When the Broncos drafted Bo Nix and Troy Franklin in the 2024 NFL Draft, the expectation was that they’d make a nice pairing after spending two seasons together at Oregon.
Nix exploded as a rookie, leading Denver to the postseason, but Franklin had a quiet year. That’s changing in his second professional season. Franklin has already surpassed his 2024 totals for yards, receptions, targets and touchdowns in just eight games. He’s established himself as the No. 2 wide receiver behind Courtland Sutton.
Franklin’s emergence is great for his fantasy owners, but how much is it capping Sutton’s value as a WR1? Sutton leads the team with 37 receptions and 536 yards on 56 targets. He also has three receiving touchdowns, one fewer than Franklin.
Despite Franklin’s recent success, Sutton is still considered the No. 1 option for Denver. That said, this may not be the case for much longer. Franklin is trending upward, scoring three touchdowns in the past two games and is projected to have another big game against the Texans.
Shut down corner Derek Stingley Jr. will likely be guarding Sutton in Week 9, making it more appealing to target Franklin. He’s garnered 18 targets over the past two games compared to Sutton’s 16.
And while Sutton has 178 more receiving yards, he only has four more receptions and two more targets. The gap isn’t that large to begin with, so it wouldn’t be shocking for it to shrink even more over the next couple weeks.
If you can trade Sutton for good value, this is the opportunity to do so before Franklin takes over as the top option.