Sleeper Kyle Orton Ready to Wake Up for Fantasy Teams

There are some big names on bye this weekend which means you may be searching the waiver wire or the depths of your roster for players to fill in your starting lineup.

There may be some big names rusting on the waiver wire that teams have given up on over the course of the first five weeks.

 

Kyle Orton, QB, Broncos

Orton has had a solid season thus far and it should continue against a soft Chargers defense on Monday Night Football. The Broncos defense will continually put Orton in good spots on the field, which could lead to a big day passing for Orton.

 

Jonathan Stewart, RB, Panthers

The Panthers are near death, but luckily they play the equally-as-dead Buccaneers this week. The Bucs are already thinking about next season’s draft, which should lead to big days for both DeAngelo Williams and Stewart. Stewart is always a threat in the red zone and could find the end zone a few times.

 

Donnie Avery, WR, Rams

There is some life in Avery after all. He found the end zone last week and is facing the Jaguars defense that gave up four touchdown passes to Matt Hasselbeck. Somebody has to score for the Rams, and Avery is the best option through the air for Marc Bulger.

 

Brandon Pettigrew, TE, Lions

Pettigrew is the top tight end in Detroit and he is playing against a Packers defense that has yet to prove they can be consistent. Culpepper is likely to be the starter and he may lean on his tight end when he gets in trouble.

Read more Denver Broncos news on BleacherReport.com

Knowshon Moreno Pulling Away from the Rest of the Rookie Class

The rookies were harder to rank this week due to the impact some made on the field as well as some injuries. The list has been shaken up a bit because of these factors.

New faces are showing up for their respective teams while some rookies are falling off a bit. This week’s rankings:

1. Knowshon Moreno, RB, Broncos: Moreno is now the feature back, evident by his 21 carries and four receptions in the game against the Patriots. Moreno did not have the statistical outburst I was expecting against the Patriots, but his 88 yards rushing and 36 yards receiving helped lead the Broncos to a big win. Now that he is the undisputed No. 1 running back in Denver, expect big days from Moreno.

2. Mark Sanchez, QB, Jets: Sanchez and the Jets were defeated on Monday Night Football, but this time Sanchez cannot receive all the blame. He held on to the ball and did not put his team in bad spots. He only finished with 172 passing yards and one touchdown, but the absence of turnovers was important to the young quarterback’s frame of mind.

3. Percy Harvin, WR, Vikings: Harvin’s production has fallen off steadily. He has not caught a touchdown pass since Week Two and does not seem to be Brett Favre‘s favorite target. The Vikings are a run-first team, which means when push comes to shove the Vikings will run Adrian Peterson first and pass later. I am still high on Harvin because of his versatility, but the rookie receivers behind him are pushing him for this spot.

4. Hakeem Nicks, WR, Giants: Nicks has scored in the Giants’ offense for two straight weeks, showing why he was a first round pick. Now that his injury is healed he can become a viable option for the Giants as the biggest target in Eli Manning‘s arsenal. Nicks only had 49 yards receiving against the Raiders last week, but his size makes him a favorable target in the red zone.

5. Jeremy Maclin, WR, Eagles: Maclin exploded with Donovan McNabb back under center. Maclin finished with six catches for 142 yards and two touchdowns last weekend. He has the same speed as fellow receiver DeSean Jackson, but his size makes him an easier target in the passing game. Maclin has the ability to beat guys deep or jump over defenders. His rise up this list is expected based on his potential.

 

Last Week’s Rookie Report Rankings

1. Knowshon Moreno
2. Percy Harvin
3. Mark Sanchez
4. Matthew Stafford
5. Kenny Britt

Read more Denver Broncos news on BleacherReport.com

The Denver Broncos: A Team In Turmoil

After the firing of head coach Mike Shanahan at the end of last year’s football season, the Broncos have been the talk of the NFL. Owner Pat Bowlen decided it was time for a change in Denver when he fired Shanahan.

He hired Brian Xanders as General Manager and former Patriots’ Offensive Coordinator Josh McDaniels as head coach. The new regime took over and—little did I know— immediately started making changes to the Broncos’ roster.

The first big change started as a doozy. Rumors circulated that the Broncos were trying to trade for Patriots quarterback Matt Cassel even though they already had Jay Cutler on the roster. Oops.

Cutler took this news as a sign of disrespect and demanded a trade. The team eventually obliged, sending Cutler to the Bears. In return, the Broncos received a few draft picks and former Bears’ starting quarterback Kyle Orton.

Now the Broncos are dealing with trade demands from superstar wide receiver Brandon Marshall. Marshall has continued to get into trouble off-the-field as a member of the Broncos and feels a change of scenery is necessary to have a long, successful NFL career.

The question fantasy owners want answered: How does Denver’s tumultuous offseason affect fantasy football this season?

Cutler’s stats probably will decrease a little due to the loss uber-talented wide receivers Marshall and Eddie Royal. But Matt Forte owners should rejoice because opposing defenses will no longer be about to stack the line against the run with the threat of Cutler and the deep ball.

Orton’s outlook really cannot be determined until Marshall’s status is known for sure. If Marshall somehow stays in Denver, Orton could be in for a great season with Royal and Marshall catching passes along with sure-handed rookie Knowshon Moreno coming out of the backfield.

As for Moreno, ranked by The Hazean as the second-best rookie running back this year, his fantasy production depends on Marshall as well. In fact, Marshall is the difference maker in terms of fantasy production for just about all of the offensive players around him, especially Royal.

Fantasy aside, I wonder if Bowlen is kicking himself for firing Mike Shanahan and starting this high-profile chain of reactions?

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Daily Haze: Still Time for the Mock Draft

If you have not signed up for our reader/blogger NFL mock draft yet, there still is time.

Seattle, Cincinnati, Oakland, San Francisco, Baltimore, Philadelphia’s second pick in the first round, Tennessee, and Pittsburgh still are up for grabs. If you want to act as GM for any of these picks, drop a comment below the story and I will hook you up.

Hope everyone had an enjoyable holiday weekend, and—unfortunately—it is back to the grind for the majority of us this morning. Hope you can slug through would could be a pretty harsh Monday.

Here are today’s great reads:

• Percy Harvin’s hopes of having his name called during the first round of the NFL Draft could be dwindling. [ProFootballTalk]
• Tampa Bay’s quarterback situation—and fantasy relevance—improved slightly with the acquisition of free agent Byron Leftwich. [Lester’s Legends]
• Fantasy owners and the Denver Broncos are hoping the NFL does not throw the book at Brandon Marshall. [ProFootballTalk]

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