The Broncos offense has looked much better this season in the two starts Brock Osweiler has made than in just about any of the games Peyton Manning started, but certain fantasy owners will still be glad to hear Gary Kubiak’s latest thoughts on Manning’s recovery from a torn plantar fascia.

“Listen, like I told you guys before, we’re totally committed to getting our quarterback — getting Peyton healthy and getting him back. Nothing has changed. Nothing has changed with where we’re headed this week. Brock is our starter this week, and we’re all-in getting ready for San Diego. We are week-to-week and doing everything we can to win the next football game. Absolutely nothing has changed," Kubiak said per Pro Football Talk.

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That is music to the ears of any fantasy owner with Broncos wide receiver Demaryius Thomas on their team, because the stud pass-catcher has not developed any chemistry with the new guy. Last week Thomas put forth a crippling effort, catching just one pass on a whopping 13 targets. Adding insult to injury, that catch didn’t happen until overtime.

Thomas has four catches for 95 yards combined in Denver’s last two games, and most of that yardage was picked up on a 48-yard score that came against a busted coverage. With Manning, Thomas was averaging eight grabs and 93 yards per game, so even though that falls short of what his expectations were, he remained a reliable WR1.

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Part of the problem is that Osweiler is better suited to operate Kubiak’s zone-blocking run schemes, which have transformed Denver’s running game. They have piled up 170-plus yards on the ground in back-to-back weeks, and awoken C.J. Anderson from the dead in fantasy. Thomas owners can’t blame it all on the ground game though; Emmanuel Sanders torched New England for six catches and 113 yards, and he was coming off an injury.

Osweiler definitely has been the better fit for the Broncos’ on the real gridiron, but those invested in Denver’s passing game selfishly want Peyton back.

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