RADIO
For nearly the entirety of the season, the narrative surrounding Peyton Manning has been that he’s simply too old to be considered a top-tier starting quarterback in the National Football League. While there’s undeniably shades of truth to such an extreme statement, with a receiving core that’s wholeheartedly committed to playing well each and every game, it appears Manning could play at a high level for years to come.
Much to the pleasure of fantasy owners all over the country, in Sunday night’s Week 8 victory over the Green Bay Packers, Demaryius Thomas did just that, successfully bringing in 8-of-11 targets for 168 yards. Initially, it looked as if Thomas would have a tough go at things, being constantly shadowed by Packers’ cornerback Sam Shields. Yet, after an untimely first-half injury, the responsibility of taking Thomas out of the game fell to Casey Hayward who, as the stat sheet would indicate, saw considerably less success than he’d hoped. Though unable to cap off a scoring drive of his own with a touchdown, Thomas had four 20-plus yard catches, including a 30-yard grab that brought about Denver’s first touchdown.
On the flip side of things, however, Thomas’ teammate and fellow standout receiver Emmanuel Sanders didn’t have the type of performance fantasy fanatics have grown accustomed to associate with his name. Catching 2-of-5 Manning targets for a measly 22 yards, Sanders was clearly a non-factor in the positive result for his team. Taking into account the fact that Sanders was limited all week in practice and not fully healthy, this might not have been totally unexpected by the Broncos’ coaching staff. Another week of practice will not only give Sanders more time to get back on the same page with Manning, but should give his body a chance to return to peak condition come next week’s fixture.
Needless to say, as far as Fantasy football is concerned, Thomas will be considered a top-15 play for Week 9 when Denver travels to Indianapolis to play the Colts. Likewise, even following a rather lackluster performance, Sanders will still be considered a strong WR1 option, seeing as how the Colts are likely to focus heavily on Thomas and Vontae Davis.
