Jets Depth Chart: Is there any fantasy value in New York for Week 6?

After months of speculation and rumors going back into the offseason, the Jets have finally parted ways with RB Le’Veon Bell. Now, it falls onto the rest of the New York Jets depth chart to carry the team moving forward after just getting Bell back in Week 5 from his stint on the Injured Reserve list. While the Jets have been a team you are better off avoiding in fantasy football, perhaps we can uncover a diamond in the rough that can bring some value to your teams. To do that, we’ll take a look at the RB, WR, TE, and QB depth chart for the New York Jets.

Actually, after further review, maybe not a diamond. Would a neat pebble work? After all, Adam Gase is still the head coach after miraculously outlasting both Bell and Jamal Adams. 2020 ladies and gentlemen. You have to love it.

New York Jets RB Depth Chart: Which backs will make plays now that Bell is gone?

Trying to find playmakers on this team is difficult, to put it nicely. Typically in fantasy, you look for a team that’s scoring a lot or sustaining drives. But, this is the Jets, and you won’t find that here. For context, here are where they rank in the NFL in various categories.

The Jets rank 32nd in points, passing, first downs, red zone percentage, scoring margin, points per play, and yards per attempt. They rank 31st in total yards, touchdowns, yards per play, and punts per play.

Related | Fantasy Football Start/Sit Week 6: Can Beckham bounce back?

They rank 30th in time of possession and penalties committed. They rank 28th in third down conversion rate. And best of all, they rank 22nd in rushing, with their running backs averaging 3.4 yards per carry.

I think we are all on the same page now. Now that we are, let’s take a look at the rest of the depth chart for the Jets.

Frank Gore, RB

Frank Gore continues to sit at the top of the Jets’ RB depth chart and could handle more touches following news that the Jets released Bell on Tuesday.

We usually guess how a backfield will work out once a player has been removed, but we already have a bit of an idea on what the Jets could do after Bell missed three games due to being placed on IR with a hamstring injury. Gore averaged 17 touches per game during that stretch, recording no touchdowns and an average of 53.7 yards from scrimmage per game. 

Gore is a low-end flex play simply because of the touches he will see. However, they won’t be productive or in high-leverage situations because the Jets never really find themselves in those spots. 

La’Mical Perine, RB

If there is one person on the Jets’ RB depth chart that I could take a shot on and stash on my fantasy bench, it is La’Mical Perine. Drafted in the fourth round out of Florida, he’s been sparsely used after most of the preseason due to a high ankle sprain. He has 17 touches for 55 total yards in his four games, and he didn’t see the field in Week 5 when Bell returned. 

Perine rushed for 2,485 yards and 5.0 yards per carry over four seasons at the University of Florida. In his final year at Miami, he caught 40 passes for 262 yards during his senior year. If the Jets utilize him in the passing game, I believe Perine would be the person to roster on the Jets depth chart for fantasy. The problem is that he does not see the field. Apparently, that is by design, somehow. 

Related | Buy Low, Sell High: Fantasy trade targets for Week 6

When Gase was asked on Monday why Perine didn’t see the field on offense, the coach responded that he doesn’t want to put “too much” on Perine’s shoulders and “stunt his growth,” per The Athletic’s Connor Hughes.

But if a player doesn’t see the field, how can they grow? But what do I know, I just write about football. 

New York Jets WR Depth Chart: Which receivers might get more volume?

Jamison Crowder, WR

Jamison Crowder has been the lone bright spot on the Jets’ WR depth chart for fantasy in 2020. This year, Crowder has caught at least seven passes in his three games and has no fewer than 104 yards in each game. He has also scored in two of his three games. Crowder’s 335 yards are as much as Chris Hogan, Jeff Smith, Chris Herndon, and Breshad Perriman combined. In the three games he has played in, Crowder has a 30.4% target share. 

Even with Joe Flacco under center for Week 6, Crowder is a high-end WR3 that carries upper WR2 value due to his volume and efficiency. He is the only player I could trust on the Jets’ depth chart for fantasy purposes.

Chris Hogan, WR

The Jets have placed wide receiver Chris Hogan on the injured reserve list with a high ankle sprain. Hogan will be sidelined for at least the next three games after being injured on Sunday. The 31-year-old Hogan was signed during training camp and is second on the team with 14 receptions this season.

Braxton Berrios, WR

Tied for third on the team in receptions (10), Berrios has been too inconsistent to trust in fantasy. His production came in Weeks 2 and 3 and has failed to catch a pass or see more than three targets in any other game. Berrios is far too risky to rely on in fantasy and should be left on waivers in most formats. 

Jeff Smith, WR

One of the more surprising players on the Jets’ WR depth chart in the last few weeks has been the consistent usage of Jeff Smith. The second-year player missed the first three games due to being placed on the short-term IR with a shoulder injury. Since coming back, Smith has caught ten of his 20 targets for 104 yards. 

Has Smith done enough to warrant more playing time? I think he has, but we might want to take a wait and see approach as it appears the Jets will be getting back Breshad Perriman and rookie Denzel Mims from injury. 

Breshad Perriman and Denzel Mims, WR

I group these two because I view them in a similar light, especially as far as Week 6 is concerned. Baylor standout Denzel Mims was just activated to return to practice after being on the IR with hamstring injuries. It also sounds like Perriman is close to returning. I group them because it is hard to know how much of a workload they could see in their first game back and could be on a snap count, limiting their fantasy upside.

Out of the two, I would either try to acquire Mims for a cheap cost or see if he is on waivers in your league. We know the talent in this draft class at the wide receiver spot, and Mims is a player who could step in and see a solid role in the offense that will likely be playing from behind in every game.

New York Jets QB and TE Depth Chart: Joe Flacco named the Week 6 starter; Is there a TE we can start?

Joe Flacco, QB

On Wednesday, the Jets ruled out Sam Darnold (shoulder) and named Joe Flacco the starter for Week 6 against the Miami Dolphins. Flacco, who now sits on top of the Jets QB depth chart, completed 18 of 33 passes for 195 yards and a touchdown, with no turnovers last week in the loss to the Cardinals.

Fantasy managers should stay away from Flacco and the Jets QB depth chart as there are numerous options with far more upside on waivers if you are looking for a streaming option or have Russell Wilson, Drew Brees, Justin Herbert, or Derek Carr, who are on their bye week.

Chris Herndon, TE

Playing in all five games, TE Chris Herndon continues to be unusable in fantasy. Catching 13 of his 22 targets for 98 yards, Herndon has yet to score more than 7.7 points in a single game. You have to go back to Week 16 of 2018 to find the last time Herndon scored double-digit fantasy points. Even with tight ends being as hit and miss as they are, Herndon should not be rostered at this point.

Want more fantasy football analysis and news?

Be sure to follow us on Twitter: @PFN365 to stay up to date with all things around the NFL and the 2020 fantasy football season. Also, continue to visit Pro Football Network for NFL news and in-depth analysis while also visiting our fantasy football section for more coverage and up-to-date rankings.

Tommy Garrett is a writer for PFN covering Fantasy Football. You can read more of his work here and follow him at @TommygarrettPFN on Twitter.