Devaughn Vele fantasy projections: Week 13 Start/Sit Advice for Broncos WR

Devaughn Vele has become an important cog for the Broncos offense as Denver tries to make the playoffs this season. It is unfamiliar territory for the fans given the recent history of the franchise. They have not been to the postseason since 2015 when they won Super Bowl in Peyton Manning's last year as a professional footballer. They have not had a single winning season since 2016.

Yet, here they are with rookie quarterback Bo Nix leading the charge. Entering into Week 13 of the 2024 NFL season, they have a 7-5 record and are firmly in the conversation for the playoffs. Yet, the quarterback is not the only rookie who has impressed in recent weeks, which has seen them record back-to-back victories against the Falcons and the Raiders.

DeVaughn Vele has displaced Marvin Mims, the second-round pick from last year, to become the top threat outside Courtland Sutton. Given his elevated performances, we look at his fantasy football projection for Week 13 below.

Devaughn Vele's fantasy projection for Week 13

DeVaughn Vele and the Broncos take on the Cleveland Browns in Week 13, with the AFC North team coming into this game after a morale-boosting win against the Pittsburgh Steelers. They last played on Thursday and do not play until Monday again with this gap acting almost as a mini-bye. Therefore, they will be well rested.

The Browns are giving up 214.4 receiving yards per game, which puts them firmly in the middle of the pack of NFL defenses. They allow 130.6 yards on the ground, which is towards the bottom of the rankings.

Therefore, one can expect a bigger focus on the running game from the Broncos and that might mean lower receptions for Devaughn Mele. When comparing him with Cleveland counterpart Elijah Moore, for example, in Sportskeeda's Start/Sit Optimizer, we see the same dynamic playing out even though both players are expected to get the same yardage, with the Denver player even having a higher chance of scoring a touchdown.

Devaughn Vele vs. Elijah Moore - Week 13 - 2024 NFL Season - Start 'Em Sit 'Em - Sportskeeda Optimizer Tool Results

Based on this, there might be other receivers that fantasy football managers might rather have. He is not expected to have many catches and that hurts him this week. However, he might be more valuable over the other games of the season and we take a look at that below.

Should I keep Devaughn Vele on my fantasy team?

Devaughn Vele has 32 receptions for 361 yards this season at an average of 11.3 yards per catch. What is noteworthy is that he has often picked up yards on long plays. In fact, he has a reception more than 10 yards in six of the eight games he has featured in. In four of those, his longest reception has been over 20 yards and two of them have been over 30.

That also explains why he is expected to get a similar yardage as Elijah Moore in Week 13 despite having fewer receptions. And that is one of the challenges for fantasy football managers. Devaughn Vele does not have a single game in 2024 with over 10 receptions. The highest he had was eight against Seattle in his first appearance. While he had 80 yards in the last game against the Raiders, that came only in six receptions for an average of 13.3 yards per catch.

All things considered, DeVaughn Vele might of value for fantasy football owners going forward if he is targeted more. We might be able to make a better decision based on how he fares in Week 13 against the Browns but there is not harm in retaining him, for now, especially as Sean Payton is promising him more touches and Bo Nix looks to be getting more comfortable in the Broncos' passing game.