Fantasy Upside
The second-year player from Indiana will be the Broncos No. 3 WR this season and will receive not only more playing time, but also more looks from Peyton Manning with the departure of Julius Thomas and Wes Welker. Cody Latimer has shown some good potential in training camp and with Demaryius Thomas absent during the offseason workouts due to his contract being worked out, Latimer was able to make huge strides by receiving repetitions with the first team. He’s got some size at 6’2” and 215 pounds.
Fantasy Downside
Playing in just eight games – a total of 37 snaps - during a disappointing rookie season, Cody totaled only two catches for 23 yards. With TEs Owen Daniels and Virgil Green expected to see a decent amount of action that could limit Latimer’s on-field time. As Baltimore’s OC last season, Gary Kubiak’s third receiver didn’t even play half the snaps. While it hasn’t been an issue in training camp, Latimer battled a sore hamstring during offseason workouts.
Bottom Line
Emmanuel Sanders will move to the slot in three receiver sets, which should give Cody one-on-one coverage to work against when he’s in the game. However, with Denver’s balanced attack, the No. 3 WR likely won’t post good enough numbers to warrant being drafted. Be sure to keep an eye on Latimer once the regular season begins, as he has the potential to be a fill-in WR during heavy bye weeks.
