Hunter Renfrow: 2020 Dynasty Profile

Past Production

Here are Hunter Renfrow’s full NFL stats.

The Raiders selected Renfrow in the fifth round of the 2019 NFL Draft out of Clemson. At the time, the Raiders had Antonio Brown and Tyrell Williams as their primary outside receivers, but they didn’t have any underneath or over the middle weapons. Tight end Darren Waller eventually emerged as their top target, but we didn’t know that when they picked Renfrow.

Almost immediately, Renfrow took the Raiders’ slot receiver position, although he still wasn’t a significant part of the offense. However, Brown never played for the Raiders after his meltdown, and Williams struggled with injuries throughout 2019. Because of those problems, Renfrow had to assume an immediate role, seeing targets from Week 1.

For the season, Renfrow served as the Raiders’ second target after Waller, finishing second on the team in targets and receptions. The Raiders felt the loss of Brown, disrupting their entire offense. Even though Renfrow couldn’t possibly fill that type of void, he was one of the reasons why the Raiders’ offense played decently in 2019, with Derek Carr throwing for 4,054 yards and the Raiders’ finishing 7-9.

Considering that Renfrow was an unheralded fifth-round pick, I found his rookie season rather impressive. I believed that Renfrow would continue to be the Raiders’ slot receiver for years to come. Carr loves to throw underneath, so he would form a good pairing with Renfrow.

2020 Performance and Outlook

Unfortunately, Renfrow’s outlook darkened when the Raiders selected not one, but two receivers early in the 2020 NFL Draft. They picked Henry Ruggs in the first round and then Bryan Edwards in the third round. Even more concerning, the Raiders also added hybrid RB/WR Lynn Bowden Jr. in the third round, who would compete with Renfrow for slot snaps. Ruggs also has the skillset to play from the slot, so it seemed that Renfrow’s opportunity would decline.

However, the Raiders quickly gave up on Bowden Jr., trading him to the Dolphins before the season. The Raiders also lost Williams for the season to a torn shoulder labrum, opening up a spot in the starting lineup for Renfrow. Through three weeks, both Ruggs and Edwards have struggled with injuries, forcing the Raiders to turn back to Renfrow. Renfrow is currently second on the Raiders in targets with 14, behind Waller with 28. From now on in 2020, Renfrow will likely be a borderline WR3 until both Ruggs and Edwards return to full health.

Dynasty Analysis

Even though Renfrow might be viable for the remainder of 2020, I don’t see him as a long-term dynasty asset. Waller, Ruggs, Edwards, and running back Josh Jacobs are the Raiders’ future in the passing game, not Renfrow. I believe that Ruggs will take some time to develop, and Edwards has had multiple injuries as a rookie. Once those two become integrated into the offense, Renfrow’s targets and opportunities will decline, and he’ll become just another WR5.

Generally, I don’t like rostering players like Renfrow. He has limited upside, and I don’t think he’ll ever carry a lot of dynasty value. Now is a selling window for Renfrow, as he’ll see added targets with Ruggs and Edwards out. Take advantage of the increased value and move Renfrow while you can.

Thanks for reading this article. You can find me on Twitter at @DFF_Karp. I love to interact with anyone in the community, so reach out at any time! I take fantasy questions and help with all formats, so keep sending those questions my way.