Fantasy Football Player Notes

Entering Year 3, it looked like Courtland Sutton was on the cusp of true elite fantasy WR1 production, but his 2020 season was lost due to a torn ACL in Week 2. It was unclear how productive Sutton would be returning from the devastating knee injury.

But to start the 2021 season, the Broncos wide receiver looked like his old self. He averaged 13.8 fantasy points per game (17th) and had a 27% target share in Weeks 2-7 during the regular season.

It wasn't until Jerry Jeudy's return from injury that Sutton - and the rest of the Broncos pass catchers - became obsolete in a crowded, run-heavy offense led by a combination of Lock/Teddy Bridgewater. Nevertheless, Sutton finished the season as the fantasy WR46.

However, even in the anemic offense, Sutton still finished seventh in air yards (1,756), cemented in between Tyler Lockett and D.K. Metcalf, in 2021.

Sutton has a real chance to recapture his elite form another year removed from his ACL injury. It also helps substantially that he has received an ultra upgrade at the quarterback position with Denver's trade for Russell Wilson.

Wilson has always been an elite downfield passer - he had the sixth-highest passer rating on throws of 20-plus air yards last season - which plays heavily into Sutton's strengths as a vertical threat.

Entering Year 3, Jerry Jeudy finally has a quarterback who can take full advantage of his ability to separate from defenders - 96th percentile separation percentage in 2021 - with Russell Wilson taking the reins.

With Courtland Sutton and Tim Patrick operating from the outside, Jeudy figures to become Wilson's go-to target in the slot unless K.J. Hamler pushes him out. Jeudy's efficiency metrics should also see a massive boost now that he's catching passes from a future Hall-of-Fame quarterback, but it remains to be seen if Jeudy will play an ancillary role as a red-zone threat.

Upgrading from Drew Lock and Teddy Bridgewater to Wilson is great for Jeudy, but we have to remember that he is still an unproven fantasy commodity. Great route-running and separation skills aside, he hasn't scored many fantasy points the last two seasons.

And that's not the case with every Denver receiver, because Patrick's production last two seasons earned him a three-year, $34.5 million contract extension.

Even so, Jeudy should easily experience his best NFL season to date in 2022, but it may not be as great as some die-hard Jeudy stans would care to admit. There are a lot of weapons in Denver, and predicting Wilson's best option on a week-to-week basis was often a challenge when it was only between DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett.

As with those Seahawks receivers, there are going to be inconsistent weeks from Jeudy. And his lack of red-zone usage makes him more susceptible to bust games without having a touchdown opportunity to fall back on.

Pairing Tim Patrick with Russell Wilson is the best way to find fantasy value in the later rounds of drafts. Patrick is seriously underrated despite the fact that he has out-produced Jerry Jeudy in the fantasy points column the last two seasons and has seen a featured role as a red-zone threat.

His production the last two seasons earned him a three-year, $34.5 million contract extension. Like it or not, Patrick will be on the field as much - if not more - than Jeudy in 2022 as the boundary receiver opposite Courtland Sutton. And their two ADPs couldn't be more different.

K.J. Hamler possesses enticing upside as a speedy slot receiver that could be Russell Wilson's new version of Tyler Lockett, but he could be a total zero with his inability to stay healthy the past two seasons.

Had it not been for the two-touchdowns game versus Carolina back in 2020 - Hamler would probably be viewed closer to Parris Campbell despite the latter being an actual starter on his offense.