The Denver Broncos offense struggled to hit expectations in 2021, but WR K.J. Hamler should have a positive outlook in fantasy football dynasty formats.
Not Going as Planned
Last year the Denver Broncos went all in on their offense. Drew Lock showed flashes in a promising rookie season. So the Broncos decided to surround Lock with weapons, signing RB Melvin Gordon in free agency and drafting Jerry Jeudy and KJ Hamler in the 1st and 2nd-round of the NFL Draft. The acquisitions along with Courtland Sutton would provide an offense that could help the Broncos stay in games in the division against the Chiefs.
This plan did not last long, as Sutton tore his ACL in the first game of the 2021 season. The Broncos offense struggled and finished the season in the bottom 10 in scoring and total yards per Espn. Even with the offense struggling, Hamler showed flashes and could be a fantasy asset in the future. Now let’s take a look at Hamler coming out of college and his outlook going forward.
Explosive in College
Coming out of high School in Bradenton, Florida, Hamler was a 4-star player and a Top-300 recruit. Hamler redshirted his first year but was able to show off his exciting skills the following two years as he had over 3000 all-purpose yards and 14 touchdowns.
Hamler is very good out of the slot but his smaller size did not stop him from lining up outside as well. Per PFF_College, Hamler lined up 38 times outside his RS Freshman year and doubled that in his RS Sophmore year. With his versatility, Hamler was able to run many different routes in college.
Not only could he run short crosses or screens, but also would consistently beat defenses deep. Hamler is only 5’9 170 lbs. but fights against defenders and is deceptively strong. His main strength is his route running, with quick change of direction and his ability to get yards after the catch in space. The one worry about him coming into the NFL was his 11 drops in his last year in college, which was up four from the previous year.
He’s fast.
He can stretch the field.The @Broncos are getting a baller in @Kj_hamler. pic.twitter.com/l2ksqwEU85
— NFL (@NFL) May 6, 2020
Rookie Year and Fantasy Football Outlook
Before the draft I was excited about Hamler and was very intrigued by what team would pick him up. In a surprise move, the Broncos went WR in both the 1st and 2nd-round. With Sutton already on the team his upside in his initial rookie year looked to be minimal. With the injury to Sutton, Hamler ended up with an unexpected uptick in playing time that resulted in 30 catches out of 56 targets, 381 yards and 3 tds. Hamler’s opportunities were up and down because of inaccuracy of the QB, where Hamler ranked 92nd in target accuracy per PlayerProfiler.
Can't wait to see more of @Kj_hamler in Year 2. 😎
📺: https://t.co/gXdFi04ATS pic.twitter.com/v0NSfDMpFI
— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) February 12, 2021
With the hopeful return of Sutton, this should open up things for Hamler. The unexpected injury of Courtland Sutton made all the receivers move up the depth chart before they were ready. Now, with two legitimate outside options, there should be more open space for Hamler as he was 25th in slot snaps as a Rookie.
Hamler is worth a stash in fantasy football dynasty formats as the entire Broncos offense is subject to how well Drew Lock plays. He would be most valuable next season in best ball leagues as it will be hard to know what weeks he will be able to be fantasy productive. The Broncos offense has enough weapons to be explosive, so with an upgrade in QB play, Hamler is worth holding on to or trying to get cheap before his production takes off.
Brandon Haye
Brandon grew up in Jacksonville, Florida and works as a health insurance data analyst. He has no children, but two fur babies - Squirt and Brownie. He and his wife, Katie, spend their time playing poker and enjoying time with their pups. Brandon is a huge Michigan Wolverine and Jacksonville Jaguars fan. He at one time was in 77 fantasy leagues and loves the game of football. Brandon started writing for The Leauge Winners in 2021.