Week 10 gets underway Thursday with an AFC West battle between the Broncos and Raiders. The Broncos sit atop the division with a 7-2 record, while the Raiders are in the cellar at 2-6. Let's dig into each position for the single-game contests on DraftKings and FanDuel.
Quarterback
Bo Nix ($10,600 DK, $13,800 FD) stands out as the better of the two quarterbacks, as he comes in with multiple touchdowns in each of his last three games, which included Week 9 against the tough Texans defense. He also showed his ability to do damage on the ground, rushing for 36 yards on three carries against Houston. Nix had three total touchdowns against the Raiders in Week 5 last season, then had two more against them in Week 12. With the Raiders allowing 26.3 points per game this year, Nix has a great opportunity to come away with multiple touchdowns again.
Geno Smith ($9,000 DK, $11,400 FD) is coming off his best game of the season, throwing for 284 yards and four touchdowns versus the Jaguars last week. He did have another interception, which has been a problem throughout the season, and he now has 11 interceptions with his 11 touchdowns. The Broncos have allowed just eight scores through the air all season, so don't be surprised if Smith struggles.
Running Back
It hasn't been smooth sailing for Ashton Jeanty ($10,200 DK, $12,200 FD) during his rookie season, as he's averaging just 3.9 yards per carry despite a 26.6 percent broken tackle rate. His offensive line hasn't given him much room to run, and that could continue to be a problem against a Broncos team that has allowed just 3.7 yards per carry. Jeanty has received at least four targets in three of his last four games, so if the Raiders fall into a big deficit early, Jeanty could help salvage his stat line by catching passes out of the backfield.
While Jeanty is the clear top running back for the Raiders, the Broncos deploy both J.K. Dobbins ($8,600 DK, $10,600 FD) and RJ Harvey ($5,600 DK, $7,600 FD) out of the backfield. Dobbins has received at least 14 carries in all but one game this season, and he is averaging 5.1 yards per carry, his highest mark since 2022. Although Harvey has just 46 carries for the season, he has four receiving touchdowns, including one in each of his last three games. Given Harvey's cheap salary, it's not crazy to consider rolling with both running backs.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
The Raiders have allowed 113 receptions to wide receivers, which is behind only the Steelers among teams who have played eight games this season. That could set up Courtland Sutton ($9,600 DK, $9,800 FD) for a big night. Sutton has accounted for 20.4 percent of the Broncos' targets and has an average depth of target of 13.0 yards. Troy Franklin ($7,600 DK, $7,800 FD) doesn't have nearly as high of a floor as Sutton, but he has been targeted at least eight times in each of the last three games. He could remain busy with Marvin Mims Jr. (concussion) out.
The Raiders are thin at wide receiver after they traded Jakobi Meyers to the Jaguars on Tuesday. Tre Tucker ($7,000 DK, $8,200 FD) will be their top wideout, but he only has an 8.4 aDOT. What's also troubling is that the Broncos have allowed 6.18 yards per target to wide receivers, which is the lowest mark in the NFL. Fellow Raiders wide receivers Tyler Lockett ($3,000 DK, $4,200 FD) and Jack Bech ($2,000 DK, $3,400 FD) should be considered as nothing more than dart throws to help balance out your budget.
Now that Meyers is gone, Brock Bowers ($9,800 DK, $12,000 FD) could really be a target machine down the stretch. After missing three games with an injury, Bowers returned in Week 9 to catch 12 of 13 targets for 127 yards and three touchdowns against the Jaguars. The Broncos haven't been as stingy against tight ends, giving up 7.65 yards per target to the position. Even with all of the attention that he will likely get from defenders, it's difficult to resist Bowers.
Broncos tight end Evan Engram ($4,400 DK, $5,600 FD) laid an egg against the Texans last week, failing to catch any of his three targets, but prior to that he had five straight games with at least four receptions. This is a nice bounce-back spot, with the Raiders allowing the seventh-most yards per target to tight ends.
Kicker
Wil Lutz ($5,000 DK, $6,600 FD) battled an illness this week, but he is not in danger of missing this game. He has made 11-of-13 field goal attempts this season and is 10-for-15 on attempts of at least 50 yards since joining the Broncos in 2023.
Daniel Carlson ($4,800 DK, $6,400 FD) is 12-for-15 on field goal attempts, including 3-for-6 on attempts of at least 50 yards. However, with the Raiders' offense struggling for much of the season, Carlson has only attempted 11 extra points.
Defense/Special Teams
The Broncos ($5,400 DK, $6,800 FD) have allowed just 18.4 points per game, which is the fourth-fewest in the league, and they lead the NFL with 40 sacks. The team with the next-most sacks is the Lions with 28. The Raiders ($3,600 DK, $6,000 FD) have just 16 and are tied for the second-most rushing touchdowns allowed (12) in the league.
