Theoretical - return of a top WR affecting other WRs

[Bronco Billy]

Thought gathering thread triggered by a specific scenario that got the gears turning.

A team’s WR has been out with an injury for a few games, and in the meantime one or two WRs on the team have stepped up and shined, showing some very credible higher end WR traits. The WR1 is not a top tier guy but has shown enough in the past that he has that WR1 talent for his team.

How do you factor the return of the WR1’s impact on the other WRs? Does he impact them negatively because he’s going to get enough opportunity that it diminishes the other guys, or does he draw enough coverage attention that even with less opportunities that those opportunities will be big enough with lesser coverage that the other guys are still reliable FF options?

[YouMightDieTryin]

Buzz: Who is Jerry Jeudy?

All the talent with very mixed results. I don't think he'll ever be the WR1, but that's because he doesn't command the ball. He's a WR2 that's in the WR1 spot. I also think that it could be due to offensive design/QB play. Russ likes to spread the ball around. He seldomly stares down the same guy and utilizes the whole field. So the other WR could still succeed, but it'll be harder to predict when those WR will hit.

Ooo...fudge. 2nd BUZZ: Could be Christian Watson!

Similar start for a response, but we have zero data on how Love likes to spread the ball around. Watson should command the ball a little more, but all depends on their chemistry. It's still spread out on offense and unpredictable as for who will command the ball. They're all very young athletic WR that have their own pros/cons.

If there's a 3rd Buzz I can't think of it the moment.

[ericanadian]

Buzz: Who is Jerry Jeudy?

All the talent with very mixed results. I don't think he'll ever be the WR1, but that's because he doesn't command the ball. He's a WR2 that's in the WR1 spot. I also think that it could be due to offensive design/QB play. Russ likes to spread the ball around. He seldomly stares down the same guy and utilizes the whole field. So the other WR could still succeed, but it'll be harder to predict when those WR will hit.

Ooo...fudge. 2nd BUZZ: Could be Christian Watson!

Similar start for a response, but we have zero data on how Love likes to spread the ball around. Watson should command the ball a little more, but all depends on their chemistry. It's still spread out on offense and unpredictable as for who will command the ball. They're all very young athletic WR that have their own pros/cons.

If there's a 3rd Buzz I can't think of it the moment.

At first I thought he was talking about Cooper Kupp, but then he said he wasn’t elite, so your responses make more sense.

[abloom]

As with all injury returns of non elite talents, it's a wait and see approach.

Maybe defenses focus on the previous wr1 maybe they focus on the recent producers. Maybe snap count/offensive scheme favors the previous wr1 maybe it favors the new guys. Maybe the QB maintains a great connection with the wr1 maybe he now has a better connection with the new guys.

[gpaok]

I might take some heat but it could be that Cooper Kupp starts to fall off the cliff and he could be no3 in the list. Hamstring injuries could linger and not let him perform to the level he has been therefore falling in this category.

So he would take targets from Puka, yet not generate the WR1 numbers is what I am saying.

[Plank]

Really depends on offensive schemes, seems the more versatile the WR corps the more likely a WR1 will ball hog .. as in the best WR will find the weakest match-up ... Learned this lesson over and over in DFS .. you would think ooOOO, the nickel back isn't very good, I can have this sneaky slot WR play for cheap, but nope ... the WR1 would take that match up and blow up.

And some offensive schemes will have all their pass catchers line-up against that slot CB like the line in the movie in Airplane, which doesn't help anyone ...