As we approach the redraft season, I want to begin a new series of recent risers and fallers based on events happening in the fantasy football world. In each article, I’ll give you two risers and two fallers. There are many reasons that a player could move up or move down, so I’ll cover various situations throughout this article series. I’ll also include the previous entries at the bottom of this page.
Risers
D.J. Chark
Every week that passes, Chark’s camp reports become more and more impressive. He’s locked-in as the Jaguars’ top receiver with no competition on the depth chart. Veteran Dede Westbrook has struggled in camp and could even be a candidate to be cut.
Chark’s only serious competition for targets came from running back Leonard Fournette, but the Jaguars recently waived Fournette. While Ryquell Armstead and Chris Thompson could pick up some work from Fournette, the Jaguars should pass even more now in 2020. Chark displayed good chemistry with Minshew throughout the 2019 season, and they’re picking up where they left off going into 2020.
In June, I ranked Chark in my initial Jaguars’ redraft preview as my WR28 and well outside my top-50 players. Now, Chark comes in at WR19 and 42nd overall. At this point, I believe Chark comes with WR1 upside in 2020, and I would love him as my WR2 or even my WR3. He’s one of my favorite fourth-round targets in redraft leagues.
Raiders Wide Receivers: Henry Ruggs, Bryan Edwards, and Hunter Renfrow
Recently, the Raiders placed veteran receiver Tyrell Williams on season-ending injured reserve with a torn shoulder labrum. Before that move, the Raiders’ wide receiver group was slightly cloudy, as four receivers were competing for three offensive spots. Everything is simple now: Ruggs will start as the Z receiver, Edwards as the X receiver, and Renfrow as the slot receiver.
Edwards gained a guaranteed starting role after Williams went down, so he gained the most value. I didn’t have Edwards ranked before Williams’ injury, but he jumped up to my WR61. In late-July, I criticized Edwards as a 2020 asset due to the virtual offseason and a lingering foot injury. However, Edwards has excelled in Raiders’ camp, and I think he has a chance to challenge Ruggs for the top receiver spot in the offense.
Even though I love what Edwards has done in the last month, I still believe that Ruggs will lead the Raiders’ receivers in targets. Ruggs remains my WR41, similar to how I ranked him back in June, but he’s moved up significantly in my overall rankings. Without Williams in the lineup, I’m comfortable starting Ruggs in Week 1, and he’s my 94th overall player.
As for Renfrow, I’m glad he’ll get a chance to see guaranteed snaps in 2019. He played well as a slot receiver as a rookie, and he should have the role all to himself once again in 2020. I ranked Edwards higher because he has more upside than Renfrow, but it wouldn’t surprise me if Renfrow performs better for the first few weeks as the rookies settle into the offense. Renfrow is my WR67 in 2020.
Fallers
Justin Jefferson
By now, I’ve accepted that Jefferson isn’t even a starter in the Vikings’ offense. Adam Thielen is the clear top receiver, and Olabisi Johnson is the second outside receiver. While Jefferson will get playing time in the slot, the Vikings use 2TE personnel with Kyle Rudolph and Irv Smith Jr. quite frequently.
Therefore, Jefferson will only see around 50% of the snaps to open the 2020 season. The Vikings are a run-first team, and that level of playing time won’t be enough for Jefferson to make an impact. Jefferson could surpass Johnson later on during the season, but he won’t in time for Week 1.
I had Jefferson as my WR47 based on Stefon Diggs’ vacated targets in my Vikings’ redraft preview. Now, I’ve dropped Jefferson down a tier or two, and he comes in at WR55. In redraft leagues, you want to see something from your late-round dart throws right away. Having to hold and wait on a player burns a bench spot for weeks during the most crucial waiver runs of the season. For that reason, I essentially won’t draft Jefferson in 2020.
Jalen Reagor
Like Jefferson, Reagor also will take too long to develop. He recently injured his shoulder and will miss 3-4 weeks. Reagor is a rookie who was having an excellent camp, but he’s not going to see the field early on. Also, Alshon Jeffery seems to be on the road to recovery, while J.J. Arcega-Whiteside has impressed in Reagor’s absence.
Back in June, Reagor was my WR51, but I had moved him up significantly before his injury. He had settled in around WR38 and 92nd overall, and I was devastated by the news that he would miss the start of the season. I was so confident that he would make an immediate impact that I wrote an entire sleeper article about him.
With that said, as Reagor is injured, I would still consider drafting him if my league had an IR spot. Even coming off an injury, I think he could step into the Eagles’ offense and succeed. He’s the best IR stash for redraft leagues, and I currently rank him as my WR57. What happened was a shame, but I’m hoping we can see something from Reagor in 2020.
Thanks for reading this article. You can find me on Twitter at @DFF_Karp. I love to interact with anyone in the community, so reach out at any time! I take fantasy questions and help with all formats, so keep sending those questions my way.
