What Makes Courtland Sutton an Attractive Dynasty Option?
With the Broncos trading Emmanuel Sanders to the 49ers, that can only mean second-year wideout Courtland Sutton’s stock is on the rise. But even before the Sanders trade, this talented receiver was already making his presence felt through the first seven weeks of the 2019 NFL season.
In his rookie season, Sutton flashed plenty of potential but had reputation for the drops. Still, his first season in the league ended with 42 catches for 704 yards and four touchdowns.
Through seven games in this season, Sutton has 36 catches, is tied for the sixth-most yards (564), has three touchdowns and has collected the 11th-most fantasy points from any receiver (74.4). And this has been with a largely ineffective Joe Flacco as well as Sanders by his side.
With Sanders now in the Bay Area, that leaves Sutton as the Broncos WR1 for good. And with nine games remaining, expect plenty of great things from the 24-year-old star, especially since he has the skill set to keep his breakout season up.
So what’s so enticing about Sutton, you ask? Let’s take a look in this film breakdown.
First, let’s get to Sutton’s performance against the Packers in week three, where he had a couple of impressive routes/plays to show off. Here he’s lined up out left against press coverage about 9-10 yards away from the red zone.
Against Kevin King, the receiver works inside to bait his foe…
…And then immediately breaks outside, providing plenty of separation for his quarterback to make an accurate throw.
The problem is Flacco does not.
This should have been a touchdown, but Flacco’s placement forces Sutton to adjust when he doesn’t need to. He does get his hands on the ball, but only one foot in bounds. If Sutton was led more inside it’s hard to imagine this not ending up converting six points. That he has to go out of his way to even try to make this catch is more of an indictment on his quarterback than himself, especially with this incredible route he offers.
Speaking of adjustments, that’s another area where Sutton offers tremendous value for dynasty owners looking for a young receiver to invest in. On this third down, he displays that potential.
Here he makes a nice cut on the curl route, but the throw from Flacco is not precise. This time, however, Sutton is able to bail out his quarterback with an impressive diving catch to move the chains.
Flacco offers Sutton no chance to create yards after the catch with this throw. Even with pressure in his face, this is not a difficult throw to make with precision, but that’s the price the Broncos paid by trading for him. But that’s for another time, as Sutton adjusts to the behind throw with a great sliding catch for the first down conversion.
At long last, we get an accurate throw from Flacco as well as a great route from Sutton on this deep connection.
Sutton offers a subtle, but deadly stutter move against King, burning him and creating plenty of separation for his quarterback.
With a close, keen eye you can see a slight hesitation from Sutton, which is more than enough to stop King in his tracks. This is a beautiful route and one that ranks among the best from Sutton’s career in my opinion.
Next let’s move to Sutton’s performance against the Chargers, in which the team managed to get their first win of the 2019 season after an 0-4 start.
Sutton’s presence as a vertical threat does not make him a one-trick pony. As shown on plays like this pivot route, he has proven capable of being a threat in the short and intermediate areas of the field as well. Though currently weighing under 200 lbs, Sutton is 6’4, so he isn’t the easiest receiver to bring down. This allows him to create yards after the catch with ease.
Even so, it’s the vertical area of the field that truly makes Sutton a home run hitter in fantasy and in dynasty leagues. The crazy angles he takes his ball skills to and his approach at the catch point offset the drops and plays he’s left on the field throughout his professional career (to be fair, I haven’t seen many drops from him this season).
It should be obvious with the trade of Sanders but you’re wasting your time if you’re not thinking of investing in Sutton for your dynasty leagues. Trade whatever you can to get him if you’re in need of a young playmaker, even with the threat of Flacco as his quarterback.
With great route running, flashy ball skills and a well rounded skill set Sutton is set to become one of the league’s best young receivers. He’s too good to ignore and someone with his potential is easily worth being traded for.
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