PAST PRODUCTION
JuJu Smith-Schuster played college football at USC from 2014-2016. JuJu registered a breakout season as a true freshman with 54 receptions for 724 yards and five TDs, but he was truly dominant as a sophomore, racking up 1,454 yards and 10 TDs on 89 receptions. After a solid junior campaign, JuJu declared for the 2016 NFL Draft and was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers with the 30th pick in the second round.Â
As a rookie in 2017, JuJu Smith-Schuster flashed superstar potential. He made big plays in big moments and finished the season with 917 receiving yards in just fourteen games. In 2018, he took another massive step forward. Playing alongside Antonio Brown, JuJu caught 111 passes for 1,426 yards and seven TDs. At just 22 years old, JuJu was considered one of the best up-and-coming wide receivers in the NFL. Unfortunately, injuries and atrocious quarterback play derailed the hype train in 2019. JuJu could only manage 552 yards and three TDs in twelve games.Â
In 2020, JuJu led the NFL in slot snaps. With Diontae Johnson and rookie Chase Claypool playing outside, JuJu took on a new role very close to the line of scrimmage. He ranked outside the top sixty WRs in air yards, average target distance, and deep targets. In fact, he became the only WR in NFL history to record at least 95 receptions in a season without topping 850 receiving yards.
2021 OUTLOOK
Nobody knows what to do with the Steelers’ WRs this season. According to RotoViz, the three are bunched quite closely in ADP with Diontae Johnson as the WR24, Chase Claypool as the WR29, and JuJu Smith-Schuster as the WR30. Diontae led the group in targets last season and will likely be the team’s top receiver again in 2021, but it’s hard to say who will be second in the pecking order. With his outside role and incredible athletic profile, Chase Claypool probably has the higher ceiling. However, if Big Ben struggles to push the ball deep and out wide, Claypool will struggle with weekly consistency. On the other hand, JuJu is more of a floor play. He should continue to see a healthy dose of targets in the slot, but the yards per reception will remain low.Â
At his WR30 ADP, JuJu Smith-Schuster is a fine pick. He was the WR23 in PPG last season even with record-setting inefficiency. The addition of Najee Harris could mean fewer pass attempts for Big Ben, but the hope is that the offense improves and that JuJu can do slightly more with his opportunities (or just rank higher than 104th in yards per reception). Just don’t expect anything better than low-end WR2 production as long as all three WRs are healthy
DYNASTY ANALYSIS
At one point, JuJu Smith-Schuster was thought to be the NFL’s next superstar wide receiver. That hope has since faded, but at just 24 years old, two years removed from a 1,400-yard season, JuJu is still a valuable asset in dynasty formats. I’m not aggressively attempting to trade for him in dynasty, but I’m holding onto him where I have him. JuJu is currently valued near his floor. He isn’t in any danger of being flushed out of the league, and I don’t see him walking into a worse situation next year. As I said before, his upside in 2021 is limited. However, he will be a free agent next offseason. With the cap expected to rise significantly, he could secure a sizable contract on a team with a great quarterback, or at least a more concentrated target share.Â
According to dynasty startup ADP provided by RotoViz, JuJu is being drafted in the same region as DJ Chark, Julio Jones, Odell Beckham, Deebo Samuel, and Adam Thielen. At this point, I’m taking JuJu over those other names.
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