Of all the players who impressed on Sunday, I left most impressed with Denver’s Courtland Sutton.
When one of my favorite picks of the draft season, Jerry Jeudy, went down to a high-ankle sprain, fantasy owners trotted over to the waiver wire to pick up slot specialist KJ Hamler or the steady Tim Patrick. Not judging… I was one of these fantasy owners as well.
People want to own Teddy Two Gloves’ alpha WR, and the 2020 2nd round pick seemed like a logical option to step up in Jeudy’s absence and take at least some vacant target share. I expected Hamler especially to be a solid PPR flex option with Jeudy on the shelf.
It looks like the answer was not sitting on the wavier wire in Hamler, it was in flex spots and benches across the country in Courtland Sutton.
After a one catch Week 1, Sutton EXPLODED for a 9 catch and 159-yard performance. He received 12 targets in the 23-13 win over Jacksonville, with an even six targets in each half. Even in a game script that should have worked against Sutton, he was peppered in the passing game consistently throughout.
Sutton commanded 12 of the 34 pass attempts from Bridgewater, boasting an impressive 35.3% target share on the week. Nobody else on the team received more than six targets. Even more impressive, Bridgewater and Sutton are connecting downfield. Sutton currently boasts the second-highest average depth of target (aDOT) in the league at 20.2 yards.
The current NFL leader in air yards is Broncos WR Courtland Sutton (301).
— Mike Clay (@MikeClayNFL) September 20, 2021
Not only did he receive an alpha target share, but he also demonstrated elite explosiveness with the ball in his hands. After missing all of last season with a torn ACL, fantasy owners were largely skeptical of Sutton being able to return to his 2019 season form when he posted over 1,100 yards receiving. After seeing what Sutton did to the Jag’s defense on Sunday, all worries of Sutton’s explosiveness have been alleviated.
With Jeudy expected to return sometime in the week 6-8 range, fantasy owners can confidently expect Sutton to produce as a mid-range WR2 for the coming month. I genuinely would not be surprised to see Sutton put up WR1 numbers throughout late September and the entirety of October. He is absolutely one of my favorite “Trade For” candidates, especially for teams who have more selective playoff formats.
The Wolf’s Rest of Season WR26 (+2 vs ECR) is going to torch my beloved Jet’s putrid secondary this weekend. Buy him now before it is too late.
