Despite having one of the more talented groups of pass catchers in the NFL, the Denver Broncos passing game has been a disappointment this season — but that could all change in Week 18. With one final game to play and the opportunity to play spoiler, fantasy football managers might want to take a shot on Courtland Sutton, Jerry Jeudy, or Tim Patrick in Week 18.
The offensive issues for Denver run deep and beyond just struggling wide receivers
Ask any Broncos fan, and you will hear the same thing: this team has issues, and not just with personnel on the field. The problems include play-calling, Vic Fangio possibly ruining Drew Lock, and Teddy Bridgewater not being the guy after watching Denver pass on Justin Fields in the NFL Draft.
But for now, let’s just discuss the quarterbacks and the guys on the field. Bridgewater was brutal this season. In his 14 games, he averaged 20.4 completions on 30.4 attempts with 218 yards, 1.3 TDs, and 0.5 INTs. He threw for over 275 yards just twice and did little to move the needle.
Then, it became Lock’s turn under center after Bridgewater sustained a concussion. He hasn’t been much better. Against the Raiders and Chargers, Lock completed 70% of his passes (33-of-47) for 398 yards and a TD. As you would assume, Week 17 was an improvement after he got a start under his belt, and he threw for 245 yards with a score.
In each of those games, the Broncos scored 13 points, and the team struggled to move the ball, hurting the fantasy upside of everyone involved. Can that change in Week 18 as the Broncos try to play spoiler to the Chiefs, or are we better off avoiding the pass catchers?
Jerry Jeudy has been a fantasy disappointment in 2021
With Sutton coming back from a torn ACL, Jeudy was primed for a second-year breakout. After flashing the route running and ball catching that shot him up the draft board, Jeudy was set to become a fantasy star. Yet, as we are all aware by now, that never happened.
After missing six games due to an ankle injury, Jeudy did not return until Week 8. Since coming back, Jeudy has averaged 3.8 receptions and 45.6 yards per game. That’s it. He is the WR58 in PPR scoring while averaging 8.4 points.
As a rookie, he averaged 7.1 targets, 3.3 receptions, and 53.5 yards. A guy as talented as Jeudy should not be regressing in his second year. That is inexcusable. With the Broncos’ season over, at least in any meaningful way, fantasy managers need to hope for a change at QB in the offseason before starting Jeudy again.
Courtland Sutton has been non-existent for fantasy in 2021
208 targets, 114 receptions, 1,816 yards, and 10 touchdowns. That is what Sutton did in his first two seasons out of SMU. He is a legitimate difference-maker with a rare combination of size (6’4″) and ball skills.
The problem is we have not seen this type of performance since 2019. In the second game of 2020, Sutton tore his ACL and missed the remainder of the season. He did make it back in for the start of the 2021 campaign and appeared to be a bargain in fantasy drafts. Plus, he was one of my favorite mid-round targets.
Yeah, so, about that. I’ll take this one, but I still blame the Broncos. Despite sitting 12th in air yards with 1,490 (more than 32% of the team’s total), Sutton has just 763 receiving yards. 525 of those came with Jeudy out of the lineup. In those weeks (2-7), Sutton was the WR17, averaging 14.8 PPR points. Since Jeudy came back, Denver has been unable to sustain two wide receivers.
Since Week 8, Sutton is the WR83, averaging 4.8 points, 2.1 receptions, and 24.9 yards a game. He has 19 receptions on 37 targets for 224 yards. Ameer freaking Abdullah has more receptions (22) and 8 fewer yards. On the positive side, Sutton’s 93 yards in his two games with Lock is still more than his six previous games with Bridgewater (91 yards). It’s nowhere near enough for fantasy relevancy in Week 18, but at least it’s something.
Tim Patrick has surprisingly been the better fantasy asset
As Sutton worked deep and Jeudy missed time, Patrick operated as Denver’s No. 1 WR and carried the momentum once they were at full strength. The WR39 on the season (15 games), Patrick averaged 9.4 PPR points per game. He only finished as a WR2 or better in four games and was a top-36 receiver just five times, but it’s better than nothing.
From Weeks 3-9, Patrick had his best stretch of the year, recording 433 yards on 27 receptions with 2 touchdowns. Unfortunately, he has posted 21.7 yards and 2.2 receptions per game since that stretch. Aside from Javonte Williams and Melvin Gordon, I cannot make a case to start any Broncos player in Week 18 against the Chiefs.