Jacksonville Jaguars
Nick Foles
We’ve seen very good Nick Foles and very bad Nick Foles in his NFL career so far. He doesn’t have the weapons and protection that he had in Philadelphia, but the Jacksonville Jaguars defense knows how to get off the field. We’ve seen Blake Bortles finish multiple seasons as a top 10 fantasy QB despite his limitations and Foles is undoubtedly an upgrade. If you’re counting on him as your starting quarterback in fantasy then you may be disappointed, but he’s worth keeping an eye on, especially when bye weeks start rolling around.
Leonard Fournette
As a rookie, Leonard Fournette looked as if he was on his way to being a fantasy football superstar. The Jaguars made him the focus of their offense and he finished the season as RB8 despite only participating in 13 of 16 games. He had the fifth-highest average points per game. In points per game in 2018, he was RB14. He wasn’t bad… he just wasn’t there. Fournette took part in 8 of 16 games, missing time due to both injury and suspension.
He’s expected to see a heavy workload again this season and the Jags passing offense should be better, allowing him to run against lighter boxes. Expecting Fournette to be your top running back every week is a risky proposition, but he should be utilized more as a pass-catcher than in previous seasons given T.J. Yeldon’s departure. When he plays, you know he’ll get volume and that consistency carries value.
Dede Westbrook
While Dede Westbrook was the top wide receiver for the Jaguars last year, the bar wasn’t set particularly high. Westbrook mainly works out of the slot, which can limit his big-play potential, but Foles has shown a talent for finding slot receivers in the past. Westbrook should take encouragement from the improvement in Nelson Agholor once Foles took over. He’ll be hoping that the improvement at quarterback leads to a more pass-heavy offense. If you’re looking for a cheap wildcard later in the draft, then Westbrook could be the answer.
Sleepers
Marqise Lee was expected to lead the Jaguars in receiving last year before a torn ACL in preseason put an end to his campaign before it had begun. It’s not an easy injury to recover from, but Lee could be worth a waiver add if he looks healthy.
Further muddying the waters at the position is DJ Chark, who had a quiet, almost silent rookie season. Chark was drafted by the Jaguars in the second round of the 2018 NFL Draft after impressing at the NFL Scouting Combine. His 4.34 40-yard dash speed hasn’t been showcased yet but adds another big-play threat to the offense.
After five years as a backup for the Texans, Alfred Blue made the move to their division rivals and he looks to have inherited a similar role. Blue’s value is nonexistent with Fournette in the lineup, but he’ll lure you in if he’s guaranteed carries despite underwhelming performances in the past.
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