Courtland

Sutton

Sutton operated as the clear alpha for a Broncos team that narrowly avoided defeat at the hands of a record-setting night from both Jameis Winston and Jerry Jeudy. Two Denver pick-sixes ultimately proved to be the difference as the Broncos head into their Week 14 bye in firm control of the final playoff spot out of the AFC. Sutton’s next chance to return elite fantasy production comes in Week 15 against one of the teams chasing the Broncos for the seventh playoff spot in the Colts.

Sutton time and again won contested catches against overmatched Vegas defenders. That included a lofted touchdown from Bo Nix in the back of the end zone in the first half. He nabbed another score in the second half. Sutton now has 467 receiving yards over his past five games as Nix’s go-to guy in critical situations. Sutton, who has dominated targets and air yards in the Denver offense all season long, should be seen as a locked-in WR2 option going forward. He gets the Browns in Week 13.

Sutton led the Broncos in all receiving categories but was somehow not one of the four Denver pass catchers to reel in a touchdown from Bo Nix in his best showing of the 2024 season. Sutton had a 23-yard reception in the first half on the Broncos’ second scoring drive of the game, but was quiet in the second half as the Broncos nursed a hefty lead against a lifeless Falcons team. Sutton now has at least eight targets in four straight games as Nix’s clear No. 1 option. He’ll be a top-24 option in Week 12 against the Chargers.

He conclusively dominated Chiefs CB Trent McDuffie on the biggest plays of the game, winning vertically on his 32-yard touchdown catch and managing a 13-yard gain with 1:53 left that should have led to the game-winning field goal. Alas. Sutton has now gone for over 100 yards or a touchdown in three straight weeks and should remain on the WR3 line against the Falcons in Week 11.

Sutton put up another strong receiving line this week, but his most memorable play was the aforementioned pass attempt. Denver ran a “Philly Special” trick play at the goal line. Sutton came across the formation, caught a pitch, and tossed a floater to Bo Nix who muscled his way into the end zone. Sutton wasn’t targeted in Week 7 but has since rebounded with 21 looks over his past two games. He hit the century mark in both contests. With Nix leaning on him more in recent weeks, Sutton has a secure spot in the WR3 ranks for his Week 10 matchup with Kansas City.

After not receiving a single target against the Saints, it appeared that Sean Payton and company made it a point to get Sutton the football, and they did just that. The only blemish here was a late fumble close to the goal line, but it was nice to see the 29-year-old wideout showing more chemistry with rookie quarterback Bo Nix. Sutton will take on a struggling Ravens’ secondary in Week 9, and should be in for another big contest as long as Nix continues his upward trend.

The doughnut was not only Sutton’s first of the season, it was the first time he drew fewer than four looks. With the game never really competitive, Bo Nix seemed more focused on attempting to develop a connection with fellow rookie Troy Franklin. As usual, the Broncos’ offense badly bogged down in the red zone. You would think they might have looked Sutton’s way there, but we digress. Sutton is going to produce WR4 statlines more weeks than not, but the ceiling potential is so limited in this offense that he’s not really someone you want to be jamming into your lineup on a weekly basis. That being said, the Panthers are an A+ Week 8 matchup.

Sutton’s day would have been a lot more productive had an offensive holding call not erased an explosive gain Sutton secured in the center of the field. Nix’s development could help Sutton stabilize as a weekly WR3 moving forward. He has a tough matchup against the Saints’ Marshon Lattimore in Week 7.

This is a difficult situation for the big-bodied X-wide receiver. Nix spends so much of his time scanning the short area of the field, Sutton often ends up an afterthought. Sutton could become a reliable WR3 option if Nix continues improving, though he is just a volatile flex option against the Chargers in Week 6.

Sutton, as usual, had a bunch of air yards and a lot fewer real yards as Bo Nix remained terribly inefficient as a passer. Nix finally threw his first touchdown as a pro on a nice red zone toss to Sutton in the back of the end zone — the only touchdown of the game for either team. No other Broncos pass catcher had more than three targets on the day. Sutton remains a major positive regression candidate as Denver’s clearcut No. 1 wideout. He’ll go against the burnable Raiders secondary in Week 5.