One of the biggest stories of the offseason occurred when the Eagles cut ties with DeSean Jackson and he ended up in Washington. While I think it is a nice move for the Redskins as a football team, I’m not thrilled about what it does for the speedy receiver's fantasy potential.
Let’s not sugarcoat it: Jackson is on the field to stretch defenses. He’s a very good receiver, but versatility simply isn’t his calling card. Only Calvin Johnson and Josh Gordon averaged more yards per route run, minimum 500 snaps in route, last year, but that was in Philadelphia.
He finished second to only Torrey Smith in percentage of targets on passes that PFF’s elite graders determined as “deep” plays, his sixth consecutive season ranking in the top 15, but that was in Philadelphia. That’s all fine and dandy if that skill sets matches up with what the quarterback does well, but I’ve got my concerns about Robert Griffin III and the Redskins' aerial attack.
Of the 34 quarterbacks who took at least 25% of their team's snaps in 2012, Griffin ranked 33rd in percentage of passes thrown deep down the field. In 2013, he ranked 36th of 40 such signal callers, behind Matt Schaub and Chad Henne, among others. Now, is that number the result of not having a game-breaker or Griffin not possessing the touch/confidence to consistently challenge defenses via the long ball?
The answer likely lies somewhere in the middle, but the fact that we don’t know is reason for concern. Jackson’s 16-game career average heading into last season was 62 catches for 1,078 yards and five touchdowns, a stat line that looks a lot like Mike Wallace’s 2013 (73-930-5) that left many fantasy owners wanting more.
I’m not saying that Robert Griffin III can’t be an effective quarterback, fantasy or reality, but is he going to make Jackson owners happy? I’ve got him penciled in as a WR3 that has high upside on a week-to-week basis but is going to be difficult to count on consistently.
Even in a career year, Jackson killed you (five games with 36 or fewer yards and no touchdowns) just as often as he saved you (five games with over 100 yards and a touchdown) last year. I’ll pass on DJax in Washington and hope that I don’t oppose him on one of those breakout weeks.
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