4-EYED SLEEPER (2021): Courtland Sutton
Season-ending injuries have a way of erasing our memories of what had been, or what could be, for wide receivers. Courtland Sutton is no different.
It feels as if it has been years since we have seen Sutton hauling in passes from Drew Lock, but alas, another side effect of 2020! A lot has changed since Sutton last played a full season in Denver, but on a positive note, some things have remained the same. For starters, Offensive Coordinator Pat Shurmur returns for a 2nd year, which breaks the streak of varying OC’s over the past 4 years. Offensive continuity is key to a developing young QB’s maturation process, which is paramount in understanding that…
Courtland Sutton is a 4-EYED SLEEPER who can help you win your Fantasy Football Championship!
Rookie Year
Sutton was the 3rd WR selected in the 2018 NFL Draft and many were hopeful that he could emerge as an elite player in a few years after learning under the likes of veterans Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders.
Fast forward to Week 8 of 2018: Demaryius Thomas was traded to the Texans, and not much later (WK 12), Emmanuel Sanders was declared out for the season with a torn Achilles.
Following those two massive losses, Courtland Sutton was thrust into the WR1 role for a team with Case Keenum at QB and only a handful of games under his belt. However, like many young stars, Sutton stepped up to the plate and turned in an eye-opening set of games from Weeks 13-16. Over that time, he was targeted a team-high 29 times, hauling in 17 passes and scoring 2 TDs. During that stretch, Sutton was the WR 23 in 1/2 PPR scoring, a potential sign of things to come.
Breakout 2nd Year
Entering his 2nd year in the league, Sutton knew that he had something to prove and with a full season as the WR2, opposite Emmanuel Sanders, he was going to be given the opportunity. Little did he know that in Week 8, he was going to have a lot more on his plate than expected, as Sanders is traded to the 49ers and Sutton is the defacto #1 WR. Sutton is most definitely the Alpha, and with his blend of size and speed, it is no wonder that he was able to dominate as he did with such little experience. Many will look at the lack of a true #2 as to his success, but it didn’t come easy. He played the first 8 games with Joe Flacco under center, averaged 12.6 fppg (WR13). The Broncos made a change and brought in Brandon Allen. Did that stop Sutton? Nope! During that 3 game trial, he averaged 11.4 fppg. Not too shabby for catching passes from a rookie QB. Enter Drew Lock! While Sutton may not have put up the big numbers under Lock, he did see the most targets over a 5 game stretch during that 2019 season. Sutton would finish the season as the WR19 in 1/2 PPR. What we saw out of this 2nd year wideout with the ability to catch and run, bring down the deep ball, and see plenty of targets inside the Redzone. These are the traits of a legit WR1…maybe the makings of THE WR1.
2019 NFL Ranks
| Redzone Targets | 8th |
| Redzone Snaps | 9th |
| Targets Inside the 10-Yard Line | 4th |
| Deep Targets (20+ yards or more) | 12th |
| Yards After Catch | 17th |
Lost 2020 Season
Just a mere 2 weeks into his pivotal 3rd year with lofty expectations, Sutton tears his ACL and will miss the entire NFL season. Devastating news for the up-and-coming superstar and the Broncos. 2020 was going to be a big year for the Broncos. To complement new OC Pat Shurmur, they brought in All-Pro Melvin Gordon and selected Jerry Jeudy with the 15th overall selection in the 2020 Draft. Sutton had a consensus ADP of WR 23, and after sporting a Dominator Ranking (collective stat to measure a players’ measure of total team yards and touchdowns) in the Top 6 among WR’s in 2019, it was warranted. Needless to say, 2020 didn’t measure up to the Broncos’ outlook for their offense. They ranked 28th in Team Offense, 28th in Passing, and 13th in rushing.
Fantasy Sleeper for 2021
“My mindset is to come back and not just be where I was before I got hurt,”, “It’s to be able to go above and beyond that. I know that’s it there for myself.
-Courtland Sutton
As mentioned earlier, Courtland Sutton is a sleeper to help you win in 2021.
Yes, it is hard to define a player with an ADP of WR 34 as a sleeper, but when you are drafting a WR3 with high-end WR1/2 upside, that is my definition of a sleeper. Long gone are the days of a true sleeper, but a player who can deliver a multi-round “value” is the new sleeper. So how is Courtland Sutton going to help you win in 2021? Let’s start with the obvious block, the ACL recovery. According to Sutton, “My mindset is to come back and not just be where I was at before I got hurt,”, “It’s to be able to go above and beyond that. I know that’s it there for myself.
Seriously imagine sleeping on this dude. Absolutely not me.pic.twitter.com/jwIre3Chwr
— Dave Kluge (@DaveKluge) June 1, 2021
It is that type of mindset, combined with a 6’4” 216lb frame that is going to drive the former SMU Mustang. One of the big questions entering 2021 is going to be “who is under center?” I personally believe it will be Drew Lock. With another season of Pat Shurmur, it is going to be nice to see some consistency within the playcalling. Sutton’s biggest asset was his downfield ability. His 26 deep targets in 2019 ranked in the top 12, and Drew Lock in 2020 had shown a propensity to throw the deep ball. His 4.8 deep balls per game ranked 5th overall in NFL (per Player Profiler). While I know that the 2nd year of Jerry Jeudy, the emergence of Tim Patrick and Noah Fant, and the addition of Javonte Williams in this years’ draft should be obstacles, I see them as vast improvements to an offense that was challenged to move the chains. Yes, I do believe the 120+ targets may be hard to guarantee, but I honestly think that Jeudy will take the double coverage away and give Sutton more one on ones. With Sutton’s ability to get yards after catch and ability to burn defenders (4% burn rate ranked 5th among WR in 2019), the more single coverage the better! If it is Teddy Bridgewater, Sutton has shown that he doesn’t really care who the QB is (evidenced by 2019’s QB carousel), he will make plays. Honestly, if it is Teddy, the deep ball accuracy could play well.
All in all, I will gladly take Courtland Sutton as my WR 3/4 with the 2nd year of growth for Drew Lock, a healthy ACL, and available options to take the attention of the defense away. Look for Sutton to emerge as a legit WR2 with near double-digit TDs and 1000+yds.