Courtland Sutton, DaeSean Hamilton Fantasy Stock After Emmanuel Sanders' Injury

It's next man up for the Denver Broncos receiving corps after Emmanuel Sanders suffered a knee injury against the Tennessee Titans, according to 9News' Mike Klis.

Courtland Sutton and DaeSean Hamilton in particular could see an uptick in targets, which would change the fantasy equation for both players.

Of course, Joe Flacco is still the starting quarterback, thus possibly limiting how much Sutton's and Hamilton's production improves with Sanders out of the picture. At the time of his trade to Denver, many questioned whether Flacco was an upgrade over Case Keenum in the first place.

Sutton was a perfect test case to determine whether the Flacco trade improved the passing game.

A second-round pick in the 2018 draft, he caught 42 passes for 704 yards and four touchdowns as a rookie. While those numbers didn't jump off the page, the potential was obvious as long as the Broncos brought in a better quarterback.

Through five games this year, Sutton has 26 receptions, 401 receiving yards and three scores.

Likewise, Hamilton, a fellow 2018 draftee, would be a barometer for the offense's progress. The former Penn State star has seven receptions for 77 yards and zero touchdowns in 2019.

Before Sanders' injury, Sutton was a solid WR2 worth starting in the right matchup or if an opportunity for a significant uptick in his production presented itself. With Sanders out, Sutton should get enough looks to further solidify his spot in the starting lineup for owners in standard leagues.

Even for desperate owners hoping to find value on the waiver wire, Hamilton still isn't worth adding. Give it a week or two to see whether Sanders' absence makes Hamilton a viable fantasy threat.

Looking further down the depth chart, Noah Fant, Jeff Heuerman or Diontae Spencer is not worth considering in standard leagues. They're unlikely to see enough targets—even with Sanders unavailable—to move the needle too much.