How Blake Bortles can help your fantasy team in 2018
Eric Karabell
ESPN PLUS
So many in the fantasy world make fun of or disrespect Jacksonville Jaguarsquarterback Blake Bortles, but all that matters are the numbers and, well, the numbers say Bortles is really not so bad as a fantasy option. Indeed, he has finished as fantasy's No. 5, No. 8 and No. 13 quarterback over the past three seasons, in no small part to his running ability as well as competent passing figures. The point is Bortles can
<offer style='background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(72, 73, 74); font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",Times,serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;'>support a fantasy-relevant wide receiver or two, especially with the knowledge, thanks to colleague Mike Clay, that the Jaguars face a friendly slate of cornerbacks this season.Marqise Lee will not be that wide receiver in 2018, as the defending team leader in receptions suffered ligament damage in his knee during Saturday's preseason win and his season is kaput. Most fantasy managers probably cannot name another Jaguars wide receiver, but again, Bortles, for whatever the running joke on him is these days, has averaged 4,000 passing yards and 26 touchdown passes during the past three seasons, so some combination of Keelan Cole, Dede Westbrook, Donte Moncrief and perhaps rookie D.J. Chark out of LSU could certainly matter to us.
Cole, an undrafted free agent from noted football factory Kentucky Wesleyan, moved to the front of my Jaguars wide receiver rankings and my top 40 at the position after the Lee injury. Cole broke double digits in PPR scoring four times, and they came consecutively in Weeks 13-16, as he was a top-five receiver in that span. He had seven catches for 186 yards and a score against the Texans in Week 15, a cool 31.6 PPR effort, and achieved his late-season success on limited targets.
With Lee out, Cole figures to not only start but also to handle a more legit workload. I expect neither 75 catches nor 1,000 yards, but no Jaguar reached those marks the past two seasons anyway. In 2015, two Jaguars receivers (Allen Robinson, Allen Hurns) topped 1,000 receiving yards. Bortles' job expectations altered as Jacksonville became a run-first defensive outfit after selecting Leonard Fournette, but they were still 17th in passing yards last season and 13th in yards per attempt. Bortles has the skills and Cole seems the best bet to emerge. Perhaps he already did.
As for the other options, I continue to defend Moncrief, perhaps foolishly, even after he annually disappointed in his production for the Indianapolis Colts. If Andrew Luck is not on the field, it is hard to judge any Colts options. Moncrief certainly has the size and speed to star, but consistency and durability have been issues. Moncrief is experienced, and losing Lee means losing a strong blocker downfield as well, and I think Moncrief should be able to handle the increased role.
As for Westbrook and Chark, they remain young and raw, but blessed with upside. Westbrook starred at Oklahoma but missed more than half his rookie season after core muscle surgery, so it might not make great sense to judge him on the games he played in. Chark was a second-round pick from LSU and should be an instant big-play threat with his size, but perhaps volume of targets will be tough to come by. Regardless, it stinks losing Lee, but the Jaguars have some intriguing depth at receiver and a quarterback capable enough -- it is true! -- to lead others to relevant statistics.
Here are some other thoughts as we wrap up the third preseason weekend:
-- Eric Decker probably realized he was not going to make the New England Patriots, so he decided to retire. Fantasy managers are making a big deal of this, but that seems unwise. Tom Brady can still be a top fantasy quarterback even with the current crew of wide receivers. Another former Colts disappointment, Phillip Dorsett, moved up in my rankings to WR6 status. Oh, if only the Patriots still had Danny Amendola. The new Miami slot guy moved up my rankings as well.
<strike></strike>-- This should be obvious, but those drafting late-round sleepers at running back and wide receiver need to be patient with them or those become wasted selections. Take New Orleans Saints receiver Cameron Meredith, playing with backups in preseason games. You should not need him in September anyway. Wait and see how things work out, because we know what Drew Brees can achieve. Perhaps Meredith cannot get on the field, or maybe he factors in for October.
-- The Buffalo Bills still have yet to announce their Week 1 starting quarterback, but it really should not matter if it is AJ McCarron, Nathan Peterman or overwhelmed rookie Josh Allen. Kelvin Benjamin is the lone Bills receiver I can make any case for, and that includes former Browns first-rounder Corey Coleman, who, according to Bills reporters, might not make the club. Real-life first-round status probably matters quite a bit to the team that chose the player, but if the Bills do not like Coleman's skills and/or attitude, he might be unemployed.
-- Los Angeles Rams backup running back John Kelly and Arizona Cardinals backup Chase Edmonds were among the top statistical performers this weekend, and while it is only preseason, these fellows look like obvious handcuffs for top picks Todd Gurley II and David Johnson. One of those fellows missed nearly all of last season. It can happen to anyone. I typically do not handcuff running backs, especially unproven ones, but with these options and Pittsburgh's James Conner, I consider making exceptions.
-- What a nice story it was watching Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton get lauded in Buffalo for his Week 17 comeback win that landed the Bills in the playoffs, and Bills fans contributed to his charity. Dalton is not much of a fantasy option, but so what. I loved it. I did not love what Bengals sophomore running back Joe Mixon did in the game, though. The Bengals lightly upgraded the offensive line and that, combined with Mixon's upside, seems the impetus for everyone trusting him. Mixon ran six times for seven yards. He looks average, though he has little competition. For now, he remains my No. 15 running back, but I have generally avoided him.
-- There is competition in Indianapolis, and as of now, it appears well-traveled Christine Michael could start in Week 1 if Marlon Mack is not healthy. Rookies Jordan Wilkins and Nyheim Hines have struggled. Michael turned his eight carries into a mere nine yards (and a touchdown) Saturday, but he ran with the starters at least. I just cannot invest in him again. I cannot.
-- Look elsewhere for rainbow and unicorn thoughts on Washington starter Adrian Peterson, but I will note he looks to be in great shape, and Rob Kelley, while in better shape than we remember, has not run well and figures to struggle for touches in September. Peterson turned his 11 carries into 56 yards in his club debut, and while he was one of the worst running backs in yards after contact last season, volume dictates our attention in the first half of drafts. Ugh.
-- Tennessee Titans wide receiver Rishard Matthews came off the PUP list, and that is good news for his Week 1 availability. Yes, Corey Davis and Taywan Taylor look like future stars for Marcus Mariota, but the efficient Matthews nearly reached 1,000 receiving yards (and scored nine touchdowns) in 2016, and he was on his way to similar numbers last season before a rough December.
-- Good for Sam Darnold if he starts in Week 1 for the Jets, but I still have little interest in re-draft formats. I mean, I am still getting the likes of Matthew Stafford, Philip Rivers, Patrick Mahomes and Alex Smith in the final rounds of drafts, so it is tough to invest in a rookie.
-- I removed free agent Dez Bryant from my rankings. Perhaps he is a Patriot or a Brown or something else any minute now, but the season starts next week, and he was not the least bit efficient last season anyway. No, there was no Bryant news this weekend. That is the problem.<strike></strike>
[SUB][SUP]<strike>Cole, an undrafted free agent from noted football factory Kentucky Wesleyan, moved to the front of my Jaguars wide receiver rankings and my top 40 at the position after the Lee injury. Cole broke double digits in PPR scoring four times, and they came consecutively in Weeks 13-16, as he was a top-five receiver in that span. He had seven catches for 186 yards and a score against the Texans in Week 15, a cool 31.6 PPR effort, and achieved his late-season success on limited targets.
With Lee out, Cole figures to not only start but also to handle a more legit workload. I expect neither 75 catches nor 1,000 yards, but no Jaguar reached those marks the past two seasons anyway. In 2015, two Jaguars receivers (Allen Robinson, Allen Hurns) topped 1,000 receiving yards. Bortles' job expectations altered as Jacksonville became a run-first defensive outfit after selecting Leonard Fournette, but they were still 17th in passing yards last season and 13th in yards per attempt. Bortles has the skills and Cole seems the best bet to emerge. Perhaps he already did.
As for the other options, I continue to defend Moncrief, perhaps foolishly, even after he annually disappointed in his production for the Indianapolis Colts. If Andrew Luck is not on the field, it is hard to judge any Colts options. Moncrief certainly has the size and speed to star, but consistency and durability have been issues. Moncrief is experienced, and losing Lee means losing a strong blocker downfield as well, and I think Moncrief should be able to handle the increased role.
As for Westbrook and Chark, they remain young and raw, but blessed with upside. Westbrook starred at Oklahoma but missed more than half his rookie season after core muscle surgery, so it might not make great sense to judge him on the games he played in. Chark was a second-round pick from LSU and should be an instant big-play threat with his size, but perhaps volume of targets will be tough to come by. Regardless, it stinks losing Lee, but the Jaguars have some intriguing depth at receiver and a quarterback capable enough -- it is true! -- to lead others to relevant statistics.
Here are some other thoughts as we wrap up the third preseason weekend:
-- Eric Decker probably realized he was not going to make the New England Patriots, so he decided to retire. Fantasy managers are making a big deal of this, but that seems unwise. Tom Brady can still be a top fantasy quarterback even with the current crew of wide receivers. Another former Colts disappointment, Phillip Dorsett, moved up in my rankings to WR6 status. Oh, if only the Patriots still had Danny Amendola. The new Miami slot guy moved up my rankings as well.
<strike></strike>-- This should be obvious, but those drafting late-round sleepers at running back and wide receiver need to be patient with them or those become wasted selections. Take New Orleans Saints receiver Cameron Meredith, playing with backups in preseason games. You should not need him in September anyway. Wait and see how things work out, because we know what Drew Brees can achieve. Perhaps Meredith cannot get on the field, or maybe he factors in for October.
-- The Buffalo Bills still have yet to announce their Week 1 starting quarterback, but it really should not matter if it is AJ McCarron, Nathan Peterman or overwhelmed rookie Josh Allen. Kelvin Benjamin is the lone Bills receiver I can make any case for, and that includes former Browns first-rounder Corey Coleman, who, according to Bills reporters, might not make the club. Real-life first-round status probably matters quite a bit to the team that chose the player, but if the Bills do not like Coleman's skills and/or attitude, he might be unemployed.
-- Los Angeles Rams backup running back John Kelly and Arizona Cardinals backup Chase Edmonds were among the top statistical performers this weekend, and while it is only preseason, these fellows look like obvious handcuffs for top picks Todd Gurley II and David Johnson. One of those fellows missed nearly all of last season. It can happen to anyone. I typically do not handcuff running backs, especially unproven ones, but with these options and Pittsburgh's James Conner, I consider making exceptions.
-- What a nice story it was watching Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton get lauded in Buffalo for his Week 17 comeback win that landed the Bills in the playoffs, and Bills fans contributed to his charity. Dalton is not much of a fantasy option, but so what. I loved it. I did not love what Bengals sophomore running back Joe Mixon did in the game, though. The Bengals lightly upgraded the offensive line and that, combined with Mixon's upside, seems the impetus for everyone trusting him. Mixon ran six times for seven yards. He looks average, though he has little competition. For now, he remains my No. 15 running back, but I have generally avoided him.
-- There is competition in Indianapolis, and as of now, it appears well-traveled Christine Michael could start in Week 1 if Marlon Mack is not healthy. Rookies Jordan Wilkins and Nyheim Hines have struggled. Michael turned his eight carries into a mere nine yards (and a touchdown) Saturday, but he ran with the starters at least. I just cannot invest in him again. I cannot.
-- Look elsewhere for rainbow and unicorn thoughts on Washington starter Adrian Peterson, but I will note he looks to be in great shape, and Rob Kelley, while in better shape than we remember, has not run well and figures to struggle for touches in September. Peterson turned his 11 carries into 56 yards in his club debut, and while he was one of the worst running backs in yards after contact last season, volume dictates our attention in the first half of drafts. Ugh.
-- Tennessee Titans wide receiver Rishard Matthews came off the PUP list, and that is good news for his Week 1 availability. Yes, Corey Davis and Taywan Taylor look like future stars for Marcus Mariota, but the efficient Matthews nearly reached 1,000 receiving yards (and scored nine touchdowns) in 2016, and he was on his way to similar numbers last season before a rough December.
-- Good for Sam Darnold if he starts in Week 1 for the Jets, but I still have little interest in re-draft formats. I mean, I am still getting the likes of Matthew Stafford, Philip Rivers, Patrick Mahomes and Alex Smith in the final rounds of drafts, so it is tough to invest in a rookie.
-- I removed free agent Dez Bryant from my rankings. Perhaps he is a Patriot or a Brown or something else any minute now, but the season starts next week, and he was not the least bit efficient last season anyway. No, there was no Bryant news this weekend. That is the problem.<strike></strike>
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