5 Reasons to Draft Demaryius Thomas in Your Fantasy Football League

With a couple of long strides and one wicked stiff-arm, Denver Broncos wide receiver Demaryius Thomas became a franchise legend. 

On the first play of overtime in the 2011 NFL playoffs, Thomas took a completion over the middle to the house, finishing off the Broncos' upset over the Pittsburgh Steelers and sending Denver into the Divisional Round with a walk-off win. 

Heading into 2012, Thomas has plenty of expectations about his third NFL season. And fantasy football owners should be drooling when thinking about his potential for next season. 

In the following five slides, we'll run down the reasons why you should draft Thomas in your fantasy draft this year.

Flashes of Greatness in 2011

Most forget with Thomas that he wasn't expected to contribute much in 2011 after blowing out his Achilles in the offseason prior. But that wasn't the case last season, as he came back in Week 7 and then delivered some flashes of greatness late in the year. 

The first came in an 144-yard performance in Minnesota, where Thomas caught two long scores in a Broncos win. The next three games, Thomas averaged almost 90 yards receiving a game. And finally, Thomas capped off his season with a four-catch, 204-yard explosion against the Steelers in the Wild Card round. 

Thomas clearly has the first-round talent Denver saw in him in the 2009 draft. He showed it off late last season, and he'll be even closer to 100 percent health-wise to start 2012. 

Tim Tebow Is Gone...

Former Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow was at the controls for some of Thomas' biggest games in 2011. But there was always going to be a ceiling for what Thomas could accomplish with Tebow as the starting quarterback. 

Tebow will probably never be an above-average thrower of the football, and that reality would have kept Thomas from becoming the best receiver he could be.

The Broncos blew that ceiling off when they dealt Tebow to the New York Jets. 

Of course, that trade was made necessary by the addition of this next guy on our list.

...And Peyton Manning Is in

Bringing in Peyton Manning changes the entire complexity of the Broncos offense. Once a run-heavy, throw-it-deep offense with Tebow under center, the Broncos offense is now a precision-based, passing-savvy outfit that should help Thomas thrive. 

Of course, there are worries about Thomas' route-running ability and how that will translate to Manning's timing-heavy style. But you better believe that the potential for Thomas to blow up this season went up 10-fold when the Broncos signed Manning this March. 

Denver went from the most celebrated should-be-a-fullback quarterbacks to arguably one of the best ever to play the game. It's a trade off that should immediate increase Thomas' fantasy value for 2012.

The Targets Will Come

Again, I understand the worries about Thomas' ability to "connect" with Manning.

But let's be perfectly honest: Manning has never had a receiver at his disposal with this much size and athletic ability. Somehow, someway, you have to believe that Manning will make the most of this weapon next season. 

Eric Decker may see the most targets, but that's OK. Thomas will get his fair share too. Keep in mind that Manning has run offenses that have spread out plenty of catches to guys like Marvin Harrison, Reggie Wayne and Dallas Clark. 

There will be targets to be had for Williams. If he makes the most of them, he'll be a big-time fantasy option. 

Bargain, but Why?

Most will be surprised to know that Thomas isn't going as high in fantasy drafts as you'd think. 

According to ESPN, Thomas is currently the No. 23 receiver, with an average draft position of 61.9. Receivers ahead of him? DeSean Jackson and Dwayne Bowe are two names, but neither have the kind of upside Thomas has with Manning at the controls this season. 

To me, Thomas is a bargain as the No. 23 receiver. 

If he and Manning click, Thomas could easily be a top-12 or top-15 receiver next season, with an absolute fantasy ceiling inside the top 10.

He's that physically talented, and Manning is that good at finding his playmakers.