Troy Franklin’s Fantasy Profile: A Familiar Safety Blanket for Bo Nix in 2024

The Denver Broncos‘ passing offense was addressed in a big way with the addition of both quarterback Bo Nix and wide receiver Troy Franklin in the 2024 NFL Draft. This duo produced exceptional numbers during their days at Oregon and could be set up to continue that dynamic connection in the NFL.

Can Franklin emerge as the highest-scoring fantasy football WR in Denver in 2024?

Should You Select Troy Franklin at His Current ADP?

PPR Industry Consensus ADP: 207th Overall (WR72)

• Pre-Draft Fall: Franklin was once considered a potential Day 1 draft pick, but a slower-than-expected 40-yard dash (4.41 seconds) and smaller measurements (6’2″, 178 lbs.) caused him to fall to Day 3 of the 2024 NFL Draft.
• College Production: Franklin had an exceptional collegiate career at Oregon, with his receptions, yards, and touchdowns increasing each year. His chemistry with college quarterback Bo Nix, now also with the Broncos, could ease his NFL transition.
• Vertical Threat: Franklin is a skilled vertical threat with solid route-running and underrated run-after-catch ability. He posted an on-field GPS speed of 22.3 MPH against USC in 2023, indicating plenty of functional football speed despite his disappointing 40 time.
• Physical Concerns: Franklin’s rail-thin frame and inconsistent hands are potential red flags. He struggled against physical bump-and-run coverage in college, which could be an issue in the NFL.
• Target Competition: Courtland Sutton is the primary obstacle to Franklin earning a significant target share in Denver. While Marvin Mims Jr., Tim Patrick, and Josh Reynolds are also in the mix, Franklin has a clear path to carving out a sizeable role in this offense.
• ADP Analysis: Franklin’s current ADP as WR71 reflects skepticism about his transition to the NFL and the Broncos’ offensive upside. He’s being drafted behind players like Darnell Mooney, Rashid Shaheed, and Jahan Dotson.
• Final Verdict: At his current ADP, Franklin offers intriguing big-play potential and a path to a leading target share. As a late-round pick, he’s a high-upside dart throw who could outperform his draft position if things break right in Denver.

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PFN Consensus PPR Fantasy Ranking for Troy Franklin

Note that these rankings are the PFN Consensus Rankings and may not fully match my analysis. Since Franklin is ranked outside the top 75 in the PFN Consensus Rankings, we’ve listed the consensus WR rankings instead. 

72) Quentin Johnston, WR | Los Angeles Chargers
73) Malachi Corley, WR | New York Jets
74) Wan’Dale Robinson, WR | New York Giants
75) Elijah Moore, WR | Cleveland Browns
76) Zay Jones, WR | Arizona Cardinals
77) Troy Franklin, WR | Denver Broncos
78) Rashod Bateman, WR | Baltimore Ravens
79) Odell Beckham Jr., WR | Miami Dolphins
80) Rondale Moore, WR | Atlanta Falcons
81) Roman Wilson, WR | Pittsburgh Steelers
82) DJ Chark, WR | Los Angeles Chargers

Troy Franklin’s Fantasy Profile for the 2024 NFL Season

The pre-draft process doesn’t always work in a prospect’s favor. One of the biggest examples of this theory was watching Franklin’s meteoric fall down the draft board from the end of the 2023 college football season all the way to the conclusion of the 2024 NFL Draft.

Franklin entered the pre-draft process as a potential Day 1 prospect, but he fell all the way to Day 3 after running slower (4.41-second 40-yard dash time) and measuring smaller (6’2”, 178 lbs.) than expected at the NFL Combine.

This fall from grace would be enough to scare a handful of fantasy managers about how the league views Franklin’s potential in the NFL, but his outlook was subsequently saved by his draft landing spot. Fortunately for the Oregon product, he was selected by the team that invested first-round draft capital in his college quarterback (Nix) to help ease his transition to the NFL game.

Franklin had an exceptional collegiate career as a Duck, as he saw his receptions, yards, and touchdowns drastically increase all three years at Oregon. In addition, he is an early declare who could stand to get even better in the near future.

Franklin displayed great chemistry with Nix and provides his rookie signal-caller with a great vertical threat with plenty of route-running savvy and underrated run-after-catch (RAC) ability.

Yet, the potential red flags in his profile are still very present. The two biggest concerns for Franklin entering the NFL are his rail-thin physical frame — which did lead to a fair share of struggles against physical bump-and-run corners in college — and his inconsistent hands.

There were undoubtedly some flashes of being able to beat press coverage and effectively operate on all three levels of the field, but the jump in competition in a pro-style scheme could make life a bit more difficult than his days at Eugene.

Franklin’s tape still suggests he could absolutely fly as a vertical threat. He flashes exceptional footwork running the vertical plane as a route runner with a production profile that suggests he simply kept getting better and better as his collegiate career progressed.

Regardless of the disappointing 40-time, Franklin remains among the best vertical threats in this class with his on-field GPS speeds — hitting 22.3 MPH against USC in 2023 — suggesting he has plenty of functional on-field football speed.

The target competition in Denver also isn’t elite. Courtland Sutton is all that really stands in Franklin’s way from being an alpha target-earning asset in this offense. Sure, Marvin Mims Jr., Tim Patrick, or Josh Reynolds may have something to say about that, but the path is certainly there for Franklin to carve out a sizeable role in this offense with a leading role still within the range of outcomes.

Is Franklin a Good Value in Fantasy Drafts?

Franklin’s ADP at No. 200 overall as the WR71 off the board suggests fantasy managers are probably a bit skeptical about Franklin’s transition to the NFL and the upside of the Broncos offense as a whole. For some additional context, Franklin is being selected behind Darnell Mooney, Rashid Shaheed, and Jahan Dotson

Ultimately, it’s hard to say any player selected after the 15th-round selection is a bad pick, especially when you consider Franklin’s production in college with Nix under center. Ultimately, if you are looking for a player who has intriguing big-play upside with a potential path to leading target share, you could do a lot worse than Franklin in the final round of your fantasy draft.