Fantasy Stock Up, Stock Down: Jacksonville Jaguars

Welcome back to the “Fantasy Stock Up, Stock Down” series (off-season edition). The big free agency splash moments are all but over at this point, and the NFL Draft is approaching quickly. We as Dynasty Managers need to be evaluating these off-season transactions and thinking about our roster adjustments every day. Who are we going to target in rookie drafts? Who are we going to go out and trade for? Who are we willing to give up in return? Will you go all in this season to bring home a championship? Or should you go young and prepare for the future? There’s so much to think about before September. The “off-season edition” of this series is an early look at whose stock is up and whose stock is down as we head into draft season. We will break down each NFL team one by one. Today is all about the Jacksonville Jaguars. 

STOCK UP – ZAY JONES

The wide receiver market this offseason has been absurd. We’ve seen Davante Adams get traded and extended to a five-year $141.25M contract. We saw more of the same from Tyreek Hill when he was traded and extended to a four-year $120M contract. We also witnessed the Jaguars here signing both Christian Kirk (four-year $72M) and Zay Jones (three-year $24M) to lucrative deals. Kirk was brought in to be the team’s WR1, but Jones will get a ton of volume after his career season with Las Vegas in 2021. He only found the endzone once during the regular season, but he served as the WR53 between Weeks 7 and 18. He also hauled in a combined 38 passes for 389 yards in the final seven games of the season. On top of that, he also collected five receptions for 61 yards and a touchdown in the Wild Card Round loss to the Bengals. 

Jacksonville doesn’t have a ton of talent at wide receiver right now. So you should expect more of the same now that he joins a wide receiver room that consists of Kirk, Marvin Jones, Laviska Shenault, and Jamal Agnew. Trade rumors have swirled around Shenault this offseason, and Marvin Jones is 32 years old and going into a contract season. If we are looking at things long-term, which is what we do as dynasty managers, Zay Jones has a great chance of becoming a reliable fantasy asset with his new team. He’s only 27, and at 6’2” and 200 lbs., he’s going to see a lot more red zone looks than he did during his time in Las Vegas. His stock is as high as it’s ever been right now, and that alone could help you in a trade situation if you’re not fully convinced of his worth.  

Other Notables: Christian Kirk, Travis Etienne

STOCK DOWN – EVAN ENGRAM

Some dynasty managers out there believe that Engram’s stock is higher now that he left Daniel Jones and the Giants to play for Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars. That’s a bit of a stretch, and in fact, I think his stock decreases in his current situation. Think about it for a second. Yes, Jones has been a bust of a quarterback, but has Lawrence done anything to prove that he’s a better talent right now? Not exactly. But I’m not here to take jabs at Lawrence because I do think he has a very bright future (and yes, I believe he’s going to be way better than Jones eventually). What I’m trying to say is that Engram signed here on a one-year deal. If Lawrence doesn’t take a big step forward, that’s going to negatively affect Engram’s dynasty value even more. 

We have to also keep this in mind. Although the pass-catchers on this team aren’t amazing, there are a plethora of decent ones, and that’s going to cut into Engram’s potential production. The expectation right now is that Kirk, Zay Jones, Marvin Jones, Agnew, and possibly Shenault will see a ton of time on the field. Those five names alone combined for 284 receptions last season. Jacksonville also has a couple of decent pass-catching running backs on their current roster. James Robinson is recovering from a torn Achilles suffered in December, but he produced 31 receptions in 14 games played last season. We didn’t see any Travis Etienne during the 2021 regular season, but during his junior and senior seasons at Clemson, he combined for 85 receptions in 27 games. To make matters worse for Engram, he plays the same position as Dan Arnold. In five of the 11 games he played last season, Arnold hauled in at least three receptions and produced at least 55 receiving yards. He’s a solid pass-catcher who already has a great connection with Lawrence. Engram is going to be 28 in September. Combine his age, his current situation, and his inconsistent play, and you get a player that sees his dynasty stock fading more so now than ever. 

Other Notables: James Robinson, Laviska Shenault

Teams Broken Down Already: Bears, Bengals, Bills, Broncos, Buccaneers, Cardinals, Chargers, Chiefs, Colts, Cowboys, Dolphins, Eagles, Falcons, 49ers, Giants

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