WR Troy Franklin Fantasy
With the 102nd pick in the 2024 NFL draft, the Denver Broncos selected Troy Franklin. We saw the Broncos send Jerry Jeudy off to the Cleveland Browns earlier in the offseason amid a myriad of trade rumors that at one point also included veteran and long-time starter Courtland Sutton. Denver drafted Marvin Mims Jr. last year and brought in Josh Reynolds via free agency to compete with remaining holdovers Tim Patrick and the aforementioned Sutton. Franklin fell to the 4th round due to his lack of physicality and his meager frame. While it is true that these are knocks on his profile, he is an exceptional route runner and blazing fast. He will find a way to get open at the NFL level just like he did at the college level. Not to mention his ability to create YAC. There is no guarantee the Broncos roll with Sutton on their roster this upcoming season which means Franklin could be stepping into an immediate role with his former college quarterback, Bo Nix. Let’s see what the immediate value and dynasty value is for this talented receiver.
Fantasy Value
Troy Franklin was a polarizing prospect by most of the fantasy football community. I know some that had him as high as their WR3 and others that had him as low as WR12. The range of outcomes for Franklin are not few and far between. To begin with, Franklin immediately comes in as the 2nd best receiver on this team. Falling to the 4th round is widely regarded as a steal for this Broncos team due to his production at the college level. Franklin broke out in 2022 with just under 900 yards and 9 touchdowns as a sophomore. This led into his junior year, where he set the world on fire with nearly 1,400 yards and 14 touchdowns. Mind you, the NFL is a different game altogether, but these numbers matter, especially when you continue playing with your college QB. Sean Payton has never drafted a 1st-round QB until Nix, and he paired him with Franklin, which speaks volumes. I’m not projecting this offense to set the world on fire this year, but I do expect them to throw the ball at least similarly to last year and possibly even better (3,566 passing yards). Sutton will get his shares of targets and is always a potential 1,000-yard candidate, but I could see Franklin getting around 60 receptions for 800 yards and 5 touchdowns. This would put him at 170 PPR points, which would be WR38 in 2023. I don’t envision Franklin being better than a WR3 in year 1 unless Nix comes in and sets the world on fire. However, you could do worse with the 3rd receiver on your roster.
Dynasty Value
Troy Franklin is the quintessential dynasty asset that we all crave. He may not have the highest draft capital, but that loses its luster after year one, anyway. If I am drafting a year one, WR3 production level player with a 2nd-3rd round pick, I am ecstatic. As of now, Franklin is ranked as the 20th overall rookie and the 11th overall WR. I’m not saying that Franklin will be an every-week player even next year, but Sutton will be 31 when he hits free agency in 2026 meaning that he will either begin to trend downward and not be as productive on the Broncos or he won’t be on the Broncos at all. This would give Franklin a 2-year cushion to hone his skills at the pro level and become a standout, #1 receiver in the NFL. The height isn’t a concern, but his weight is, meaning that in those 2 years, he would have to put on a bit of muscle mass, but with strength and conditioning the way it is now, I don’t see this as an issue. No one plays dynasty for the short-term value of it; it’s all about waiting and investing. I’m telling you right now, Franklin will be worth that investment at a discounted price. Get him while he’s hot.
Conclusion
At the end of the day, Troy Franklin is a dynasty asset through and through. His 2024 value will be nice as a plug-and-play streamer who will likely get us through some bye weeks and injuries but don’t expect elite-level production from this rookie. He’s a fine bench piece for this season due to his route-running prowess, quickness, and ability to create yards after the catch. Not to mention, he should see the field almost immediately due to lack of competition. This is one of those rare talent and situation times coming together to form the perfect storm. In Dynasty, I had him valued as my WR3 pre-draft, and he is valued down to my WR4 post-draft. This is simply just because of landing spot being better for the guy I had at WR4 pre-draft. Franklin should step in and settle into a groove rather quickly due to the system comparisons and continuity at the quarterback position. I would buy the discounted price of Franklin while you can. He’s going to get a lot of buzz around training camp and preseason and soon enough, we’ll see his price begin to climb to where it should have been originally.
