PAST PRODUCTION
When the Jacksonville Jaguars selected D.J. Chark in the second round of the 2018 NFL Draft they knew they were getting, if nothing else, a truly special athlete: an outside receiver standing 6’ 3” tall, with 4.3 speed and a 93rd percentile burst score. After Chark’s disappointing rookie season, in which he accumulated just 14 receptions in 11 games, many wrote him off as another combine warrior in the same vein as Breshad Perriman. In 2019 however, D.J. Chark broke out, turning 117 targets into over 1,000 receiving yards and 8 TDs and finishing as the WR17.
2020 OUTLOOK
D.J. Chark is poised for a nice follow-up to his 2019 campaign. He has established himself as the clear alpha in Jacksonville’s offense. He has also built chemistry with Gardner Minshew, who should be ready to make his own leap entering year two.
While the Jaguars are unlikely to have a prolific offense in 2020, it is important to recognize that this is not the defensive, run-first team of years past. Losing Calais Campbell and A.J. Bouye will take a toll on the Jaguars defense, which was already 21st in points allowed last season. If the offense is constantly forced to throw the ball for all four quarters, Gardner Minshew could easily eclipse 600 pass attempts. That would translate to roughly 130 targets for D.J. Chark if he simply maintains his target share of 21.8% from 2019. However, there is also room for that target share, along with Chark’s efficiency, to improve as he and Minshew continue to develop side by side. He’s a bargain at his current WR22 price tag, and he has a genuine WR1 upside.
DYNASTY ANALYSIS
D.J. Chark is a great player to own in dynasty leagues. He’s still just 23 years old, with the perfect combination of size and speed to be an outside threat for years to come. He’s under contract with the Jaguars for two more seasons. Hopefully, Gardner Minshew is able to take a step forward and cement himself as a franchise QB. But, if not, the Jaguars will likely be in a position to select a top QB in 2021 such as Trevor Lawrence or Justin Fields. Either way, Chark should continue to flourish as the unquestioned top receiver in Jacksonville.
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