The Facts:
Though Eric Decker appeared to be Peyton Manning's favorite target most of the first week of training camp, Decker did not fully participate Thursday. That opened the door for Thomas.
Reported by the Denver Post
Fantasy Football Diehards Line:
Decker sat out the team drills but went through individual drills. In fact, Manning said Thomas has had a good camp, even when Decker was practicing before injuring his groin on Wednesday. "He's a guy we're going to feature," Manning said of Thomas. "His size and strength and speed just allow you to do certain things with him that other players just can't do. I thought Demaryius, these past two days, has made some good plays, done some good things with the ball after the catch, which is what we're going to need."
Thomas, a third-year receiver, drew loud cheers on Thursday morning when he snatched an underthrown pass from Manning for a touchdown near the goal post. Manning praised Thomas' ability to pick up yards after catches and said the 6-3, 229-pound Thomas is the biggest receiver he's played with. "You just can't throw down the field every time," Manning said. "You got to be able to take a 5-yard hitch or a 10-yard hookout. He's kind of shown those kinds of plays these past two days. ..." It's been one week into training camp with his new team, and Manning acknowledged there's still a long process ahead for him and receivers. Other popular targets for Manning on Thursday seemed to be TEs Jacob Tamme and Joel Dreessen. And with Decker expected back at full speed soon, Manning will continue to build his rapport with the full unit -- good news for Fantasy owners.
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