X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Join the Best Live Fantasy Chat Community!

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Player Comparisons
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Denver Receivers Are Draft Steals with Joe Flacco at the Helm

Every year, there's at least one offense in fantasy football that drafters avoid like the plague. Last year it was the much-maligned Jets, with rookie QB Sam Darnold. According to current ADP this year's quarantined fantasy offense appears to be the Broncos. Most egregiously ignored in fantasy drafts is Denver's wide receiving corps, which has all the makings of a Cinderella Story in 2019. Drafters are holding their noses up at the thought of drafting any of Emmanuel Sanders, Courtland Sutton, and especially Daesean Hamilton. Much of that wariness has to do with Joe Flacco and the fantasy football community's complete lack of faith in him making receivers relevant. And folks, that's a mistake.

Over the last six full seasons, Joe Flacco has averaged 577 passing attempts and a completion percentage of 61.6. And he's not slowing down. Through nine games last year, Flacco had 379 pass attempts and was on pace to chuck the ball 674 times. For reference, Ben Roethlisberger led the league with 675 attempts, a number that busted his previous career-best by 67 attempts. From 2013 to 2017, the Ravens offense averaged a 59.7% pass-to-run ratio. Their pass ratio with Flacco under center last year was a ridiculous 62.9%. The league average was 57.1%. Only Matt Ryan and Aaron Rodgers finished the year with a higher pass ratio than Flacco had in those nine games.

And sure, most folks know that Flacco is a bit of a gunslinger, but the common misconception is that throw-at-all-costs mentality only really benefits his tight ends. His receivers never become big-time assets. While it's true Flacco has targeted his tight ends more than the average quarterback (Dennis Pitta saw a team-high 121 targets in 2016), that narrative is a little overstated. It certainly wasn't the case last year, when he was force-feeding his wide receivers on a weekly basis.

Editor's Note: Our incredible team of writers won two writing awards and received 12 award nominations by the Fantasy Sports Writers Association. A big congrats to our very own Byron Lindeque (Golf) and Jordan McAbee (NASCAR) for both winning Writer Of The Year awards! Be sure to follow RotoBaller's analysis and advice all year long, and win more. Win More With RotoBaller!

 

Baltimore's 2018 Receiving Options

Here are the full-season paces of Baltimore's top receivers with Flacco throwing the ball:

  • John Brown: 119 targets, 60 receptions, 1068 yards, 7 touchdowns
  • Michael Crabtree: 135 targets, 73 receptions, 839 yards, 3 touchdowns
  • Willie Snead: 123 targets, 80 yards, 796 yards, 2 touchdowns
These numbers had them ranked at WR22, WR31, and WR34 respectively when Lamar Jackson took over. The biggest problem with Flacco's receivers from a fantasy perspective isn't that they have a quarterback that spreads the ball around too much, it's that they're usually not high-end talent.
The best receiving corps Flacco had in recent years was probably the group from 2014. It's no coincidence that in that year both Steve Smith and Torrey Smith finished as WR19 and WR28 respectively. But even in 2016, the year Dennis Pitta beasted out for the Ravens, Flacco supported two receivers inside the Top 36.
Flacco made three different receivers fantasy viable on a weekly basis last year while working opposite a defense that gave up the fewest total yards and second-fewest total points in the league. His defense was constantly working to put him in favorable game scripts and didn't need to throw the ball so much. But that's just what Joe Flacco does.
The Broncos Defense, while solid, is not on the same level as the Ravens were in 2018, ranking 22nd in total yards allowed and 13th in total points allowed. That's not to say Flacco will match or exceed his outlandish pace of pass attempts from last year, just that the need to air it out will almost certainly be there. And he has a stable of more-than-capable receivers to throw it to.

 

Denver's 2019 Receiving Options

Curiously, all of those receivers are being drafted at WR38 or later in PPR formats, with Sanders going off the board the earliest. It bears repeating, just to ensure this doesn't get glossed over: Emmanuel Sanders, a 32-year-old coming off a late-season Achilles tear, is the first Broncos receiver being drafted in the back of the 7th round.

Is this all because of rookie tight end Noah Fant? Because no one's drafting him, either. It begs the question: Who do people think is going to catch Flacco's 550+ passes in Denver?

For the record, if Sanders can defy the laws of aging and his Achilles holds up better than history has indicated it will, then he could very well be a steal at his current ADP. Coming out of Week 13, Sanders was the WR15 in PPR leagues and had racked up four Top 10 finishes. He only fell below WR36 twice during that stretch, making him one of the safest options at the position. His injury makes him a potential ticking time bomb, but if Sanders truly is back to form, there's an outside chance he delivers huge numbers at a severe discount.

Demaryius Thomas is gone, clearing up the depth chart for a couple of sophomores to potentially break out in 2019. Both Courtland Sutton and DaeSean Hamilton performed very capably when called upon to be "the guys" in the offense at different points in the season.

Sutton, a second-round draft pick out of SMU, didn't light the fantasy football world on fire in his rookie season the way some hoped. It's worth mentioning, however, that after Thomas left town and the bye week passed, Sutton finished as the WR38 during the last seven games. He was a boom or bust proposition during that time, as his connection with Case Keenum never fully clicked.

Enter Flacco, whose thirst for hurling 50-50 balls to big-bodied receivers is rivaled by no active quarterback. Sutton has a strong chance to put up significant touchdown numbers in his sophomore season thanks to Flacco's willingness to throw downfield even when the game is well in hand.

Hamilton, meanwhile, was peppered with targets down the stretch last year. Over the last four games of the season, when he was forced into a starting role due to Sanders' injury, Hamilton averaged nearly 10 targets, six receptions, and 45 yards per game. He also found paydirt twice in those four games. Those aren't "stop everything and anoint this man the second coming!" numbers, but they make for a steady and reliable presence on your fantasy roster.

Tim Patrick and Juwann Winfree are two other guys to keep an eye on in deeper dynasty leagues. Patrick looked sharp in limited action as a rookie last year, and Winfree has been the training camp darling. Even undrafted free agent Kelvin McKnight is getting some buzz lately. While these WRs are not worth a draft pick outside of the deepest dynasty leagues, keep an eye on them if injury should strike any of the starters.




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Player Comparisons
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Duncan Robinson16 mins ago

Heat Rule Out Duncan Robinson Friday
Bryan Reynolds19 mins ago

In Opening Day Lineup
Jimmy Butler26 mins ago

Probable Against Portland
Onyeka Okongwu1 hour ago

Remains Out Thursday
Dejounte Murray1 hour ago

Questionable With Back Soreness
Jordan Romano2 hours ago

Not Expected To Be Out Long
Gerrit Cole2 hours ago

Yankees Put Gerrit Cole On 60-Day Injured List
Elly De La Cruz2 hours ago

Batting In Six-Hole On Opening Day
Anthony Rendon2 hours ago

Hitting Leadoff On Opening Day
Wander Franco3 hours ago

Placed On Administrative Leave
Aaron Ekblad3 hours ago

Returning To Panthers Lineup Thursday
Nikita Kucherov3 hours ago

Establishes New Career High With 42nd Goal
Shane Pinto3 hours ago

Collects Career-High Four Points
Valeri Nichushkin3 hours ago

Nursing A Lower-Body Injury
Samuel Girard3 hours ago

Battling An Illness
J.K. Dobbins4 hours ago

Visiting With Chargers On Thursday
Oskar Sundqvist4 hours ago

To Miss Rest Of Season With Torn ACL
Ethan Bear4 hours ago

Enters Player Assistance Program
Keita Bates-Diop4 hours ago

To Miss Rest Of Season
Dyson Daniels4 hours ago

Remains Out On Thursday But Nearing Return
LaMelo Ball4 hours ago

Ruled Out For Rest Of 2023-24
Jose Alvarado4 hours ago

Questionable To Face Milwaukee
Jaden Springer4 hours ago

Considered Questionable
Xavier Tillman4 hours ago

Sr. Questionable Thursday
Gabe Vincent5 hours ago

Expected To Return To Action On Sunday
Al Horford16 hours ago

Back On The Injury Report
Derrick White16 hours ago

Off The Injury Report
TJ Friedl17 hours ago

Hits 10-Day Injured List
Aaron Gordon17 hours ago

Cleared To Face Phoenix
Michael Porter17 hours ago

Jr. Good To Go Wednesday
Nikola Jokic17 hours ago

Playing Against Phoenix
Jackson Chourio17 hours ago

Will Start In Right Field Friday
Jrue Holiday17 hours ago

Might Return On Thursday
Khris Middleton17 hours ago

Expected To Play On Thursday Night
Joel Embiid18 hours ago

To Return Soon?
Jamal Murray18 hours ago

Out Again On Wednesday
Rudy Gobert18 hours ago

Ready To Rock Against Pistons
Eduardo Rodriguez19 hours ago

Starts Throwing Program
Garrett Mitchell19 hours ago

Will Miss 6-8 Weeks
Chad Green19 hours ago

To Lead Closer Committee In Toronto?
Erik Swanson19 hours ago

Jordan Romano, Erik Swanson Officially Heading To Injured List
Kevin Gausman19 hours ago

To Make Season Debut Sunday Or Monday
Gleyber Torres21 hours ago

Will Bat Leadoff On Opening Day
Mark Hubbard21 hours ago

Coming Off A Career Performance
Davis Thompson21 hours ago

Looking To Pay Off A Stellar Run Of Ball-Striking
Max Scherzer21 hours ago

Making Solid Progress
Akshay Bhatia21 hours ago

Coming Into Houston With Confidence
Thorbjorn Olesen21 hours ago

Still Trying To Find Footing On U.S. Soil
Patrick Rodgers21 hours ago

Fighting Inconsistencies Heading Into Houston
Malik Nabers22 hours ago

Shines At Pro Day
Carolina Panthers22 hours ago

Jadeveon Clowney Signing Two-Year Deal With Panthers
Jordan Lawlar22 hours ago

To Have Thumb Surgery, Out A Couple Months
Wyndham Clark23 hours ago

Battling Back Injury Ahead of Houston Open
San Francisco 49ers24 hours ago

Talanoa Hufanga Expected To Return At Training Camp
MLB24 hours ago

Braves And Phillies Rained Out On Thursday
Jayden Daniels24 hours ago

Raiders To Meet With Jayden Daniels
MLB24 hours ago

Mets And Brewers To Be Postponed Thursday
Tank Bigsby24 hours ago

Jaguars Want Tank Bigsby More Involved
Will Smith24 hours ago

Inks 10-Year Extension With Dodgers
Josh Reynolds24 hours ago

Signs Two-Year Deal With Broncos
Jon Berti1 day ago

Yankees Acquire Jon Berti From Marlins
Kodai Senga1 day ago

Throws Wednesday
Doug Ghim1 day ago

Looks To Bounce Back At Houston Open
PGA1 day ago

Cameron Davis Seeking Consistency Ahead Of Houston Open
Thomas Detry1 day ago

A Gamble At Houston Open
Ryan Fox1 day ago

Lacks Upside Heading Into Houston Open
Andrew Novak1 day ago

Will Be Chalk At Houston Open
Josh Doan1 day ago

Scores Twice In His NHL Debut
Filip Forsberg1 day ago

Makes History In Big Comeback Win
Jamie Benn1 day ago

Scores In Fifth Consecutive Game
Sidney Crosby1 day ago

Collects Three Points Versus Carolina
Artemi Panarin1 day ago

Continues Scoring Tear With Three Assists
Joey Daccord1 day ago

Shuts Out Ducks
Sahith Theegala1 day ago

Showing Consistency This Season
Wyndham Clark1 day ago

Working Toward Star Status
Scottie Scheffler1 day ago

Heads To Houston At His Best
Sam Ryder1 day ago

Putting The Lights Out Of Late
Joel Dahmen1 day ago

All Systems Go For Joel Dahmen In Houston
Kurt Kitayama1 day ago

Ready For Houston Debut
Ben Griffin1 day ago

Finding Form Heading To Houston
Taylor Moore2 days ago

Continues Made-Cut Streak Heading To Houston
Adam Svensson2 days ago

Hoping For Consistency In Houston
Taylor Montgomery2 days ago

Looks To Bounce Back In Houston
Amon-Ra St. Brown2 days ago

Discussing Extension With Lions
Jared Goff2 days ago

Lions Discussing New Deal
J.K. Dobbins2 days ago

Cleared For Football Activities
Los Angeles Rams2 days ago

Tre'Davious White To Join Rams
PIT2 days ago

Sam Poulin Recalled From AHL
Jack Quinn2 days ago

Could Return Wednesday
Scott Mayfield2 days ago

Undergoes Season-Ending Surgery
TOR2 days ago

Mitch Marner Skates On His Own Tuesday
Trevor Zegras2 days ago

To Return Tuesday
Justus Annunen2 days ago

Inks Two-Year Extension
Nick Chubb2 days ago

Expected To Start Load Running Next Month
D'Andre Swift2 days ago

Bears View D'Andre Swift As Receiving Weapon
Cordarrelle Patterson2 days ago

Signing With Steelers
Sam Howell2 days ago

Seahawks Believe Sam Howell Can Be A Full-Time Starter
Tennessee Titans2 days ago

L'Jarius Sneed Agrees On Four-Year Contract With Titans
Dak Prescott2 days ago

No Indication A Deal Is Coming For Dak Prescott
Calvin Ridley2 days ago

To Have Big Role In Tennessee
Josh Jacobs2 days ago

To Be Used More In Passing Game
Brandon Saad2 days ago

Gets Another Goal In Monday's Loss
Logan Thompson2 days ago

Stretches Winning Streak To Three Games
Pittsburgh Steelers3 days ago

Cameron Heyward Expected To Be Healthy For Training Camp
Zach Wilson3 days ago

Jets Could End Up Keeping Zach Wilson
Amanda Ribas3 days ago

Takes Decision Loss
Rose Namajunas3 days ago

Snaps Losing Streak
Edmen Shahbazyan3 days ago

Scores Vicious Comeback Knockout
AJ Dobson3 days ago

Knocked Out In The First Round At UFC Vegas 89
Fernando Padilla3 days ago

Gets Back On Track With Submission Win
Luis Pajuelo3 days ago

Submitted In UFC Debut
William Byron3 days ago

Dominates For Victory At COTA
Ty Gibbs3 days ago

Grabs Another Solid Finish At COTA
Chris Buescher3 days ago

Texas Native Chris Buescher Finishes Eighth At COTA
Christopher Bell3 days ago

Kyle Busch Confronts Christopher Bell Following A Top-10 Finish At COTA
Justin Haley3 days ago

Disqualified After Strong COTA Run
Martin Truex Jr3 days ago

. Rounds Out Top Ten At COTA
NASCAR4 days ago

A.J. Allmendinger Worms Way Up To Sixth At COTA
Shane Van Gisbergen4 days ago

Shane van Gisbergen Comes Down to Earth After Mediocre COTA Run
Ross Chastain4 days ago

Ran Well at COTA as Usual Despite Late-Race Fade
Christopher Bell4 days ago

Furious Charge Falls Just Short at COTA
Tyler Reddick4 days ago

Scores Strong Finish of Fifth at COTA
Chase Elliott4 days ago

Finishes 16th at COTA After Lackluster Performance
Billy Quarantillo4 days ago

Suffers Submission Loss At UFC Vegas 89
Youssef Zalal4 days ago

Gets Submission Win In Return To The UFC
Cameron Saaiman4 days ago

Gets Knocked Out At UFC Vegas 89
Payton Talbott4 days ago

Scores KO Win At UFC Vegas 89
Justin Tafa4 days ago

Drops To .500 In The UFC
Karl Williams4 days ago

Remains Undefeated In The UFC
Kyle Larson4 days ago

Is One Of The Optimal DFS Options For COTA
Denny Hamlin4 days ago

Should Denny Hamlin Be Rostered For DFS Lineups At COTA?
Kaz Grala4 days ago

Is A Serviceable DFS Play For COTA
Shane Van Gisbergen4 days ago

Will Start 12th In First COTA Cup Start
Todd Gilliland4 days ago

Is A Sneaky DFS Play With Upside For COTA
William Byron4 days ago

Is One Of The Top Favorites To Win At COTA
Christopher Bell4 days ago

Is A Comfortable DFS Play For COTA
Tyler Reddick4 days ago

the Favorite to Win at COTA
Ty Gibbs4 days ago

Looking for First Career Win at COTA
Rose Namajunas6 days ago

Looks To Get Back In Win Column
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 

2024 NFL Draft: Bold Predictions and Potential Surprises for Round 1

Football never sleeps at RotoBaller! With the 2024 NFL Draft fast approaching, we're digging into what might transpire on draft night. RotoBaller analyst LaQuan Jones previews the 2024 NFL Draft and makes some BOLD Predictions about possible surprises and potential landing spots for the first round of the draft. Win MORE in 2024 with RotoBaller!... Read More


George Pickens - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Early Look At Wide Receivers In 2024 Fantasy Football Drafts

The upcoming NFL Draft is less than a month away. While everyone is excited for the NFL Draft, fantasy players are looking forward to the regular season. While we won’t have meaningful NFL football for months, it’s never too early to prepare for your fantasy football drafts. Last year, the fantasy football world saw multiple... Read More


Spencer Rattler, College Football Transfers

Underrated Rookie Draft Targets - Early 2024 Sleepers for Dynasty Fantasy Football

We are a month out from the NFL Draft, meaning if you are here, you are probably looking for draft content and reading up on prospects. You probably have all of the information you need on stud prospects like Caleb Williams and Marvin Harrison Jr. That’s not what you’re here for.  Rookie draft season for... Read More


Breece Hall - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

2024 NFL Free-Agency Winners and the Fantasy Football Impact - Part II

The NFL's offseason, including trades and free agency, can strongly impact a player's fantasy football value. This effect can be positive or negative. For this series, we're focusing on fantasy football players who have seen their fantasy value increase. This can occur via a player's direct movement, such as a trade or signing with a... Read More


UFL RANKINGS, FANTASY FOOTBALL,

UFL Fantasy Football Rankings for Week 1: QB, RB, WR, TE Rankings and Analysis (2024)

It's finally here: the UFL season is set to kick off with two games on Saturday, March 30 and two games on Sunday, March 31. Saturday's games will be broadcast on Fox Sports while Sunday's matchups will be on ESPN. The most anticipated Week 1 matchup pits the 2023 USFL champion Birmingham Stallions against the... Read More


Jared Goff - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Will the Lions Extend Jared Goff's Contract This Offseason? 2024 NFL Outlook

Jared Goff's career in Los Angeles didn't take off like many expected after his appearance in Super Bowl LIII, and he was traded to the Lions for Matthew Stafford. Goff's first season in the Motor City was terrible, but he has completely turned things around over the last two seasons. In 2022, he almost led... Read More


Kyle Pitts - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

2024 NFL Free-Agency Winners and the Fantasy Football Impact - Part I

Free agency symbolizes the start of a new NFL season. It's the first opportunity for NFL clubs to start addressing their weaknesses and considerably impacts how the upcoming season plays out. Just as free agency can improve or worsen a team's outlook, a player's fantasy football value is also impacted. Free agency marks the real... Read More


Malik Nabers - Fantasy Football Rankings, College FB, WR, NFL Draft Sleepers

Coach Knows Ball: Malik Nabers 2024 NFL Draft Film Breakdown of LSU WR

Welcome to Coach Knows Ball, an NFL Draft series analyzing the top prospects in the 2024 class. I'm a college football coach with nine years of NCAA experience and have been scouting NFL Draft prospects for over 15 years. This series will give a deep dive into the film of some of the top players... Read More


Avoid These Running Backs in 2024: Fantasy Football Outlook

Football never sleeps at RotoBaller! The staff is already looking ahead to the 2024 season to help our readers get the jump on their competition. RotoBaller analyst LaQuan Jones discusses five Running Backs that you should AVOID in 2024 fantasy football drafts. Win MORE in 2024 with RotoBaller! Be sure to tune into RotoBaller Radio... Read More


Brock Bowers - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Rookies, Draft Sleepers, NCAA College Football, Prospects

Brock Bowers 2024 NFL Draft Stock Update – When Will the Georgia TE Be Selected?

Georgia tight end Brock Bowers was arguably the top tight end in college football over the past few years. Bowers was outstanding his freshman year, totaling 56 receptions for 882 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns. Unfortunately, his production slightly slipped in 2022 as defenses started to game plan for the star tight end. Bowers had... Read More


Xavier Worthy 2024 NFL Draft Stock Update – When Will the Texas WR Be Selected?

Texas wide receiver Xavier Worthy has been one of the top pass-catchers in college football over the past few years. The explosive receiver was outstanding his freshman year, totaling 62 receptions for 981 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns. Unfortunately, his production slipped in 2022. Worthy had 60 receptions for 760 receiving yards and nine touchdowns... Read More


Blake Corum - Fantasy Football Rankings, College FB, RB, NFL Draft Sleepers

Blake Corum 2024 NFL Draft Stock Update - When Will the Michigan RB Be Selected?

Former Michigan running back Blake Corum is one of the most popular prospects in the 2024 NFL Draft class. The 23-year-old is fresh off a College Football National Championship victory and a 2023 campaign consisting of over 1,300 yards from scrimmage. However, given the devaluation of the running back position and Corum not being an... Read More


Brandon Aiyuk - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News

Will The 49ers Trade Brandon Aiyuk?

Brandon Aiyuk had a career year last season, finishing seventh in the league in receiving yards (1342), second in yards per catch (17.9), and catching seven touchdowns. For his efforts, he was named to the Second-team All-Pro. However, despite many expecting them to do so, the 49ers failed to win Super Bowl LVIII and now... Read More