Past Production
Here are Tim Patrick’s full NFL stats.
Patrick struggled through an injury-riddled college career at Utah, missing many games due to various injuries. Therefore, he wasn’t on the NFL’s radar coming into 2017. Patrick eventually signed with the Ravens as an undrafted free agent, but he didn’t make the team. The 49ers then brought Patrick into their camp, although he failed to make final roster cuts.
Eventually, Patrick landed on the Broncos’ practice squad. He remained there throughout the 2017 season, seeing no game action. The Broncos retained him for the 2018 season on a reserve/future contract, allowing them to take another look at Patrick in their 2018 training camp.
In 2018, the Broncos had their top four receivers locked-in. Veterans Emmanuel Sanders and Demaryius Thomas had the starting spots while rookies Courtland Sutton and DaeSean Hamilton occupied the third and fourth slots. However, Patrick made the team as the WR5.
Through 12 games, Patrick saw only four receptions on 11 targets for 73 yards and a touchdown. Even though the Broncos had traded Thomas to the Texans, there still weren’t many opportunities for Patrick. But, before the final four games, Sanders tore his Achilles, opening the door for Patrick. In Weeks 14-17, Patrick caught 19 of 30 targets for 242 yards, suddenly becoming a crucial part of the Broncos’ offense. Neither Sutton nor Hamilton fully stepped in for Sanders, allowing Patrick to see work.
Unfortunately, Patrick’s momentum didn’t carry over into 2019. Sutton and Hamilton remained ahead of Patrick on the depth chart, and Sanders returned to the team from his torn Achilles. Even after the Broncos traded Sanders to the 49ers, tight end Noah Fant, not Patrick, saw a higher target share. Patrick was solely an afterthought in dynasty leagues after his lack of impact in 2019.
2020 Performance and Outlook
Going into 2020, the Broncos added rookies Jerry Jeudy and K. J. Hamler in the first and second rounds of the 2020 NFL Draft. Patrick seemed to be competing with Hamilton for the WR4 position behind Sutton, Jeudy, and Hamler. However, a significant opportunity opened in the Broncos’ passing game when they lost Sutton for the season to a torn ACL. Hamler and Fant have also struggled with injuries.
Through four weeks, Patrick leads the team in receptions, and he has only one fewer target than Jeudy for the target lead. I don’t see the Broncos’ offense as a high-powered group, but Patrick will have some usable fantasy games. He’s only a WR4, but that’s far more than I ever expected from him at the start of the 2020 season.
Dynasty Analysis
In dynasty leagues, Patrick is a classic short-term asset. He has no draft capital, and he’s on a crowded offense with multiple high-pedigree weapons. I would add Patrick to the end of my rosters as a stash, but that’s all he is. Don’t trade a pick for him, and take any third-round rookie pick in exchange for him. If you need to start Patrick in 2020, you’re probably not truly a contender anyway.
Churning the back of your bench is how you accumulate dynasty assets over time. Turning Patrick into a future pick will give you another asset that you could package in a deal for a higher pick. Repeating that process over time is how you build stable dynasty rosters.
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.
