Tuesday, May 21, 2024

Fantasy Football

WR Downgrades: Falling After the Draft

Devante Adams drop WR Downgrades

Belly Up Fantasy Sports, and everyone else, has been all over letting you know which incoming rookies are going to provide the best fantasy value. Now it’s time to take a look at which receivers you might want to let fall after the new additions last week. Who earns the biggest WR downgrades thanks to the 2020 class of NFL rookies? Here are five candidates to be a little extra leery of come draft day.

See the WR Upgrades : Rising After the Draft from Belly Up Fantasy Sports Writer Houston Wentzel

Target Takers: Incoming Rookies Stealing Opportunity

In specific situations, adding a new threat can free up space for existing receivers. In others, though, target shares simply decrease because of the new talent. Adding the wrong piece to an offense can change, or even derail, the entire gameplan, too. These players could be held below expectations due to the picks in this years draft.

WR Kenny Golladay, Detroit Lions

Kenny Golladay WR Downgrades

This is less about the one addition at receiver (Quintez Cephus, Wisconsin), and more about the other offensive additions. Detroit selected two offensive lineman and two running backs to add to the roster last week. While the coaching staff remains mostly the same as last year, I think this could signal a monumental shift in the overall philosophy of the Lions offense.

With QB Matthew Stafford missing a significant number of games for the first time in his career, the Lions could be looking to rely on him a little less. While not missing much game time, Stafford has spent most of his career getting beaten up. Adding D’Andre Swift to compliment Kerryon Johnson could signal a move to a more run-heavy approach to mitigate issues if Stafford misses time again.

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WR Courtland Sutton, Denver Broncos

Courtland Sutton WR Downgrades

This is one of those spots where I want to be optimistic, but I just can’t make the turn. Adding WR Jerry Jeudy, WR K.J. Hamler, and TE Albert Okwuegbunam in the draft drastically improved this offense as a whole. At the end of the day, though, adding three more mouths to feed means less looks in Sutton’s direction.

The wild card here, in my opinion, is Okwuegbunam. The pre-draft analysis of him listed winning catches in the endzone as one of his biggest strengths. If he can develop NFL level skills quickly, Okwuegbunam could be the target to have in Denver, at least in standard and half PPR leagues. I doubt he ever develops into a high volume or yardage threat, but he could be a touchdown machine.

Caution: Potential WR Downgrades due to Inaction

Sometimes it’s not just about the numbers in fantasy football. There are some situations coming out of the 2020 NFL Draft that concern me as a fantasy owner because of the talent that didn’t get added last week. From weak offensive lines holding back the team’s overall potential to disgruntled stars, the more abstract issues can kill your point totals each week, too.

WR A.J. Brown, Tennessee Titans

A.J. Brown

The Titans didn’t do much this offseason to wean the offense off of their dependence on RB Derrick Henry. If anything, they leaned into it with their selection of OT Isaiah Wilson in the first round. There is a lack of competition for targets in Tennessee, but the quantity and quality of those targets are in question. I’m going against the grain on this one and saying Brown will have one of the biggest WR downgrades overall.

Ryan Tannehill

The biggest receiving threats on the Titans outside Brown are WR Corey Davis and TE Jonnu Smith. Both are decent NFL players but don’t demand targets. The biggest problem was the Titans offseason commitment to QB Ryan Tannehill. We can’t expect anything but pedestrian numbers out of Tannehill. Pair that with the offense running through Henry, and you’ve got a recipe for disaster. Recall, if you will, the hype for WR Devante Parker when he was Tannehill’s only target in Miami.

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WR Allen Robinson, Chicago Bears

Allen Robinson

The Chicago Bears went into the draft in desperate need of help along the offensive line. One of the worst units in the league in 2020, the Bears only managed to add average tackle Germain Ifedi in free agency. How did they address the problem? By waiting until the seventh round to use two picks on tackles.

Mitchell Trubisky

Even if the titty-kisser himself Mitch Trubisky is replaced by below-average-outside-Philadelphia Nick Foles at QB, I don’t see any boost for the Bears offense. Last year, we finally got to see a glimmer of 2015 Allen Robinson. Unfortunately, this year will likely be a return to the mediocrity of the rest of his career in Chicago.

WR Davante Adams, Green Bay Packers

Davante Adams WR Downgrades

Before you get your pitchforks, hear me out. We all know the Packers made the league-shattering decision to select QB Jordan Love in the first round last week. What does that have to do with Adams, and how could he possibly be among the WR downgrades? Simply, I have real concern that QB Aaron Rodgers has finally been pushed to the limit by the management in Green Bay.

Rodgers spent his airtime leading up to the draft bemoaning the fact that the Packers have never taken a WR in the first round of an NFL draft in his career. In a loaded class, they not only didn’t get him one yet again, they traded up for his replacement. Call me crazy, I think this is the straw that breaks the creepy mustaches back. I won’t be surprised, or angry, for that matter, to see a less motivated, less focused Rodgers than we are used to this year, let alone the rest of his Packers career.

Wait just a damn a minute here. Disgruntled, aging, all-time QB- check. Entire career in cold, open-air stadium in the north- check. Specifically upset about lack of weapons and coaching- check. I guess we know who Jason Licht will be calling in two years.

Think Adams is bulletproof this season and I’m over-reacting? Leave a comment below or let me know on Twitter who your WR downgrades are @KyeP_Sports. Stick with Belly Up Fantasy Sports as you prepare for your draft this year. Check Belly Up Sports for all your real-life sports news!