Beat: WR Branch gadget role with room to grow

Branch was limited by the hamstring issue for the first two practices of the week. He got up to a full practice on Friday and was cleared for Week 1. Branch will likely see a few designed touches in his NFL debut, but fantasy managers will want to wait until he overtakes Olamide Zaccheaus on the depth chart before getting him into their lineups.

The Falcons’ third-round rookie wide receiver could end up playing this week, but his inability to practice fully will keep him in a pure backup role. Branch does not need to be rostered in 12-team leagues.

Branch ran behind Olamide Zaccheaus for most of training camp. A light workload in practice heading into Week 1 all but guarantees he won’t threaten the veteran receiver for a starting role to open the year. Branch isn’t on the fantasy radar for his NFL debut versus the Steelers.

According to Kendall, “everyone in Atlanta can see” Branch’s ascension. The diminutive rookie has been “a standout in Atlanta from the moment he stepped on the practice field.” Zaccheaus is still taking most of the first-team snaps, so Branch may have to continue fighting for the starting role in-season. That said, the coaching staff plans to line up Branch at all three wide receiver spots. Obvious questions remain regarding Branch’s ability to play in the NFL at 5'10/180, but the youngster bench-pressed 225 pounds 20 times at the NFL Combine, so his strength is not in question. Even if Branch assumes a starting role, it will probably be tough for Branch to reliably return FLEX value, earning targets behind WR Drake London, TE Kyle Pitts and RB Bijan Robinson, but showing up with a few big performances is possible.

It’s not really a stretch when you consider Jahan Dotson and Olamide Zaccheaus are the two other receivers behind Drake London that are competing for real time on the Falcons. Branch isn’t exactly a lock to be fantasy-relevant as a rookie, but if he shows more than expected, the door is wide open for him in Atlanta.

Branch was highly effective on manufactured touches at Georgia and the Falcons could use a wideout who specializes in YAC. He stayed after practices to get extra reps on the jugs machine and got reps as both a kick and punt returner. Those may not have direct impacts on his fantasy value, but it can’t hurt to see him doing the little things every day. He will likely top out as the team’s third receiver to start the year. That role could quickly grow if he outshines Jahan Dotson and Olamide Zaccheaus.

The Atlanta depth chart at wideout is sparse even after we account for third-round pick Zachariah Branch in the draft. The No. 2 receiver right now might be Jahan Dotson. Olamide Zaccheaus is also in the picture. The Falcons still have $27 million in cap space but we’ve rarely heard them mentioned by national reporters as interested in the Stefon Diggs/Deebo Samuel/Keenan Allen best veteran free agent wideout tier. Those guys aren’t mentioned in this report either, but they do make plenty of sense from a roster standpoint.

Branch played 77.9 percent of his college snaps from the slot, per PFF, and at 5-foot-9, 177 pounds, it’s widely believed he will see most of his work in the slot as a pro. Despite this belief, Stefanski praised his rookie receiver for his versatility and ability to line up anywhere on the field, suggesting the Falcons could look to utilize him in multiple ways this season. After Drake London, the Falcons’ receiving depth gets very thin. Veterans Jahan Dotson and Olamide Zaccheaus currently project as the team’s other two starting receivers, but Branch, a third-round pick in this year’s draft, could look to unseat either vet in camp to earn some early playing time. Branch caught 81 passes for 811 yards and six touchdowns last season at Georgia, setting career-highs in every receiving metric.

Per Over The Cap, the contract is worth $7.09 million. Forecasting Branch’s year one fantasy relevance is difficult. He stands just 5'9/177 and generated much of his receiving production in the screen game last year. That said, he is a very talented player with the ball in his hands and the Falcons’ wide receiver corps thins out quickly behind No. 1 WR Drake London. Veterans WRs Jahan Dotson and Olamide Zaccheaus are penciled in as the Nos. 2 and 3 players in his position group. Unseating one, or both, is possible.

Branch was the top receiver recruit in the 2023 class. He played a backup role at USC as a freshman and amassed just 320 receiving yards, but his knack for turning designed touches into touchdowns was readily apparent. Branch scored a punt return touchdown, a kick return touchdown, and a rushing touchdown. He also led the country in yards per kick return (20.8). Branch improved his receiving total to 503 yards in his second season, but he was still parked behind Makai Lemon and Ja’Kobi Lane on the depth chart. After two years of backup duties, Branch transferred to Georgia for his third and final season. He led the SEC with 81 receptions, which he turned into 811 yards and six scores. While it was an impressive level up for the young wideout, Kirby Smart still chose to use Branch as a gadget receiver. He ranked second in the country in receptions on screens (44) and 135th in non-screen catches (37). Branch looked the part of a designed-touch specialist at the NFL Combine when he weighed in at 177 pounds, with a height three-eighths of an inch under 5’9. With both his size and usage in college screaming “gadget receiver,” it will be hard for Branch to shake that moniker early in his career. The good news is that the Falcons’ depth chart is wide open after Drake London. With only Jahan Dotson and Olamide Zaccheaus standing in his way, Branch could work his way into a fantasy-relevant role this year.