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A former number one overall rated recruit from the 2019 prep cycle according to 247Sports, the IMG Academy product has been a fixture on the vaunted Georgia defense since arriving on campus in 2019. An ace closer, Smith (6’22/238) only missed eight tackle attempts in his four years as a Bulldog and is almost impossible to beat to the sideline on outside runs. Despite being undersized by traditional standards, his bend, get off and ability to flatten after blowing away tackles with his blinding speed are rare, even in a loaded edge class. Smith’s 4.39s 40 is the second fastest time ever run by an edge defender while his blistering 1.47s 10-yard split is a 100th percentile score that portrays the limitless athletic traits Smith possesses. He was limited to just 188 snaps in 2022 but produced 19 pressures in that span while meaning a pristine 90.6 rush defense grade in 2021. His outrageous physical gifts and high-end production bode well for Smith’s transition to the next level as an omnipresent standup 3-4 linebacker who never comes off the field.

Vele snagged a six-yard touchdown from Bo Nix near the middle of the second quarter to give the Broncos a 21-10 lead. The Chargers dominated from that point on, and Vele wasn’t a factor for the rest of the contest. The 27-year-old rookie — still a weird thing to type — has been much more relevant than anticipated, but fantasy players should be able to find much better options than Vele in Week 17 against the Bengals.

Sutton’s game was about as non-descript as it gets; especially from what should be the top option in the passing attack. The wideout had a long gain of 18 yards, and while there was just one target that wasn’t completed, far too many of the receptions were of the short-yardage variety. Sutton will be in the WR2 conversation against the Bengals in Week 17.

The overwhelming majority of the yardage for Mims came on a swing pass from Bo Nix that resulted in a 53-yard dash down the sideline. Outside of that he was mostly a non-factor, but that shouldn’t have been the case. Mims cooked the Chargers’ secondary on what should have resulted on a long touchdown, but Nix put far too much air on the pass to change the long score into an incompletion. Mims will likely remain a gadget player for Week 17 against the Bengals. The question is whether that will change in the coming years.

Williams showed off his burst on a 15-yard rush and was an effective safety valve for Bo Nix, but as per usual, most of the touches didn’t result in much for the 24-year-old. Audric Estime was the much more effective runner, but Estime’s inability to help in the passing game serves to Williams’ benefit. Jaleel McLaughlin sat out Thursday with a quad injury, and his potential return in Week 17 against the Bengals makes this a muddy situation that won’t likely clear up before the end of the year.

Estime received the most carries of any Denver running back, with Davonte Williams getting four and Blake Watson also picking up four with Jaleel McLaughlin (quad) unavailable. Estime was also the most effective rusher of the three; showing quality patience while picking up his first ever rushing score. Estime shows long-term upside, but the committee-approach on top of the fact he’s a non-factor makes him hard to recommend in 2024 as a fantasy option. He’s a TD-dependent FLEX in Week 17 against the Bengals.

McConkey did much of his damage on a 27-yard connection with Justin Herbert early in the game, but it was another effective outing for the rookie out of Georgia. This makes five consecutive contests that he’s picked up at least five receptions, and he’s picked up at least 80 yards in four of those five games. Simply put, McConkey has been very impressive in his rookie campaign, and there’s no reason to think it won’t keep going against the Patriots in Week 17.

Haskins took a shovel pass from Justin Herbert late in the fourth quarter for 34 yards and a touchdown. Considering he had all of 26 yards combined in his previous action, it’s fair to say this was almost assuredly a one-off. Haskins won’t see many touches in Week 17 against the Patriots barring something unforeseeable.

Johnston did tie for the team lead with six targets, but he wasn’t able to do much with them while seeing his touchdown streak end at two. He also had a heinous drop near the end of the game, because of course he did. There’s no denying Johnston’s talent nor that he’s shown vast improvement over his rookie season, but this is still much more of a long-term play than one you can trust going forward as more than a WR4. He’ll look to bounce back against the Patriots in Week 17.

Davis scored his first first touchdown as a receiver — he picked up a touchdown as a returner in 2023 — on a 19-yard connection with Justin Herbert where he showed good concentration on a tipped pass.. The 24-year-old has yet to pick up more than two catches in a game, and that likely won’t change in Week 17 against the Patriots.

Palmer tied with Ladd McConkey and Quentin Johnston with those six targets, but he and Justin Herbert just missed on a few plays down the field. They didn’t miss on a two-point conversion where Palmer batted the ball to himself with one hand before getting both toes down for a spectacular conversion. Palmer will be a desperation play in the Chargers’ offense for the remainder of the year, with his next chance for success coming in Week 17 against the Patriots.