Mononucleosis derailed the sophomore season for quarterback Sam
Darnold and the entire New York Jets offense. The former first
round pick from USC was limited to just 13 contests, and we do
not know for sure how long the illness affected him in the games
he did manage to play.
Despite missing Weeks 2 through 5, Darnold did improve on his
completion percentage from his rookie season, threw two more touchdowns,
and two fewer interceptions, leading the team to wins in six of
their final eight games.
The Jets used significant draft capital to address deficiencies
on the offensive line while adding a big-bodied wide receiver
on the outside in rookie Denzel Mims from Baylor. The team also
added free agent WR Breshad Perriman to help fill the vacuum left
with the departure of Robby Anderson to the Panthers in free agency.
For fantasy purposes, Darnold projects to be no more than a streaming
option in standard one-quarterback leagues, as the position is
deep, and Darnold has yet to top 20 passing touchdowns in his
career. He will have value in Super Flex leagues, but a rough
schedule to start the season of games against the Bills and the
49ers should give owners pause on drafting Darnold this year.
RB Le’Veon
Bell
(2019 RB Rank - No.29, 9.9 FPts/G)
Bell’s first season with the Jets turned out to be a massive
disappointment, with the former pro bowl running back, posting
career lows in rushing average, rushing touchdowns, rushing yards,
and receiving average. The team forked out a massive contract
and received barely replacement-level production from a payer
with three seasons of over 1800 total yards on his resume.
Part of Bell’s terrible play can be attributed to a subpar
offensive line, part of it should be attributed to Sam Darnold
dealing with mono and the offense overall struggling, yet a big
part should be put squarely on his shoulders, as he did not appear
to run with the same effort as when he was playing for a big contract
from the Steelers.
Will Bell return to his old form now that that team addressed
some issues on the offensive line, and Darnold is fully recovered?
We doubt it, but it is hard to pass up a player who may receive
close to 300 total touches. As of now, you can buy Bell almost
at where he finished last season, making him a possible value
should those two variables lead to improve efficiency. He could
also continue to struggle, lose some carries to veteran Frank
Gore, and the team may want to see more of what they have in La'Mical
Perine.
As the slot receiver in an Adam Case offense, Jamison Crowder
was heavily featured in the passing game, while posting career
highs in targets and receptions. His 122 targets placed him at
16th among wide receivers, ahead of other more prominent fantasy
options like Kenny Golladay, Tyler Lockett, Stefon Diggs, Terry
McLaurin, and Amari Cooper.
Although he did not do much with those targets in teams of touchdown
production, and he was the only player in the league besides Davante
Adams to fail to reach 1k yards with over 120 targets, Crowder
is an excellent value pick for owners in full point per reception
leagues.
The team did not add a wide receiver to take targets away from
the slot, and Sam Darnold and Crowder certainly showed a strong
rapport last year. Rookie Denzel Mims projects to work outside
with free agent acquisition Breshad Perriman as the other outside
receiver.
Crowder has yet to score more than seven touchdowns in a season,
so don’t expect him to be a huge producer in TD heavy leagues.
But he is a nice option for owners looking for volume on an offense
that projects to be better than last year.
The Jets used a second round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft to select
Denzel Mims from Baylor University. At 6-foot-3, 210 pounds, Mims
has a large frame and large catch radius. He ran an impressive
4.38 40-yard dash at the combine and was the No.1 rated player
on the three cone drill.
A drop issue in college and reported lack of separation dropped
Mims into the second round, but the opportunity with the Jets
could not be better. He will likely start right away opposite
of Breshad Perriman outside, with Jamison Crowder and Chris Herndon
working inside.
From a fantasy perspective, he may not have a ton of value this
season, as rookie wide receivers tend to get off to a slow start
and the COVID-19 shortened offseason will not make in any easier
to build rapport with Darnold. His long-term value could be high,
especially if the journeyman WR Perriman does not impress on his
one-year deal.
Perriman had little to no value as the No.3 three option for
the Bucs last season until that final five games of the year when
injuries to Chris Godwin and Mike Evans opened to door for a massive
volume increase. Perriman did not disappoint, with back-to-back
100-yard games in the fantasy playoffs, including a three-touchdown
game on the road against the Lions. The gunslinging mentality
fo Jameis Winston and a terrible defense for the Bucs helped bolster
the fantasy production for the wide receivers in Tampa Bay.
Perriman was not resigned by the Bucs despite his impressive
finish. Instead, he signed a modest one-year, show-me deal with
the Jets.
The massive volume Perriman enjoyed in those games with the Bucs
will not likely be there as the third wide receiver and the fourth
option for the Jets. Going from the third-ranked offense in yards
per game to the worst is not good for any player, especially if
that player is not slotted in to be the No.1 target in the offense.
He will likely have a few big games here and there, but overall,
Perriman will likely disappoint and should be rostered in only
the deepest of leagues.
Injuries and a suspension for off-field issues limited Herndon
to just one game in 2019. After an impressive rookie campaign
in 2018, Herndon was a favorite sleeper candidate in the fantasy
community, only to end up a complete disappointment on and off
the field.
Could Herndon be a post-hype sleeper in 2020? It is certainly
possible, with the Jets losing two starting wide receivers and
replacing them with a rookie in Denzel Mims and a journeyman bust
in Breshad Perriman. There are targets to be had in this offense,
and Herndon is a big-bodied receiver who looked to be a budding
star back in 2018.
Due to the fact that we don’t know a ton about how well
he stayed in shape during his suspension and the inability for
him to work out with Darnold this offseason due to COVID-19, Herndon
may be a stretch to rely on as your starting tight end in the
draft. But he should garner No.2 tight end consideration in deep
leagues where owners typically take two tight ends.
