Contributions from Joshua Hudson, Joe Zollo, Chris Molina, & Chris Tyler
The Jets found themselves with only a handful of draft picks after the trade to move up for QB Sam Darnold in the 2018 draft. Their extra third round pick was a result of their shrewd signing — and subsequent trading — of QB Teddy Bridgewater. Lucky for them, they took an absolute stud with the third overall pick and snagged a guy in the third round who flashed a ton of potential in college (Jachai Polite). The rest of their draft picks were depth and developmental guys, but if they hit with their first two picks, it should go a long way in fixing their uninspiring pass rush. – The Hudsonian, Joshua Hudson
The biggest hindrance on the Jets offense isn’t a second-year quarterback, new faces at running back, or relative inexperience at tight end. It’s the coach. Adam Gase is a bum with an ego who, ironically, doesn’t like when his players have egos. His offenses in Chicago and Miami were mundane and lacking creativity, but they could run the football. The hope is that Le’Veon Bell continues his bell-cow ways and Darnold continues his progression towards becoming the franchise QB the Jets have lacked since Broadway Joe. If he does, Robby Anderson, Chris Herndon, and the rest of the company should be just fine in Fantasy. – The Hudsonian, Joshua Hudson
The Jets begin a new season after finishing last year as the twenty-third ranked offense. They went out and signed RB Le’Veon Bell, WR Jamison Crowder, and a HC that will bring an emphasis on revamping this offense. So, who has fantasy upside in New York? The first name that comes to my mind is Robby Anderson. He was WR36 last year (157.00 points) after finishing with 50 receptions, 752 yards, and six touchdowns. Those WR4 numbers weren’t great, but there is upside to be had from Robby Anderson.
Despite being the WR36 in 14 games, Robby was the WR6 from weeks 13-16. He scored 20.0 points per game over that stretch. This four-game stretch extrapolated into a 16-game season would have been good for WR4 (ahead of Adam Thielen and Juju Smith-Schuster). Robby Anderson’s success last season correlated with how Sam Darnold’s confidence grew as the season went on. Darnold’s season started as a green rookie who got rid of the ball early and relied on underneath routes. He missed three games with injuries, then in December came out firing with his highest yards per attempt over any month. That is why Anderson thrived in the last month of the season and should continue to do so as the Jets offense is primed to improve.
Right now, Anderson’s ADP on Sleeper is 78.6 as the WR31. You can expect that Anderson will improve upon his 12 points per game from last year. That, Darnold’s improvement, the Jets’ additional weapons, and potentially 16 games played (Robby played 14 last season) has his potential as a WR2. He was a top five receiver for a month last year. His WR2 potential in the seventh to eighth round represents incredible upside. Keep him on your boards as a relatively low-risk, high-potential guy. – Chris Molina
Quick, name a New York Jets offensive player who isn’t Le’Veon Bell. Sam Darnold? Quincy Enunwa? Xavier Ubosi? Not many to choose from, I know. Honestly, with Adam Gase at the helm, this offense screams “doomed”; an offseason signing at WR will not be helpful to your fantasy team. I am stuck with whom to choose, and the only option I see is Jamison Crowder. This Jets offense will be better with the inevitable improvement of Sam Darnold, but I’m not sure how Crowder will fit into the mix. Coming off an injury does not help his case, and entering a new offense can always be a challenge. I am reaching for things to talk about because all I want to do is laugh at this sorry excuse for a professional sports organization. Have fun with another losing season, New York. See you in 2020. Hopefully. – Joe Zollo
Le’Veon Bell may have missed all of 2018 in a contract dispute, but a year off is hardly a bad thing for a running back that is one of only three backs to amass more than 1,500 touches from 2013 to 2017. (LeSean McCoy and DeMarco Murray were the others.) Bell has a new four-year contract with a new team, led by young QB Sam Darnold and new head coach Adam Gase. My thoughts on Gase are well known, but he has no problem running the football. Bell’s ability as a pass catcher — he leads all RBs in receptions since entering the league in 2013, and he missed all of 2018 — will keep his fantasy floor high, and even with an inevitable slow start to knock off the rust, I firmly expect a top 12 finish from Bell. – The Hudsonian, Joshua Hudson
Well, this was interesting, to say the least. The New York Jets in the last few years have tanked badly in the Draft, and this year shows no sign of championship light. Quinnen Williams was an excellent selection for a defense lead by talented safety Jamal Adams, and with the pick up of linebacker C.J. Mosley, there might be some improvement next year on the defensive side of the ball. But since this is a fantasy football website, we’re going to discuss an under the radar pick in Trevon Wesco. When West Virginia quarterback Will Grier got in trouble inside the pocket, his go-to was Wesco; I hope Darold uses him the same way. Wesco finished his college career with 373 yards receiving, which isn’t impressive, but it shows he can catch. Because of his blocking ability, he can also line up as a fullback for screen plays and additional blocking in passing situations. Wesco wasn’t a top college tight end, and that’s fine, but his tape does show that he can be in the league for a long time. – Chris Tyler
Honestly, I don’t know. The drop off after Le’Veon Bell was incredible. I don’t like their receivers enough to think one can break out or help your team as a sleeper, so I am going to resort to the Tight Ends. If you watched the Jets last year, you may have seen the name Chris Herndon on the back of a number 89 jersey. Herndon ended up becoming the starter and showed that he can be a pretty good player in this league. He is athletic and can catch the football, and could honestly be the number two option in that offense after Le’Veon Bell. Herndon is someone who won’t be ranked in the top ten but has the potential to make it there by season’s end. I have no trust in anybody on this offense, or this team.
P.S: Draft Elijah McGuire. Adam Gase already said he didn’t want to pay Le’Veon Bell, so out of spite of their recently fired GM, Gase will feed McGuire to show they didn’t need to spend that money. Oh, Adam Gase… you rival Stephen A. Smith for the worst person in sports. – Joe Zollo
The defense is the only part of this team I actually have some faith in. Drafting arguably the most talented player in the draft in Quinnen Williams, in theory, seals up the run gaps for that defensive line. I don’t know if I am ready to trust Williams on my team just yet, but another man by the name of Leonard Williams should put up decent numbers on the defensive line. Williams has had so-so numbers over the past two seasons, averaging 44 tackles, 3.5 sacks, and just one turnover created since 2017. If he can revert back to his first two seasons with over 60 tackles, then he can be someone to play as your DL1. But for right now, I see him strictly as a backup and fill-in option.
Moving back to the Linebackers, there is not much to write home about from last season. Avery Williamson was able to secure an LB2 ranking at the end of last season but the guy to look forward to in 2019 is former Baltimore Raven C.J. Mosley. While Mosley was less than impressive last season, he was an absolute stud in 2017- ranking first amongst all LBs in fantasy football. With the potential of Mosley to have this type of production, I would not be afraid to take him as your LB1 with a high pick in the sixth or seventh round. If he can produce 200+ points, he is more valuable than your WR3 or RB3 who will be nowhere near that production.
Finally, in the secondary is where the fantasy explosiveness lies. Third-year safety Jamal Adams had a jump of almost 70 points from 2017 to 2018, and there is no doubt in my mind he can surpass 200 points again this season. Ranking third last year behind the Giants’ Antoine Bethea and Bengals’ Shawn Williams (I know, who would have thought), Adams could find his way to ranking first amongst DBs in fantasy this season. – Joe Zollo