Broncos' Jaleel McLaughlin: Nonfactor against Bills
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McLaughlin rushed twice for minus-two yards and secured his lone target for zero yards in Sunday's 31-7 wild-card loss to the Bills.
McLaughlin was not a big part of the game plan Sunday, playing just eight of the Broncos 42 offensive snaps in the contest behind teammate Javonte Williams (31) and ahead of Tyler Badie (3). The 24-year-old running back finished the 2024 regular season with 113 carries for 496 yards and one touchdown, a 24-76-2 receiving line on 27 targets and one lost fumble across 16 games. McLaughlin's carry total and rushing yards set career highs in both categories, as he saw his involvement in the ground game increase in his sophomore season. The Youngstown State product will enter his third season in 2025 with the opportunity to take a step forward in the offense. Williams will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason, so his possible departure could open things up for McLaughlin to step into a larger role in Denver's backfield. With that said, he'll likely continue to face competition from Audric Estime, Badie and any other running back who could be added through free agency or the draft.
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Broncos' Jaleel McLaughlin: Remains leader of backfield
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McLaughlin recorded 16 rushes for 39 yards in Sunday's 38-0 win over the Chiefs. He added two receptions on two targets for nine yards.
McLaughlin saw a season-high 16 carries despite getting only two rushing attempts in the fourth quarter of a blowout win. He did lack effectiveness by averaging just 2.4 yards per carry, with his longest gain going for just nine yards. While McLaughlin isn't likely to see a traditional workhorse role, all indications are that he is the top back in Denver's backfield heading into a wild-card round matchup against the Bills.
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Broncos' Jaleel McLaughlin: Sleeper RBs
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You never know what the Broncos will do with their backfield, but I'm willing to take a chance on McLaughlin as a potential flex option in all leagues in Week 18 against Kansas City. He has looked good in his last two healthy games against Cleveland in Week 13 and Cincinnati in Week 17 (Denver had a bye in Week 14; he was injured in Week 15 against Indianapolis and didn't play in Week 16 at the Chargers). He had 14 carries for 84 yards and one catch for no yards on two targets against the Browns, and he had 10 carries for 69 yards and two catches for 7 yards on two targets against the Bengals. He'll continue to share touches with Javonte Williams and Audric Estime, but McLaughlin can be a potential flex option against the Chiefs in Week 18 with Kansas City resting starters.
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Broncos' Jaleel McLaughlin: Week 18 Waiver Priority List
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McLaughlin has looked good in his last two healthy games against Cleveland in Week 13 and Cincinnati in Week 17 (Denver had a bye in Week 14; he was injured in Week 15 against Indianapolis and didn't play in Week 16 at the Chargers). He had 14 carries for 84 yards and one catch for no yards on two targets against the Browns, and he had 10 carries for 69 yards and two catches for 7 yards on two targets against the Bengals. He'll continue to share touches with Javonte Williams and Audric Estime, but McLaughlin can be a potential flex option against the Chiefs in Week 18 with Kansas City resting starters.
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Broncos' Jaleel McLaughlin: Turns in limited practice
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McLaughlin (quadricep) was a limited practice participant Tuesday.
After exiting the Broncos' Week 15 win over the Colts on Dec. 15 with the quad injury, McLaughlin was unable to heal up quickly enough to play on a short week, prompting Denver to make him inactive for last Thursday's 34-27 loss to the Chargers. He'll have a better chance at returning to action for Saturday's game at Cincinnati, though McLaughlin will likely need to upgrade to full participation in practice Wednesday or Thursday to avoid carrying a designation into the contest.
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Broncos' Jaleel McLaughlin: Won't play Thursday
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McLaughlin (quadricep) has been ruled out for Thursday's game against the Chargers, Susanna Weir of the Broncos' official site reports.
McLaughlin made an early exit from Sunday's win over the Colts and never returned to the game, finishing with 10 touches for 34 yards. The Broncos then listed him as a non-participant Monday and Wednesday, sandwiched around a limited listing Tuesday. McLaughlin has played less than 40 percent of the snaps on offense in every game this season, but he's taken on a larger share of the backfield carries and touches in recent weeks, which mean his absence warrants significant upgrades to the Week 16 projections for fellow Broncos running backs Javonte Williams and Audric Estime.
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Broncos' Jaleel McLaughlin: Deemed limited at practice Tuesday
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McLaughlin (quadriceps) was estimated as a limited participant in Tuesday's practice walkthrough.
McLaughlin was tagged as a DNP in Monday's walkthrough, so his designation as limited Tuesday is a step in the right direction. The 24-year-old departed Sunday's win over the Colts early due to a quad issue, and it's uncertain at this point if he'll be able to suit up Thursday against the Chargers. McLaughlin started the contest against Indianapolis ahead of Javonte Williams, and the same arrangement could be in order Thursday if McLaughlin is able to play.
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Broncos' Jaleel McLaughlin: Exits Sunday's game
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McLaughlin left Sunday's game against the Colts after sustaining a quad injury, Parker Gabriel of The Denver Post reports.
Before his exit from the contest, McLaughlin carried seven times for 21 yards and caught all three of his targets for 13 yards. In his absence, Javonte Williams and Audric Estime will handle Denver's Week 15 backfield duties.
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Broncos' Jaleel McLaughlin: Sleeper RBs
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It's risky to trust a Broncos running back because on any given week we could see McLaughlin, Javonte Williams or Audric Estime lead the team in carries. But in Denver's last game in Week 13 against Cleveland, McLaughlin looked great with 14 carries for 84 yards and one catch for no yards on two targets. If he gets that amount of work again in Week 15 against Indianapolis then McLaughlin will be a solid flex option in all leagues. The Colts are No. 4 in most Fantasy points allowed to opposing running backs, and five running backs in the past three games against Indianapolis have scored at least 12.2 PPR points.
You could start McLaughlin in Week 15 against the Colts. I wouldn't mind flexing him. But that does require that you trust Sean Payton to do the same thing with his running backs after the bye as he did before. I would rather see one more week. If McLaughlin is the clear lead back for the third week in a row then we'll feel much better about starting him in Week 16 against the Chargers and even moreso in Week 17 against the Bengals.
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Broncos' Jaleel McLaughlin: Week 14 Waiver Priority List
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We're waiting for a running back to step forward in Denver's backfield, and maybe McLaughlin did that Monday night against Cleveland. He had 14 carries for 84 yards and caught one pass for no yards on two targets. Prior to that, McLaughlin combined for 13 carries in his past three games, so keep that in mind, and Javonte Williams and Audric Estime aren't expected to go away. But it's not a bad idea to speculate on McLaughlin, even with the Broncos on a bye, and he's worth adding for 5 percent of your remaining FAB.
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Broncos' Jaleel McLaughlin: Stashes (RB Preview)
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McLaughlin is on bye, so he is strictly a playoff stash. He's been running efficiently for a month and was rewarded in Week 13 with a career-high 14 rush attempts, which he turned into 84 yards. It's dangerous guessing what Sean Payton will do on a week-to-week basis at this position, but for now, we're projecting McLaughlin to be the Broncos top back after their bye.
McLaughlin rushed 14 times for 84 yards while catching one of two targets for no gain in Monday's 41-32 win over Cleveland.
McLaughlin received 10 more carries than any teammate in Monday's primetime matchup. This comes on the heels of the second-year pro leading Denver in rushing yards a week prior. Audric Estime remained in the mix with three carries for 12 yards, but Javonte Williams had the worst rushing day of the trio despite punching in a short touchdown. McLaughlin handled the increased workload in stride, making him a potential hot pickup coming out of the Broncos' upcoming bye week.
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Broncos' Jaleel McLaughlin: Leading rusher on seven carries
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McLaughlin took seven carries for 44 yards and failed to bring in his lone target in Sunday's 29-19 win over Las Vegas.
McLaughlin surprisingly finished as the Broncos' leading rusher after seemingly falling to third on the depth chart a week ago. Starter Javonte Williams couldn't gain positive yards after his eight carries while assumed backup Audric Estime finished second with 15 yards off of three rushing attempts. McLaughlin has reached double-digit carries only once this season (Week 1), which makes him an unlikely candidate to become a fantasy force despite being effective against the Raiders. We may simply have a classic RBBC situation in Denver, making every tailback on the roster a risky play against the Browns next Monday.
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Broncos' Jaleel McLaughlin: Limited to two carries Sunday
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McLaughlin rushed two times for 12 yards in the Broncos' 16-14 loss to the Chiefs on Sunday.
Sunday brought a changing of the guard to the Broncos backfield, as McLaughlin and Javonte Williams combined for just three carries to rookie Audric Estime's 14. McLaughlin had logged at least three rush attempts in each game this season and a combined 13 over his previous two contests, so the drop in involvement, which also included his third game without a target, was notable. McLaughlin figures to continue operating in a passing down role, whether it's behind Williams or Estime, in a Week 11 home matchup against the Falcons.
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Broncos' Jaleel McLaughlin: Eight touches against Baltimore
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McLaughlin carried the ball five times for 10 yards and caught all three of his targets for 10 yards in Sunday's 41-10 loss to the Ravens.
McLaughlin played the No. 2 running back role Sunday, playing 23 of the Broncos' 72 offensive snaps while starter Javonte Williams played 39 snaps in the contest. Through nine weeks, the 24-year-old McLaughlin is averaging just under six rushing attempts and roughly 23 yards per game. The second-year running back has not seen enough consistent involvement in Denver's offense to make him an attractive option for fantasy purposes. In addition, Chris Tomasson of The Denver Gazette reports Broncos head coach Sean Payton said Monday that rookie Audric Estime could see his role increase as the season progresses. Assuming this comes to fruition, it would almost undoubtedly lead to even fewer opportunities for McLaughlin down the stretch. In what could become an even messier situation in the Denver backfield, the 24-year-old should not be trusted for fantasy purposes heading into a Week 10 matchup against the Chiefs.
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Broncos' Jaleel McLaughlin: Week 9 Waiver Priority List
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Javonte Williams should remain the starter for the Broncos heading into Week 9 at Baltimore, but he struggled in an easy matchup in Week 8 against Carolina with 17 carries for 44 yards and four catches for 8 yards on five targets. McLaughlin, meanwhile, had eight carries for 47 yards, one catch for 9 yards, and a touchdown on one target against Carolina, and maybe he'll get more work moving forward. He's now scored at least 11.5 PPR points in two of his past four games, and he could be a flex option in deeper leagues if he gets more work for Denver. It's worth stashing McLaughin on your bench for 5 percent of your remaining FAB.
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Broncos' Jaleel McLaughlin: Five touches in loss
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McLaughlin rushed three times for eight yards in Sunday's 23-16 loss to the Chargers. He added two receptions on two targets for 17 yards.
McLaughlin continued to operate as Denver's No. 2 running back in the contest, playing 14 of the Broncos' 55 offensive snaps. Meanwhile, starter Javonte Williams played a healthy 37 snaps but saw just three more carries than McLaughlin. The Denver backfield has failed to become a strong unit so far in 2024, as play has been inconsistent and unimpressive through five games. With rookie Audric Estime rejoining the team after a four-week stint on injured reserve, the running back situation could become more muddied as the coaching staff tries to get the ground game going. The 24-year-old McLaughlin remains difficult to trust for fantasy purposes with his limited role in Denver's offense. The Broncos will visit the Saints in Week 7.
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Broncos' Jaleel McLaughlin: Week 6 Waiver Priority List
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Javonte Williams is the No. 1 running back for the Broncos, but McLaughlin continues to operate as the No. 2 option. He's scored a touchdown in two of the past three games, and he can be considered a flex option in deeper leagues heading into Week 6 against the Chargers. McLaughlin also has lottery-ticket potential if Williams were to miss any time due to injury. McLaughlin is worth adding for up to 5 percent of your remaining FAB.
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Broncos' Jaleel McLaughlin: Week 5 Waiver Priority List
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It seems like Sean Payton really wants to use three running backs each game, but now he's down Tyler Badie (back) after he was injured in Week 4 at the Jets. Javonte Williams remains the best running back in Denver, but now maybe McLaughlin will get more touches if a third running back isn't used in Week 5 against the Raiders. McLaughlin has scored 8.4 PPR points or less in every game this season, but he can hopefully make an impact against Las Vegas in Week 5 and then become a factor to close the season. He's worth adding for 1 percent of your remaining FAB.
