank him as the 10th best wide receiver this week, but the points projection is 21. Lloyd is, obviously, a no-brainer to start without hesitation in week 11. For a guy who was averaging the 170th pick in most drafts, Lloyd has turned into one the season’s best late-round gems.
Looking a bit deeper into the Broncos’ receiving corps, Jabar Gaffney is still a good option as a third wide receiver. Since his week 3 performance of 12 catchers for 140 yards, Gaffney has put up at least 50 yards and just caught his second touchdown pass of the season.
While Philip Rivers leads the top passing attack in the NFL, tight end Antonio Gates is his main option with a team best 40 catches for 663 yards and nine touchdowns. Wide receiver Malcom Floyd should return after a nearly five-week absence. Floyd looked poised for big things after torching the Raiders for 213 yards on eight catches in week 5, but then he injured his hamstring in the third quarter of the next game Still, don’t count on him for much this week against the Broncos.
The San Diego Chargers’ Vincent Jackson will not appear in this game since he is still on the Roster Exempt list and will be eligible to return next week against the Indianapolis Colts. After being placed on the Roster Exempt list, Jackson needed to serve a three-game suspension under NFL rules after signing his contract with the team.