Denver Broncos wide receiver Jerry Jeudy has been a disappointment for fantasy football managers so far this season. However, with quarterback Russell Wilson being benched and lead wide receiver Courtland Sutton ruled out for today’s game vs. the Los Angeles Chargers, the status of Jeudy becomes far more pertinent.
Jeudy, who has been questionable all week due to illness, is looking likely to be the top receiving target for new quarterback Jarrett Stidham and the Broncos. However, will Jeudy play today against the Chargers? What is the latest news regarding his illness? And, if Jeudy does play today, what is his potential fantasy outlook?
Is Jerry Jeudy Going To Play Week 17?
Jeudy comes into Week 17 with an illness, but he did not appear on the injury report until Friday when he didn’t practice due to that illness. This would have left fantasy managers shocked and reeling from expecting Jeudy to be a top target for the Broncos today.
However, it is rare that a player misses playing time in the NFL with an illness. And Adam Schefter of ESPN appeared to confirm that this morning.
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Schefter posted on social media platform X, “Broncos’ WR Jerry Jeudy, listed as questionable for Sunday due to an illness, is expected to play vs. the Chargers, per source.”
Therefore, since fantasy managers can expect Jeudy to play today vs. the Chargers, what should they expect from him in terms of a fantasy performance? Let’s take a closer look at his fantasy matchup against the Chargers.
What Is Jeudy’s Potential Fantasy Outlook for Today?
Jeudy comes into Week 17 as the WR55, averaging a dismal 6.6 fantasy points per game. Jeudy has only broken the double-digit fantasy mark just twice this season and not since Week 8 when he posted a season-high 12 points.
Jeudy would not have even been on most fantasy managers’ radars for a start/sit question this week without the injury and subsequent ruling out of Sutton. Sutton has been the dominant target for the Broncos this season. However, the benching of Russell Wilson, mixed in with this injury to Sutton, will mean Jeudy has the chance for redemption in what has been the most challenging year of his young career so far.
Jeudy lines up against Derwin James, who has given up the most fantasy points per route run on average of any defensive back playing in Week 17. According to FantasyPoints Data, James is giving up 0.45 fantasy points per route run and is being targeted on a league-high 25.4% of routes. Sean Payton and the rest of the Broncos coaching staff will look to exploit this matchup.
The Chargers are allowing 33.3 fantasy points per game to wide receivers on average (third-most in the NFL). Only the Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Commanders allow more per game to wide receivers entering Week 17. This should look to be a favorable matchup despite the uncertainty of Stidham at quarterback.
Our PFN Consensus Rankings have Jeudy as the WR45 on the week at the time of writing. Personally, I feel Jeudy, with the matchup and the lack of receiving options for the Broncos, could be a tempting Flex play with huge upside this week.
Jeudy is a classy route runner who is a former first-round pick. There will certainly be question marks as to how Stidham will play. However, with the lack of options, Jeudy could be in line for nine or 10 targets, maybe even more.
If you are chasing points in your fantasy championship and are looking for a potential high-upside player to bridge the gap, there are few better options on your fantasy benches than Jeudy. While it would be a risky play, given what he has achieved this season, he has the perfect game situation and conditions to exceed his current season total of 12 fantasy points.
Jeudy could be a volume play with significant upside and should be considered.
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