Fantasy Football: 5 Wide Receivers Who Could Outscore Their Higher-Drafted Teammates
Emmanuel Sanders, Denver Broncos (ADP: 7.01)
Teammate: Demaryius Thomas (ADP: 3.06)
It seems like Emmanuel Sanders and Eric Decker are in a constant battle to see who's the Rodney Dangerfield of football. Seriously, Sanders gets so little love compared to his worth. And, just like in 2016, don't be surprised if he and Demaryius Thomas are neck-and-neck to be the team's highest-scoring receiver.
Sanders finally surpassed Thomas in red zone targets in 2016, getting 21 targets to Thomas' 20, after having 13 fewer the season before.
Their red zone-only stats from the past two years are compared in the table below.
| Player | Targets | Catch Rate | Reception Success Rate | Reception NEP per Target | Reception NEP per Reception |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thomas | 41 | 63.40% | 69.20% | 0.73 | 1.15 |
| Sanders | 30 | 43.30% | 84.60% | 0.69 | 1.60 |
Sanders fell short of Thomas' PPR production by less than one point per game last season. With only seven fewer total targets accrued during the 2016 season and nearly identical overall efficiency -- Thomas registered a 0.62 Reception NEP per target overall, compared to Sanders' 0.64 Reception NEP per target -- Sanders wouldn't need many more looks in 2017 to outproduce Thomas.
It's clear Sanders is the better value, ADP-wise, as he's going three-and-a-half rounds later. However, he could easily end up being the highest-scoring receiver on the team overall, too.
