Despite adding Chris Johnson and Eric Decker this offseason, both of whom have been viable fantasy starters for multiple years, the New York Jets don’t pack much of a punch on the fantasy “field.”
The Jets' fantasy firepower is 52.1% below league average, meaning they offer about half as much to fantasy football owners compared to the average team. Additionally, the Jets offer just 27.2% of the fantasy firepower the NFL’s best team offers.
Let's start with Decker. Fantasy owners need to bag the memories they have of him catching passes from Peyton Manning in Denver. Will he be capable of big plays and big games in New York? Sure, but it’s not going to happen on an almost weekly basis without P. Manning at the helm.
We also haven’t seen Decker act as a team’s No. 1 receiver before, and it remains to be seen how he will handle the additional responsibility. Making that uphill battle even steeper is the fact that Decker is moving from the Broncos, which boasted the best receiving corps in the NFL in 2013, to the Jets, which had the worst.
Chris “CJ2K” Johnson — or “CJ1K” as some now mockingly call him — has been better than people give him credit for. You wouldn’t know it listening to critics, but Johnson was the ninth best running back in PPR leagues last season, finishing with just 0.5 fewer points than Eddie Lacy, who has been lauded for his rookie season.
The Jets will employ a run-heavy game plan, and while Johnson will be the lead dog, he will share the backfield with Chris Ivory and Bilal Powell. During his tenure in Tennessee, Johnson had little competition from backups.
All signs point to Geno Smith being the Jets' starting quarterback from Week 1, but quarterback is such a deep position this season that Smith won’t be on radars in most leagues. However, if circumstances find Michael Vick behind center, he would be worth a look in fantasy leagues. But Vick doesn’t help the Jets on these power rankings because there are too many “ifs” between him and the starting position.
Tight end Jeff Cumberland was a trendy waiver wire pickup in fantasy leagues last season, but he shouldn’t be on your mind come draft day. Rookie tight end Jace Amaro comes with some hype, but things may not line up for him for a couple of seasons.
The Jets are tied for last when it comes to what NFL teams offer fantasy owners in the way of quarterback and tight ends. The running backs could cannibalize one another’s production — Powell and Ivory split the bill 50-50 last season — so the Jets offer the 28th most fantasy-relevant backfield. The Jets also check in at No. 28 in the league in terms of wide receiver offerings; Decker is the only Jets receiver being drafted in fantasy leagues.
No. 32 — Oakland Raiders
© 2024 PFF - all rights reserved.