Emmanuel Sanders, Courtland Sutton Fantasy Outlook After Demaryius Thomas Trade

The reported trade of Demaryius Thomas to the Houston Texans, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.com, has opened up opportunities for the rest of the players on the Denver Broncos roster, and fantasy football owners should take advantage.

Emmanuel Sanders is the obvious fill-in as the most accomplished offensive player remaining on the roster.

While the two-time Pro Bowler is coming off a disappointing 2017 campaign, he had three straight 1,000-yard seasons before that and entered the week with 660 receiving yards on 50 catches (three touchdowns) so far in 2018.

Thomas and Sanders have played together since 2014, and much of the time, the latter has been the better receiver. He appeared to show better chemistry with Case Keenum this season.

As the undisputed No. 1 receiver in the offense, Sanders has an opportunity to put up huge numbers going forward. He was already a likely starter in many lineups but is now arguably a WR1 given the elite stat lines he was already posting.

Meanwhile, the real beneficiary could be second-round pick Courtland Sutton.

Sanders will get more overall targets, but the rookie could replace Thomas in the red zone thanks to his size at 6'4", 216 pounds. He is a strong receiver who can win balls in the air, making him an ideal target for Keenum.

Although he still has a lot to prove before you put him in your fantasy lineup, Sutton is worth a roster spot and will be worthy of flex consideration on a week-to-week basis, depending on the matchup.