Courtland Sutton inactive vs. Titans in Week 1

UPDATE: The Broncos have announced Sutton is inactive.

The Denver Broncos assembled a group of talented, young receivers over the offseason, but their top wideout is inactive for their season opener against the Tennessee Titans on Monday. Courtland Sutton has been ruled out because of an AC joint sprain he suffered last week, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. His absence could affect Denver in a major way. We’ll discuss how this news could affect the fantasy football world here.

Fantasy football analysis: Broncos WRs Jerry Jeudy and KJ Halmer

Jeudy was widely considered the best route runner in the 2020 NFL Draft. He’ll likely fill in for Sutton as the Broncos’ WR1 against a Titans defense that gave up the seventh most passing yards per game in 2019. Jeudy and KJ Hamler have shown potential in camp, but there’s a lot of risk associated with starting either rookie in their pro debuts. I’d give Jeudy the nod in season-long leagues and DFS because he is a true technician when it comes to getting himself open.

Fantasy football analysis: Broncos TE Noah Fant

Fant emerged as a rising star once Emmanuel Sanders was traded. The second-year tight end was TE15 in 2019 and has chemistry with Drew Lock. He’s sure to be more of a focal point in Denver’s offense in 2020, and Tennessee’s defense ranked 22nd against opposing tight ends in 2019. Fant has breakaway speed to rack up yards after the catch and should be a red zone threat behind Phillip Lindsay and Melvin Gordon. He stands out as a top-notch season-long fantasy and DFS play.