Fantasy Upside
Owen Daniels definitely knows HC Gary Kubiak’s system, as the TE has followed his coach from Houston to Baltimore and now Denver. During his 10 year career, he’s averaged nearly four receptions for 45 yards per contest. Owen averages 12 yards per reception and has 33 career TDs. At 6’ 3” and 245 pounds, he finds a way to almost always come down with the ball.
Fantasy Downside
Daniels doesn’t have the size or athleticism that Julius Thomas brought to the Denver passing attack the past couple years. And, he does have a history of injuries, missing 26 games over the past six seasons. The TE position seemed to disappear a bit for Peyton Manning in the second half of last season, as after catching nine TDs during the first five games of ’14, Thomas registered only three during the final eight contests he played in. Fellow TE Virgil Green will get plenty of playing time as well, as the balanced run attack requires some good blockers.
Bottom Line
Kubiak has shown a love for the TE position during his coaching career and that likely won’t stop in Denver. Be cautious with Daniels, however, as the Broncos likely have a bit different plans for the TE position than in the past three years with Peyton, as more blocking will be required. Daniels is just outside of our top-15 TE list.
