#96 overall · DEN · 122.7 projected half-PPR pts · -6.3 Draft Value
Denver Broncos — 2026 Fantasy Outlook
The case for drafting him
Denver's defense has quietly built one of the more consistent sack profiles in recent memory. Over the past three seasons, the Broncos averaged 57.7 sacks per year, and that number has climbed each season — from 42 in 2023 to 63 in 2024 to 68 in 2025. Interceptions have held steady too, averaging 12 per year across that span. Points allowed improved sharply from 413 in 2023 down to 311 in each of the last two seasons, a sign that the unit has tightened up and held that level. For a drafter who needs a DST with a legitimate pass-rush floor, Denver's track record makes the case.
What the model projects
The model projects Denver at 122.7 half-PPR fantasy points for 2026. That projection produces a draft value of -6.3, meaning the unit projects just below replacement level at the DST position. The result is DST4 and #96 overall, sitting in Tier 9 on the board. The projection reflects a unit that has real production history but whose value-over-replacement margin is thin at the DST position overall.
| INT | Sacks | FF | FR | TD | Saf | PA | Half-PPR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 11 | 42 | 19 | 15 | 1 | 1 | 413 | 121.0 |
| 2024 | 15 | 63 | 12 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 311 | 143.0 |
| 2025 | 10 | 68 | 9 | 4 | 2 | — | 311 | 117.0 |
| 3-yr avg | 12 | 57.7 | 13.3 | 9.3 | 2 | 0.7 | 345 | 127.0 |
The range of outcomes
Denver's recent history illustrates the variance baked into any DST. Fumbles forced dropped from 19 in 2023 to 9 in 2025, and fumbles recovered fell from 15 to 4 over the same window — the kind of turnover luck that swings DST scoring dramatically from year to year. Sacks, by contrast, have been a reliable upside driver, trending upward across all three seasons. A season where the sack pace holds near 2025 levels and turnover luck rebounds toward the three-year average of 12 interceptions and 9.3 fumbles recovered represents the ceiling. A season where turnovers stay suppressed and the sack pace regresses is the floor. The bye in Week 10 is a mid-season scheduling note worth tracking.
How to draft him
Denver does not have a market ADP available — the unit is not being drafted consistently enough across platforms to produce one. That means there is no established draft-slot cost to plan around. At DST4 and #96 overall in Tier 9, Denver projects as a back-end streamer-tier option. In a 12-team snake draft, DSTs at this tier are typically available deep in the draft or on the waiver wire, so there is no urgency to commit an early pick. Plan around the Week 10 bye and be prepared to stream accordingly.
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Questions drafters ask
Very consistent and improving. The Broncos recorded 42 sacks in 2023, 63 in 2024, and 68 in 2025 — a three-year average of 57.7 sacks per season, with the number rising each year.
Denver comes in at DST4 and #96 overall, placing them in Tier 9 on the board.
It has been inconsistent. Interceptions have averaged 12 per year over the last three seasons, but fumbles recovered dropped sharply from 15 in 2023 to just 4 in 2025 — turnover luck is a real swing factor for this unit.
There is no market ADP available for Denver, so there is no established draft-slot cost. Given their Tier 9 placement at #96 overall, they project as a late-round or waiver-wire option. Also note their Week 10 bye when planning your roster.