Fantasy Football 2017 Team Preview: Jacksonville Jaguars
This is the 2017 fantasy preview of the Jacksonville Jaguars. In this preview I will provide the Must-Own players, Sleepers, and Longshot players with upside very deep in drafts.
Must-own players are those who should be owned by someone in any league. Handcuff RBs can qualify, as they are often very important to a fantasy team over the full schedule. Sleepers are secondary players that you may find on the waiver wire at some point in the year, or may go undrafted in shallower auction-style leagues. The Longshots are players with microscopic ADP, who are being drafted at the very end of drafts, or more likely not drafted at all.
All ADP data is courtesy of FantasyPros.com.
**I will list all kickers, but I cannot give analysis on them. Sorry :-/
MUST OWNS
Leonard Fournette, RB (ADP: 21): Fournette is a rookie currently dealing with an ankle injury, so this ADP seems like he has some leftover fairy dust from Ezekiel Elliott’s rookie season on him. Fantasy owners expecting a season like the one Zeke put up are going to be in for a big disappointment. Fournette might be on that level talent-wise, but his situation is nothing like Elliott’s. That said, Fournette is the type of RB built to carry a large workload, and he was drafted high enough (4th overall) that he should get it right away. Touchdowns will be there for him, as will a new, run-friendly philosophy in Jacksonville. It’s a little high for my liking but ultimately this ADP is fine.
Allen Robinson, WR (ADP: 44): If there was a way to bet on what NFL player was most frustrated at all times in 2016, Robinson would be one of the favorites. He absolutely went off in 2015, and was drafted as high as Round 1 last year on the strength of that campaign. Then, he lost 517 yards and six touchdowns off his totals, drawing the ire of anyone who picked him. Now he’s been dropped to the fourth round of drafts, and that feels right. He is stull humongous and talented, and he still will have Blake Bortles throwing him passes. He’ll probably find a happy medium that’s in between his last two seasons, and that will return nice value on this ADP.
SLEEPERS
Marqise Lee, WR (ADP: 228): The Jags are suddenly not such a hot fantasy spot judging by ADP. Lee was an afterthought this time last year, and despite a solid 2016 he’s being treated as such again. Lee put up a line of 63 catches, 851 yards and three touchdowns on 105 targets, reeling in 60 percent of the passes thrown his way. When it’s Bortles throwin’ em, that ain’t bad. Lee looks to be the No. 2 receiver in this offense, and if the Jags’ defense continues to be woeful, there’s a chance of 2015 happening again when all the Jaguars are putting up hollow stats in shootouts. Fantasy owners do NOT care about the quality of the stats their team puts up.
T.J. Yeldon, RB (ADP: 214): Let’s imagine a world in which Fournette isn’t healthy every week. Yeldon seems to be the likely next man up, even though Chris Ivory is a more similar back to Fournette. Yeldon is a well-rounded rusher, putting up a quiet 50-catch campaign in 2016 with 312 receiving yards and a touchdown. He could find himself with a steady third-down back role in 2017 if the Jaguars decide to not run Fournette into the ground, and if Fournette misses time, Yeldon can be a jack-of-all-trades. I wouldn’t classify him as a must-own handcuff, because Fournette looks like a beast, but don’t forget about Yeldon’s sneaky usefulness.
LONGSHOTS
Allen Hurns, WR (ADP: 194): Hurns’ fall from grace in 2016 might have been even harder than Robinson’s. While Robinson had become a superstar, and regressed to frustrating, Hurns fell off the face of the earth. Hurns finished 2016 with 35 catches, 477 yards and three touchdowns in 11 games. That just stinks. His issues were largely Bortles-related but some of the decline is on him too. He lacks the speed and explosiveness of Robinson, or, frankly, Lee. He’s rumored to be on the trade block, but if he remains a Jaguar he’s going to only occasionally flash.
Chris Ivory, RB (ADP: 278): Ivory is a powerful, violent running back who more closely resembles the style Fournette brings to the table. If Fournette were to get hurt, I could envision a timeline in which Ivory handles early-down work and gets goal line opportunities. The problem is that Yeldon would own passing downs, and wouldn’t necessarily cede all TD opportunities to Ivory. I think Chris Ivory is a talented player, but this situation does not scream fantasy value.
Blake Bortles, QB (ADP: 221): Bortles has had a bad preseason and is the current example for all that is wrong with the world, and I think it’s all a bit much. Of course Bortles is a terrible quarterback, but that doesn’t mean a whole lot in terms of fantasy usability. Interceptions are a staple of his game – Bortles has never thrown fewer than 16 picks – but he didn’t miss the 4,000-yard mark by much in 2016, and he set a career-high in attempts. Bortles is not going to be someone you should draft outside of two-QB leagues, but he will likely prove to be a low-cost weapon in daily fantasy, or for owners who like to stream QBs.
KICKER
Jason Myers.