You would think that any receiver who has Peyton Manning throwing him the ball would be drafted at a high position. This is certainly the case with wide receiver Demaryius Thomas, a bona fide first round fantasy prospect, and tight end Julius Thomas, who will not escape the third round undrafted. Even the aging and oft-injured Wes Welker refuses to fall further than the fifth round. All three of these pass catchers are talented, but it’s hard to say they would be as effective and as popular in fantasy circles as they currently are if they had a quarterback other the Manning.

An exception to this rule is Emmanuel Sanders, an addition to this squad from Pittsburgh as a means of replacing Eric Decker, who left in free agency for the New York Jets. Sanders is being picked in most fantasy drafts in the 80 – 100 overall selection range. There is reason for him being so unheralded: in his four seasons playing for the Steelers, Sanders failed to amass more than 800 yards and just a handful of touchdowns in a single season. But there if there is any place in the world where a receiver can turn things around, it’s Denver.

Wes Welker is a concussion magnet. He sustained 2 last year and already 1 this preseason. His helmet size continues to grow to watermelon-sized proportions. If he goes down, which he very well might, Sanders would immediately step in to compete for the second-most targets with Julius Thomas behind Demaryius Thomas. In this pass-heavy offense featuring the best QB currently in the NFL, even being the third-best receiver is fantasy gold.

Most pundits initially saw the move for Sanders as an obvious downgrade from Decker. But in the Broncos’ third preseason game was any indication, Sanders is a worthy replacement for Decker. In that game caught five passes for 128 yards and 2 touchdowns. This chemistry with Manning indicates that Sanders may be on track to replicate Decker’s success in Denver. If Sanders can just come close to Decker’s 2013 statline of 1,288 yards and 11 touchdowns, he offers ridiculously good value in the mid-rounds of your fantasy draft.