Getty Oakland Raiders WR Hunter Renfrow.
Courtesy of Antonio Brown, the Oakland Raiders find themselves in quite a predicament. Do they cut loose the All-Pro receiver or do they wait things out to see if he calms down? With such an unpredictable personality, it’s impossible to know what the correct call should be. He has all the talent in the world, but absolutely no self-awareness. This could mean very good things for fantasy football players that have other Raiders wide receivers on their rosters.
While Tyrell Williams will definitely be the main replacement for Brown, but rookie Hunter Renfrow also has a lot of upside. Coming out of Clemson, Renfrow is as pro-ready as they come. He’s a crisp route-runner and boasts an impressive pair of hands. He’s also got the love of his head coach and starting quarterback. While all of this means good things for the rookie, does it mean he’ll be a viable fantasy football option in week one against the Denver Broncos?
Hunter Renfrow Fantasy Outlook: Matchup vs. Broncos
As fun as Renfrow is going to be to watch in 2019, he couldn’t ask for a tougher entrance into the NFL. If he ends up playing in the slot, he’s going against Christ Harris Jr. Harris is known as one of the best slot corners in the league. Couple that with the fact that the Broncos have a terrifying pass rush and the Raiders are going to have a hard time throwing the ball against them. Von Miller and Bradley Chubb will make sure Derek Carr doesn’t have a lot of time in the pocket and Harris will make sure that Renfrow doesn’t get open quickly.
There’s also the fact that he’s a rookie. Renfrow was very impressive in training camp and the preseason, but he hasn’t hit an NFL field for a regular-season game yet. He has all the tools to be an amazing slot receiver for the Raiders, but it’s going to take some time before we can anoint him the next Wes Welker.
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Should You Start or Sit Hunter Renfrow in Week 1?
Renfrow will probably be available on the waiver wire for a lot of leagues and should stay that way for this week one matchup. If Brown doesn’t play, the only receiver with upside is Tyrell Williams. The Raider offense hasn’t played well against the Broncos in the past and Renfrow still has some kinks he’s going to need to work out. If he’s on your roster, sit him. It’s hard to imagine he’ll put up more than single-digit points in PPR leagues. ESPN projects him to have 5.5 points in week one and there’s no reason to think that they’re off.
With Brown potentially out for the long term, Renfrow will have a lot of potential in future matchups. Even week two against the Kansas City Chiefs could see him put up big numbers. Sitting him in week one isn’t necessarily a referendum on him, it’s more because of the impressive Broncos defense.
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