Courtland Sutton, 2022 NFL Player Outlook: Should Produce Career-Best Numbers In 2022
2 years agoThe list of signal-callers that have spearheaded Denver's offense during wide receiver Courtland Sutton's first four seasons has been substandard, but the arrival of Russell Wilson will elevate Denver's proficiency at quarterback to an unprecedented level during Sutton's tenure. This should propel Sutton to his most prolific season, although that will be dependent on Wilson's distribution of targets to the Broncos' talented collection of weapons. Sutton's career-best numbers were generated in 2019, when he finished inside the top 20 in targets (124/7.8 per game), air yards (1,472), yards before catch (760), and receiving yards (1,112/69.5 per game). Those results have not been replicated after he was limited to 31 snaps in 2020 (torn ACL), while his usage and production were impacted by Jerry Jeudy's availability last season. Sutton averaged 2.3 yards per route run and registered a percentage of 24.1% targets per route run from Weeks 2-7, while Jeudy was sidelined with an ankle injury. He also led the league in air yards (897), while averaging 9.2 targets, and 87.5 yards per game. Those numbers dropped after Jeudy's return, as Sutton averaged 0.83 yards per route run/4.0 targets/23.7 yards per game, while his percentage of routes run (13.9%) and his air yards (542) also plunged. Teddy Bridgewater and Drew Lock were under center during those games, and Wilson will be more adept at maximizing Sutton's downfield capabilities. This provides the potential for Sutton to function as a highly-productive resource for fantasy managers. It also supplies the incentive for selecting him at his ADPs in best-ball leagues (54/WR21), and dynasty start-up drafts (68/WR34).