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San Diego Chargers wide receiver Eddie Royal grabbed the attention of fantasy football owners with five touchdown receptions over the first two weeks of the season, but that was obviously not sustainable and he has just two touchdowns over the subsequent 10 games he has played. The high point of Royal’s 2013 season came in Week 2 against the Philadelphia Eagles (seven receptions for 90 yards and three touchdowns), but since then he does not have more than four catches in any game and has only topped 50 receiving yards three times.
Could Royal get back in the good graces of fantasy owners against the Denver Broncos in Week 15?
Royal did not have a great game against his former team back in Week 10, with just two catches (on four targets) for 36 yards. But the Broncos enter the week allowing 23.2 fantasy points per game (12th-most in the league, ESPN scoring) to wide receivers, and they’ve allowed at least 20 fantasy points to the position in three straight games. They held San Diego’s wide receivers to nine receptions for 112 yards without a touchdown in Week 10, but Chargers’ quarterback Philip Rivers threw the ball just 29 times, which is the second-fewest pass attempts in a game against the Broncos this season.
Chargers’ wide receiver Keenan Allen is dealing with a shoulder issue that may limit his effectiveness with a short week ahead of Thursday night’s game, which could set Royal up to see more targets in what is shaping up to be a high-scoring game. He missed Week 13 with a chest injury and apparently came out of last Sunday’s game with a toe issue, but Royal is fully expected to play barring something unforeseen over the next couple days.
Royal’s fantasy value this season has been dependent on the unpredictability of if he’ll score a touchdown or not, but he is worth a look as a WR3 or flex option in deep PPR leagues this week.
Brad Berreman is a contributing writer at Rant Sports.com. Follow him on Twitter @bradberreman24.
