The Denver backfield looks like one of the more complicated ones for fantasy purposes. Sean Payton apparently isn't locking in on any one player as the favorite to be the best running back. And history suggests there could be multiple decent -- but not great -- choices.
In his first year in Denver, the Broncos put three different running backs between 25 and 46 in PPR leagues. Usable production, at times, but no league-winners there. And a lot of his years in New Orleans were similar. Some a little better, but that seems less likely now (he doesn't have a prime Alvin Kamara now).
In Payton's last dozen years of coaching, he's had eight top-10 fantasy backs in PPR leagues. By far his best year was 2017 (that was the year they lost the heartbreaker to the Vikings in the playoffs), when both Kamara and Mark Ingram finished in the top 10 at the position.
Frequently -- 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and last year -- he's had no top-10 running backs, but multiple ones in the top 30 or 40. And a lot of the years he had Kamara in the top 10 (2018, 2019, 2020), he had a second running back between 25th and 35th at the position.
Table shows Payton's top 2 (or top 3, when there was a relevant third) running backs in his last dozen years of coaching.
| SEAN PAYTON RUNNING BACKS, 2011-2023 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Player | Yds | Rec | Yds | TD | Rk |
| 2023 | Javonte Williams | 774 | 47 | 228 | 5 | 29 |
| 2023 | Samaje Perine | 238 | 50 | 455 | 1 | 40 |
| 2023 | Jaleel McLaughlin | 410 | 31 | 160 | 3 | 46 |
| 2021 | Alvin Kamara | 898 | 47 | 439 | 9 | 9 |
| 2021 | Tony Jones | 142 | 5 | 29 | 0 | 107 |
| 2020 | Alvin Kamara | 932 | 83 | 756 | 21 | 1 |
| 2020 | Latavius Murray | 656 | 23 | 176 | 5 | 34 |
| 2019 | Alvin Kamara | 797 | 81 | 533 | 6 | 9 |
| 2019 | Latavius Murray | 637 | 34 | 235 | 6 | 29 |
| 2018 | Alvin Kamara | 883 | 81 | 709 | 18 | 4 |
| 2018 | Mark Ingram | 645 | 21 | 170 | 7 | 32 |
| 2017 | Alvin Kamara | 728 | 81 | 826 | 14 | 3 |
| 2017 | Mark Ingram | 1124 | 58 | 416 | 12 | 6 |
| 2016 | Mark Ingram | 1043 | 46 | 319 | 10 | 8 |
| 2016 | Tim Hightower | 548 | 22 | 200 | 5 | 39 |
| 2015 | Mark Ingram | 769 | 50 | 405 | 6 | 12 |
| 2015 | Tim Hightower | 375 | 12 | 129 | 4 | 56 |
| 2014 | Mark Ingram | 964 | 29 | 145 | 9 | 15 |
| 2014 | Pierre Thomas | 222 | 45 | 378 | 3 | 35 |
| 2013 | Pierre Thomas | 549 | 77 | 513 | 5 | 16 |
| 2013 | Darren Sproles | 220 | 71 | 604 | 4 | 23 |
| 2012 | Darren Sproles | 244 | 75 | 667 | 8 | 13 |
| 2012 | Pierre Thomas | 473 | 39 | 354 | 2 | 32 |
| 2012 | Mark Ingram | 602 | 6 | 29 | 5 | 42 |
| 2011 | Darren Sproles | 603 | 86 | 710 | 10 | 5 |
| 2011 | Pierre Thomas | 562 | 50 | 425 | 6 | 21 |
| 2011 | Mark Ingram | 474 | 11 | 46 | 5 | 46 |
The Broncos have Javonte Williams (pictured) another year removed from his torn ACL in 2022. They have veteran pass catcher Samaje Perine signed in free agency last offseason, a second-year back (Jaleel McLaughlin) who flashed some talent as a rookie, and then two rookies: fifth-rounder Audric Estime, and undrafted Blake Watson. All of these guys aren't going to make the team. Two or three of them might put up relevant numbers.
Williams is the favorite to start, but let's see what these backs look like in August. If Payton likes both rookies, he might want to keep both around (with Javonte shipped out somewhere, and Perine also departing). I've written about Estime here, who averaged 6.4 yards per attempt and scored 18 touchdowns for Notre Dame last year, but Watson is also intriguing. A little bigger than McLaughlin, he caught Payton's eye for his pass catching. "That was one of the traits that stood out," he said recently. "He was one of those guys, we saw a player that was natural catching the ball. That was a big draw."
Payton has already described Estime as a first- and second-down runner. Perhaps he's envisioning an Ingram-Kamara like tandem. (Both of those guys, however, were early draft picks, so I don't want to talk up Estime or Watson too much.)
Too early to get excited about these players, but a backfield to watch closely in August.
--Andy Richardson