WR Eric Decker, Denver Broncos

HT: 6-3, WT: 217, Born: 3-15-1987, College: Minnesota, Drafted: Round 3

2013 Projections

Average draft position

Current as of May 21st. [Full ADP list]

Overall: H Nicks (52), J Witten (53), Eric Decker (54), D Bowe (55), M Ball (56)
Position: R Wayne (48-WR18), H Nicks (52-WR19), Eric Decker (54 - WR20), D Bowe (55-WR21), M Wallace (58-WR22)
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PPR Average draft position

Current as of May 21st. [Full PPR ADP list]

Overall: R Mathews (50), M Ryan (51), Eric Decker (52), C Kaepernick (53), D Bowe (54)
Position: R Wayne (48-WR18), H Nicks (49-WR19), Eric Decker (52 - WR20), D Bowe (54-WR21), D Amendola (55-WR22)
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Outlook

Eric Decker had a career year in 2012 and finished the season as the 7th best wide receiver in fantasy football. He established strong chemistry with Peyton Manning quickly and was the team's leading touchdown scorer with 13 on the year. This offseason the team added veteran Wes Welker in free agency and that should impact Decker more than any other receiver on the Broncos roster. Welker will take away some of the short passes that Decker saw last year. His touchdown total will also be difficult to duplicate in 2013. With so many targets in the Broncos passing game we could see Decker become the third option behind Demaryius Thomas and Welker. Last season was the first time Decker made it through an entire season unscathed. Just like Thomas, he comes with an injury risk that other top 10 wide receivers don't have.

Latest News

Broncos | Wes Welker doesn't expect to carry load (Tue May 21, 12:28 PM) - Denver Broncos WR Wes Welker knows that with WRs Demaryius Thomas and Eric Decker in the picture on his new team, he won't be averaging 112 catches in 2013 like he did in his career with the New England Patriots. 'If I have to catch 112 balls, that probably means we're in trouble,' Welker said. During organized team activities Monday, May 20, QB Peyton Manning showed excellent chemistry with Thomas and Decker, but he also involved Welker some. Welker is on board with having a smaller workload, but Manning knows the benefit of adding Welker to the offense. 'He's just been an extremely difficult guy to cover one-on-one, and then you can tell by watching him on film -- he's an extremely smart player,' Manning said. 'He has an excellent feel for zone coverage. This is just the beginning stages of him getting comfortable in this offense, and he and I getting on the same page.'

Our View: Welker gives the Broncos yet another weapon in the passing game. He will be used on underneath routes and jerk routes to help move the chains. Demaryius Thomas should still be the top target with Eric Decker a strong red zone target.
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Broncos | Peyton Manning's arm looks stronger (Mon May 20, 06:03 PM) - Denver Broncos QB Peyton Manning was impressive during the first day of OTAs out at Dove Valley. In fact, those media members in attendance believed his arm looked stronger than it did last year.

Our View: Good news for Manning and the Broncos here. Fantasy owners need to take note here and realize he could put up even better numbers than he did in 2012. Adam Gase is the new Offensive Coordinator for the Broncos and will feature 11 personnel (3 WR) as the base set. Adding Wes Welker to the mix with Demaryius Thomas and Eric Decker is a fantasy gold mine.
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Broncos | Tavarres King has good first day of rookie minicamp (Sat May 11, 12:05 AM) - Broncos rookie WR Tavarres King had a good first day of rookie minicamp on Friday. He was catching the ball at the highest point with arms extended away from his body.

Our View: King may not have much fantasy value this year, but dynasty owners need to remember his name. Eric Decker is a free agent after this season and if he moves on then King could see his playing time elevated. This season King will compete with Andre Caldwell for the team's WR4 spot.
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2013 Schedule

2012 Game Summaries

Week 1 - Decker was the target of the first pass attempt, and it resulted in a 13-yard completion. He was used regularly throughout, receiving seven targets and always appearing to be perfectly in sync with Peyton Manning. Decker also caught two balls for 23 yards on the team’s first touchdown drive of the fourth quarter. He nearly scored a touchdown but was tackled at the one-yard line. Decker’s outlook is a good one for the rest of the season. Manning already looks incredibly comfortable and mentally sharp, and no one should foresee any reason for that sharpness to decrease. Decker and Manning have great rapport right out of the gate. Expect it to improve.

Week 2 - Decker's impact on this game came in spurts. For long stretches he wasn't involved at all on offense before Manning repeatedly looked his way just before the end of the first half. Decker's first catch came in the flat as Manning hit him quickly when he wasn't covered by a defender. Decker went for five yards before being taken down. Manning went straight back to him with a deep curl route. Decker caught the ball smoothly and quickly turned to gain five more yards down the field. Decker caught his third pass in a row on a comeback route. Asante Samuel slipped when Decker turned around initially, but when Decker tried to turn upfield, Samuel knocked the ball free from him to force a fumble. Decker did well to recover the ball, but shouldn't have let it free in the first place. Decker was taking advantage of Samuel's off coverage and caught another comeback route. This time he slid to the ground and didn't get a chance to try to advance the football. Manning tried to hit Decker on a slant with his next pass but he stared down the receiver and three defenders were in the vicinity to break it up. Decker then disappeared again until he caught a deep crossing route in the fourth quarter.

Week 3 - Tied with Thomas for the team lead in targets (with 11), Decker had his best game of the season. Decker had a nice 35-yard connection with Manning in the 1st quarter, just missing a potential 80-yard TD on the play. Later Decker made a tremendous one-handed grab on a back-shoulder throw as he was falling to the ground, picking up 26 yards. Decker consistently worked the deep middle of the field and Manning looked his way quite often there. Late in the 3rd quarter Decker channeled his inner-QB in perhaps the strangest play of the game. After catching a 13-yard pass on a drag, Decker made one move up field and before a tackle was attempted he slid feet first killing the play and missing out on another five yards (at least). It is hard to understand Decker’s thought-process, but my best guess would have to be Decker sort of lost himself in the game and thought the game was at a different point. He quickly popped up and ran back to the huddle. I’d like to think it was a missed synapse in the heat of the moment as compared avoiding contact a la Desean Jackson and Decker has earned that presumption. Decker did have two drops in the game, one of which would have been a TD. The dropped pass fell into Dreessen’s hands in the end zone, but Decker missed the opportunity to tally his first TD catch of the 2012 season. Houston boasts one of the better pass defenses in the NFL, so it was nice to see Decker still post numbers despite the matchup.

Week 4 - Four weeks in and it appears Decker is Manning’s favorite target. Decker led the team with nine targets and it was only a tipped ball and an overthrow, which prevented Decker from catching all nine. Decker finally caught his first TD from Manning and just nearly missed catching two others. Seymour just barely deflected the Decker-intended pass in the 1st quarter as he raced across the back of the end zone uncovered. The ball barely fluttered out of Decker’s reach. Later, Manning found Decker in the end zone, but having to drop it over the corner sitting in a zone, Manning’s throw took Decker out of the side of the end zone with only one foot dragging inbounds. Decker’s first TD of 2012 was the result of an Oakland blown coverage on the short pass turned 17-yard TD, but should provide some momentum going forward. Manning continues to look to Decker in the middle of the field, their longest play coming as Decker crossed just behind the zoned LB for 19 yards. With such a threat on the outside in Thomas, Decker is often free to roam the middle and Manning will continue to exploit it. Decker also did a nice job blocking on Thomas’ screen plays, allowing Thomas to come back to the ball and quickly get up field without any disruption from the outside corner.

Week 5 - Decker was held in check by the New England secondary. His fantasy day was salvaged with a red zone touchdown reception late in the third quarter. With a defender in tight coverage at the goal line, Decker showed his impressive ball skills, locating the low pass and securing the touchdown. Outside of short out routes and hitches, Decker’s other play of note was actually drawing a defensive pass interference penalty. With Manning under pressure from a blitz, he threw up a pass into the end zone for Decker, who drew a penalty that set-up a touchdown. Decker was targeted multiple times down the field, but without much opportunity for completions with double coverage in tow.

Week 6 - Decker’s first half gaffe would have gone down as one of the costliest mistakes of the NFL season had it not been for a valiant comeback by the team in the second half. Facing 2nd and ten from their own 15 yard-line, Decker got behind the busted coverage of the Chargers wide open for a long reception. There was nothing on front of him except the end zone, but Decker inexplicably tripped just as he reached the San Diego 45-yard line. Instead of an 85-yard touchdown reception, Decker had to settle for a 55-yard catch. Three plays later, Peyton Manning threw an interception that resulted in a San Diego touchdown, further adding to the miscue. But in the second half, Decker was a key part of the ferocious comeback, even rewarding his fantasy owners with a touchdown. He took a short screen up the right side and then took on the entire Charger defense while bowling his way into the end zone. The play was well-designed and well-blocked, and pulled Denver to within one score.

Week 8 - Two very similar, but both incredibly impressive routes from Decker led to two touchdowns for Decker in this game. On the first, Decker set up Jabari Greer by running infield before breaking to the outside after Greer slipped to the ground. The second was the complete opposite, as Decker brought Patrick Robinson outside on the other side of the field before breaking infield and catching the touchdown. Outside of those two receptions, Decker had a relatively quiet game. He was quiet, but very effective.

Week 9 - Decker had the entire spectrum of targets against the Bengals. He showed excellent hands in tight coverage on short in-cut routes as well as having room to roam after the catch on multiple big plays in the first half. After an early red zone touchdown, aided by a great block by Demaryius Thomas, Decker was bested by defensive back Terrance Newman on his next red zone opportunity. On a slant route where it is paramount for the receiver to win inside position, Newman outmuscled Decker and ended up with the interception as Manning threw the ball to a spot. On the very next pass for Denver, Decker was targeted on a deep route from the shadow of their own goal line. Manning’s throw was off and Terrance Newman again ended up with the up-for-grabs interception. Decker finally bested Newman when it counted most, however, with an outstanding catch on a goal line fade route. Manning’s pass was thrown right at Newman’s helmet and Decker made a tremendous play on the ball for the clinching score. In an up-and-down game for Decker, but he ended on a high note with his best play of the day. Decker has been one of the impact players in fantasy that has far out produced his cost in August. Decker’s target volume and the efficiency of the Denver passing attack ensure his floor each week is on par with any receiver in the league.

Week 10 - Eric Decker had a rather forgettable outing against a Panthers defense that managed to contain the Broncos’ wide receivers quite well. Decker, in particular, made an awful mistake on a dropped pass that would have been a 30+ yard catch and possibly a touchdown. He simply let the football go right through his hands as he tried to look it in over his shoulder. With the Panthers playing a lot of two-deep, Manning often went elsewhere as he diagnosed the field – Decker was simply not open on first read and this contributed to his lacklustre statistical performance.

Week 11 - Decker had limited activity in the game, but that was kind of a function of the Denver passing game more than Decker himself. Eight different players caught at least two passes in the game, and no one caught more than four. His first reception didn’t even come until eleven minutes remained in the third quarter, and it ended up being a 3-yard grab that came up short of the first down marker. But QB Peyton Manning would not let a game pass with Decker putting up such a meager stat line, so he found the receiver over the middle midway through the third quarter. Decker hauled in the ball around the 10-yard line, streaked up the middle untouched, and dove through a defender at the goal line and into the end zone for the score. 


Week 12 - Decker dominated the Chiefs secondary, getting huge separation on nearly every reception. He beat Jalil Brown early, on both a deep cross and a deep out. In the fourth quarter he beat Brandon Flowers on a deep cross. He didn’t see the targets that Thomas did, but was more efficient with what he got. He did have one bad drop on a quick screen.

Week 13 - Decker was a real disappointment on Sunday, only picking up two catches (both of his targets) for 17 yards. Both of Decker’s throws were on shallow crossers, with a long of 12 yards on the Broncos’ opening drive. With Thomas and Tamme running free for the duration of the game, Manning never felt the need to feed Decker and his numbers obviously suffered.

Week 14 - Decker's first reception went for a first down on third and six over the middle. Decker was wide open running a crossing route and carried the ball 16 yards down the field after slipping initially. Decker caught another big pass on third and five when he beat Michael Huff with a double move over the middle. Decker caught a curl route for nine yards from the slot on first and 10. Decker caught a six yard pass over the middle on second and 15. Against Joselio Hanson in single coverage, Decker caught a pass over his shoulder for 29 yards after a pinpoint pass from Manning. Decker's sixth reception came in the flat for a short gain as he was run out of bounds. Manning went straight back to Decker on a wide receiver screen, but the play was blown up by a defender. Decker caught a two yard pass in the flat after Peyton Manning rolled to his side of the field.

Week 15 - Eric Decker had what was easily the best day of any Broncos skill players, showing savvy route running and repeatedly beating up on the Baltimore cornerbacks. Most of his receptions were comeback and out routes, and he capitalized on the opportunities he had given that he was left in 1 on 1 coverage for much of the day. Decker's touchdown came on a nice stutter step double move to beat the cornerback for a long 50 yard touchdown. Had the cornerback not outright given up on the play, it's possible Decker may not have scored. Decker also had a touchdown call that was later reversed and ruled down at the half yard line. He dove for the pylon on the play, but stepped out of bounds just before he could reach the inner part of the pylon. There wasn't much wrong for Decker today, as he accounted for over 65% of the Broncos receiving yardage.

Week 16 - Decker caught all six of his targets against Cleveland and has a Randall Cobb-like efficiency over the past four games, catching 24-of-28 targets over that span. While teammate Demaryius Thomas made all the flashy receptions with yards-after-the-catch, Decker did the dirty work with two touchdown catches in traffic. Despite tight coverage all day, Decker converted four third downs on the day, include two long yardage situations. While Decker is not going to pass Thomas as the no.1 target in Denver, a Peyton Manning offense is ideal for no.2 receivers to perform well. After a long touchdown streak ended in the middle of the season, Decker has rebounded from a slow stretch the past two weeks with 198 yards and three scores. With 80 receptions and 1,000 yards likely after next week to go along with his 11 touchdowns, Decker has been one of the biggest values at the receiver position this season.

Week 17 - Decker brought the home crowd in Denver to its feet with a dazzling seven-catch, seventy-seven yard performance with two touchdowns in Week Seventeen. The Minnesota product’s first touchdown grab was a breezy eleven-yard catch in the back of the Kansas City end zone to put Denver up by eleven in the second quarter. The degree of difficulty on Decker’s second touchdown of the afternoon was much higher. Running a go route in the Kansas City red zone, Decker stretched out his left arm to cradle, then bobbled, a perfectly placed pass in the end zone from Peyton Manning. Falling to the ground, Decker secured the ball against his body to complete the catch for another Broncos touchdown, just before the clock expired in the first half. While not as physically dominating as Demaryius Thomas, Decker was synchronized with Manning against the Chiefs as the two Broncos shredded Kansas City’s defense. Decker ran crisp routes that baffled the Chiefs’ secondary and allowed him to get open to play pitch-and-catch with his quarterback. The only ball Decker dropped against the Chiefs was a wide receiver screen in the second quarter. The third-year wideout’s rapport with Manning is strong, which is encouraging for both Broncos fans and those interested in participating in fantasy playoff leagues.

Week 19 - It was Decker and not teammate Demaryius Thomas that was the go-to receiver against Baltimore. Decker was active in the intermediate passing game, including high-pointing a deep comeback route that has begun to look routine at this stage of his career. On two occasions, Decker was not able to haul in contested catches, one of which led to an interception. Early in the game, a pass deflected off Decker’s should pad, which was returned for a touchdown, turning the tide on Denver’s early momentum. While Thomas makes more of the highlight reel plays, Decker has been impressive in the red zone and short passing game all season. Peyton Manning can fully support two top-20 fantasy receivers in 2013, which bodes well for Decker’s continued production.