Tim Patrick (WR, DEN) - Week 16 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 14-Team PPR Leagues

OWNED IN: 3% of Leagues

ANALYSIS: Up until his week fourteen performance against the San Francisco 49ers, Broncos rookie and University of Utah alumnus Tim Patrick had accumulated just four receptions out of eleven targets for 67 receiving yards through twelve games played. In fact, the most targets he had seen in a game up until that point had been four which came in week nine against Houston while his best performance had been against the Chiefs when he grabbed a single 24-yard touchdown reception and took a single carry for 13 yards. Even with the relatively weak play of Denver's pass-attack and Case Keenum for most of the season, with vital Broncos receiving options either having been dealt away (Demaryius Thomas) or are currently injured (Emmanuel Sanders and Jeff Heuerman), Patrick has flourished over the past two outings with a combined 150 yards receiving on twelve catches out of 18 targets (including a chance out of the backfield against San Francisco for eleven yards).

Though he hasn't found the end-zone since his first-career score against the Texans, Patrick could be a threat in the last couple of weeks of the regular season to add touchdowns to the damage he is doing in yards. He has been dangerous throughout his charter campaign in terms of making big-yard gains, and his 13.9 yards-per-reception is third on the Broncos behind fellow rookie Courtland Sutton and little-used fullback Andy Janovich. Even though he has seen just one target in the red-zone this season, his ability to make plays of significant impact coupled with his 6-5, 210-lbs. frame makes him a competitor to go up and get it in when close to the end-zone or to go further down the field and when the 50-50 balls. While the return to health of some members of the Denver offense could eat into his new found level of consideration, Tim Patrick is an interesting asset in deeper PPR leagues as the season comes to a close.