Denver Broncos WR Jerry Jeudy is expected to play this Sunday against Washington. After an impressive rookie campaign last year, Jeudy was knocked out in Week 8 with a high ankle sprain injury. His imminent return to Denver’s starting lineup will obviously impact not only his fantasy football value, but the values of several teammates. The following rundown highlights what we might expect fantasy-wise from Jeudy. Does he merit the fantasy hype surrounding him?
What Jerry Jeudy brings to the fantasy table
Jeudy’s return could not come at a better time, as the Broncos’ upcoming schedule is very favorable. Four of their next six games are against bottom-eight pass defenses in terms of opposing QB ratings. By all accounts, Teddy Bridgewater has stabilized a passing attack that has been largely adrift since 2014. One would think Jeudy could emerge as a WR3/flex option.
However, we need to dig a little deeper. Last year, Courtland Sutton only saw 31 offensive snaps before an ACL tear ended his season. Yes, Jeudy competed for targets with Tim Patrick and TE Noah Fant. But he also competed with KJ Hamler and DaeSean Hamilton. Jeudy’s instant-impact rookie campaign was thanks, in part, to the absence of the team’s top receiver.
Additionally, Jeudy mustered back-end WR4 production despite earning a robust 113 targets. In fact, he and A.J. Green were the only 100+ targeted WRs not to finish in the top 40 in fantasy points. Furthermore, he only caught 46% of his targets.
In fairness, just 74 of his 113 targets were catchable. However, Patrick (64.6%), Hamler (53.6%), and Hamilton (52.3%) all had higher percentages. So we can’t blame Jeudy’s inefficiency merely on Drew Lock, or to a lesser extent, Jeff Driskel and Brett Rypien.
Should Jeudy be in Week 8 fantasy lineups?
The hype surrounding Jeudy is deserved in some respects. A 2020 first-round pick, he’s a terrific talent with a bright NFL future. He almost certainly is a dynasty hold and might become a WR3 or even a WR2 next year, depending on whether Sutton leaves and if the Broncos upgrade at QB.
Nevertheless, for Week 8, I’d keep him stashed on the bench. And looking ahead, if I could trade him for a reliable WR3, I would do it in a heartbeat.
