Demaryius Thomas caught four balls for 76 yards in the Broncos' Week 16 loss to the Bills.

Getting the start over Eddie Royal at flanker, Thomas led Denver with eight targets and has clearly emerged as Tim Tebow's favorite receiver. He will continue to start when the Broncos take on Kansas City in a must-win Week 17 game.

Coach John Fox is "real impressed" with the progress of Demaryius Thomas this season.

Fox "likes the development" of all young players in the passing game. Accounting for nearly 50 percent of Tim Tebow's aimed passes the past three weeks, Thomas is no longer in danger of losing his starting job to Eddie Royal. With an average of 11 targets, six receptions, 113 yards, and a touchdown over that span, Thomas is locked in as a fantasy starter for Week 16 at Buffalo.

Demaryius Thomas caught seven passes for 116 yards in Denver's Week 15 loss to the Patriots.

Thomas erased any doubt that he's Denver's new No. 1 receiver, with his 13 targets being more than all other Broncos' pass catches combined. He worked the sideline beautifully, and usually for big chunks, as all but two of his catches went for at least 14 yards. Perhaps most importantly, he made no critical drops one week after his stone hands almost cost the Broncos a win. Averaging six catches for 112.7 yards over his past three games, Thomas will be a high-end WR2 against the Bills' crumbling defense in Week 16.

Demaryius Thomas caught four passes for 144 yards and two touchdowns as the Broncos beat the Vikings in Week 13.

Thomas had been irrelevant in fantasy lately as a third/fourth receiver in the league's most run-heavy offense, but he got a bump in snaps with Eddie Royal nursing a neck injury against Minnesota. Thomas racked up yards after catch on his 41-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter, taking a short catch to the house. He finished with a team-high seven targets. Fantasy owners should be wary of receivers who play in an offense like this because they're destined for inconsistency, but Thomas certainly has playmaking ability. The Broncos face the Bears in Week 14.

Demaryius Thomas has just 20 targets in the last five games.

Thomas is the No. 3 receiver on a team that rarely goes three-wide anymore. There's no sign that the talented second-year man will pass Eddie Royal on the depth chart anytime soon.

Demaryius Thomas played just 29 snaps against the Jets on Thursday night.

Thomas led the team with six targets, but he was well behind Eric Decker (52) and Eddie Royal (42) in snaps. Until that changes -- and Tim Tebow begins passing more effectively -- Thomas won't have fantasy value.

Demaryius Thomas "led" the Broncos with 37 yards receiving on two catches against the Jets in Week 11.

The Broncos surprising opened in a five-wide set, with Thomas grabbing a 28-yard reception on the first play. Though he went to lead the team in targets with six, Thomas little impact the rest of the way. Until the Broncos begin passing more efficiently, Thomas belongs on the waiver wire.

Demaryius Thomas was not targeted once in Week 10 against the Chiefs.

That's because Tim Tebow threw just eight passes in one of the most bizarre game plans we've ever seen. Until the Broncos prove that they will throw the football more than 20 times in a game, it doesn't matter what type of physical tools Thomas brings to the table. Leave him on waivers for now.

Demaryius Thomas caught just one pass for 29 yards in Sunday's win over the Raiders.

Thomas isn't playing in any two-wide sets right now. And with the Broncos going extremely run-heavy under Tim Tebow, there's no room for Thomas' talents to shine.

The Broncos have lined up in three-wide sets 100 times in Tim Tebow's two starts.

The Broncos have been trailing big for the majority of Tebow's time on the field, so the spread offense makes sense. It's also the formation in which he feels most comfortable. Demaryius Thomas figures to be on the field plenty along with Eddie Royal and Eric Decker, but Tebow's limitations as a passer make him a WR4/5 in fantasy.

Broncos WR Demaryius Thomas was targeted a team-high 10 times in Week 7, six more than any other Broncos receiver.

Thomas has been slowed by injuries in his brief pro career but played his first game of the season since tearing his Achilles in February. He was Tim Tebow's favorite receiver from the get-go and should see his play counts increase after showing he's fully recovered from his previous injuries. The Lions rank eighth against the pass and allow an average of 18.06 points to opposing wide receivers.

Demaryius Thomas caught three passes for 27 yards and a touchdown in the Broncos' Week 7 win over the Dolphins.

He was Tim Tebow's favorite receiver from the get-go. While Thomas didn't start -- Eddie Royal and Eric Decker did -- he led the Broncos comfortably with 10 targets and showed his playmaking ability on a short touchdown catch. Thomas could've had a much bigger day if he was 1) on the field for more snaps and 2) he hadn't dropped a pair of passes. It's possible that Thomas will have the most fantasy value in Denver's receiver corps the rest of the way.

Demaryius Thomas is active for Sunday's game against the Dolphins.

He's expected to play behind Eddie Royal and Eric Decker. The Broncos' inactives are TE Julius Thomas, QB Brady Quinn, S Rafael Bush, FB Quinn Johnson, OG Manuel Ramirez, OL Tony Hills, and DE Derrick Harvey.

Demaryius Thomas (hand, probable) turned in a full week of practice.

Thomas is tentatively expected to be active for Sunday's game at Miami, probably playing a situational deep threat role. He's a WR5/6 at this stage.

Demaryius Thomas (hand) is practicing fully this week.

Thomas is worthy of a roster spot as a WR5 stash, but expectations should be low coming off Achilles' and hand surgeries. He's not a viable fantasy starter for this week's game in Miami.

Demaryius Thomas is practicing this week with a "heavy wrap" protecting his surgically repaired left hand.

Thomas is trying to learn on the fly how to catch with the wrap. The tentative expectation is that he'll be active Sunday at Miami, but probably only for a limited role off the bench. Thomas remains a worthwhile WR5/6 stash.

Demaryius Thomas still has a plate and three screws in his left hand.

The metal in Thomas' hand won't stop him from playing, but it's a reminder of how banged up this guy has been. He's had a torn Achilles and a fractured hand in addition to foot/ankle woes. At this point, Thomas is simply raw, impressive talent. He'll likely come off the bench behind Eddie Royal in two-wide sets initially.

Broncos WR Demaryius Thomas (Achilles, finger) is expected to play in Week 7 against the Dolphins.

He's worth a speculative add in most leagues. While we have reservations about Thomas' effectiveness coming off this winter's torn Achilles' tendon, the 23-year-old appears to have recovered quickly and will have ample opportunity if Brandon Lloyd heads out of town this week. The 22nd pick in last year's draft, Thomas flashed big-time ability in limited action as a rookie. He could end up starting opposite Eric Decker in two-wide sets.

The Broncos are optimistic that Demaryius Thomas (finger), Eddie Royal (groin), and TE Julius Thomas (ankle) will return to practice in Week 7.

All three have been out since late September. The Broncos will sit them out during bye-week practices, hoping they can finally clear the hurdle next week. Eric Decker has solidified the No. 2 job, leaving Thomas and Royal to battle it out for third receiver.

Broncos WR Demaryius Thomas is out "at least" two more weeks after surgery to repair the broken finger on his left hand.

The surgery was on his pinkie finger. Thomas is also coming off a February Achilles' tendon tear, so at least the finger surgery should keep him rested a little longer. The Broncos erred badly in keeping him on the 53-man roster.