Sports

Jerry Jeudy's Cheap ADP Makes Him a Potential Fantasy Football Value Pick in 2026

By Shawn Childs Sports Illustrated

Finding late-round value is one of the easiest ways to gain an edge in fantasy football drafts, especially when proven talent slips too far down the board. Jerry Jeudy enters 2026 with a depressed ADP after Cleveland's offensive struggles, but his prior breakout season still makes him one of the more intriguing sleeper candidates in fantasy leagues.

Jerry Jeudy, Cleveland Browns

Jeudy closed the 2022 season on a promising note, finishing as Denver's clear top receiver over his final six games (37 catches for 523 yards and three touchdowns on 45 targets), with three standout performances (8/73/3, 6/117, and 5/154) anchoring that stretch. His full season was uneven, however, opening with four catches for 102 yards and a score before going quiet over the next five games, then battling back with a pair of strong outings before an ankle injury wiped out three weeks of production.

The Russell Wilson era in Denver never clicked for Jeudy. A hamstring issue kept him out of Week 1, and minor injuries nagged him throughout the year without ever forcing extended absences. Denver rarely looked his way (no more than seven targets in any single game), and he failed to crack 81 receiving yards in any matchup. He finished with three catches or fewer in 12 of his 16 starts, including seven such outings over the final seven weeks. His year-over-year decline was stark: 54 catches for 759 yards and five touchdowns on 87 targets, compared to 67 catches for 972 yards and six scores on 100 targets the season prior - in one fewer game.

A move to Cleveland unlocked a different version of Jeudy. He set career highs across the board (90 catches, 1,229 yards, and 145 targets), though his touchdown total (four) left fantasy managers wanting more. The first half of the season was sluggish, with just 21 catches for 266 yards and one score on 42 targets over seven starts (7.66 FPPG). The second half was a different story entirely. Cleveland targeted him 103 times over the final 10 games, and Jeudy responded with WR1 production (69 catches for 963 yards and three touchdowns at 18.33 FPPG). A career-best outing against his former team in Denver (9/235/1) headlined the run, with three other 20-plus fantasy point performances rounding out a dominant second-half stretch.

With a downgrade in quarterback play in 2025, Jeudy saw his PPR fantasy points (121.70) cut in half in one easy year. He caught only 47.2% of his 106 targets, leading to only 50 catches for 602 yards and two scores. His only playable value came in two matchups (6/78/1 on 12 targets and 3/76/1).

Jerry Jeudy 2026 Fantasy Football Outlook

Fantasy Outlook: Cleveland's offensive structure changed a lot after the draft, highlighted by two more talented wideouts added to its roster. Harold Fannin should be the clear-cut top receiving option, leaving Jeudy to fight for targets with KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston. The sum of the receiving corps suggests more overall chances for all options.

Despite his experience in the NFL, Jeudy has a have-not ADP (201) in the early draft season while ranking behind Conception in the National Fantasy Football Championship. My first thought is 60 catches for 750 yards and under five touchdowns.

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This article was originally published on www.si.com/onsi/fantasy as Jerry Jeudy's Cheap ADP Makes Him a Potential Fantasy Football Value Pick in 2026.

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This story was originally published May 13, 2026 at 11:28 AM.

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