Plenty of New York Jets players will take flight in fantasy football leagues this season
The New York Jets have been a team to avoid in fantasy football for years. With yearly poor quarterback play, it was hard to rely on any member of the Jets offense.
This year expects to be different – and so far the fantasy community is slow to catch on. With Aaron Rodgers at quarterback, the potential of the Jets’ offense is limitless. We’ll see how that factors in due time, but for now, there’s plenty of value to be had.
Players to Target at Cost
Aaron Rodgers, ADP – QB12
2022 was the first time in his career that Rodgers finished outside the top-10 QBs in fantasy football while playing more than 10 games. His QB13 finish was still admirable given the circumstances of last year, which makes his QB12 ADP this season a bargain for savvy fantasy managers.
Last year Rodgers was without a true WR1, relying on Allen Lazard and an inconsistent rookie, Christian Watson, as his top WRs. While he retains Lazard in 2023, Garrett Wilson will give Rodgers the WR1 he lacked last season.
Rodgers is currently being taken in the ninth round of fantasy leagues, meaning you can get league-winning play at quarterback without handicapping other positions in your lineup.
If the 39-year-old can stay healthy, he should find himself as a top-10 quarterback once again. An Aaron Rodgers revenge tour is in the books for 2023.
Garrett Wilson, ADP – WR10
Wilson put on a show in his inaugural season. Not only did he win the Offensive Rookie of the Year award, but he also finished as the WR21 in fantasy football leagues – and that was with four different quarterbacks throwing him the ball.
Compared to others in his class, Wilson was a menace. He also was atop the class in PFF’s receiving grade (85.9) as well as expected fantasy points per game.
This season, Wilson will be catching balls from a four-time NFL MVP. That means the sky’s the limit for the Jets’ second-year wide receiver this season.
Going at the end of the second round in fantasy drafts, it’s not unlikely that Wilson finds himself as a top-5 receiver this season. The Ohio State product has seen himself being compared to Davante Adams – who believes Wilson and Rodgers will surprise plenty of people in 2023.
The cost for Wilson is high, but it’s worth betting on the potential.
Allen Lazard, ADP – WR50
Lazard’s ADP doesn’t make sense. At WR50, the 27-year-old finds himself behind names that haven’t been relevant in fantasy football in years, such as Michael Thomas and Odell Beckham Jr.
Lazard signed with the Jets this offseason to reunite with Rodgers. We’ve seen how much Rodgers values familiarity in his offense, and Lazard will be able to provide that.
Last season, Lazard finished as the WR35 in PPR leagues. He is a favorite target of Rodgers in the red zone, with thirty-seven percent of his fantasy points coming on touchdowns in the first month last year – and that’s bound to continue.
With the Jets likely to pass early and often while Breece Hall gets back to game speed, the former Packers’ WR will blow his WR50 ADP out of the water this year.
Players to Avoid at Cost
Breece Hall, ADP – RB11
We all saw how explosive Hall was last season before tearing his ACL in Week 7 against the Denver Broncos. As much as I want to buy into the hype, the Jets’ running back is not worth targeting at his current ADP.
ACL injuries are notoriously a two-year process for players to return to form. Considering Hall’s tear wasn’t “clean”, the best short-term comparison would be to Ravens RB J.K. Dobbins.
Dobbins had an extremely slow start to the 2022 season that led to a scope surgery in November. The 24-year-old running back didn’t start showing signs of his previous performance until Week 14 – and that’s what I believe happens with Breece Hall this season.
The #Jets dudes on the mend, Garrett Wilson and Breece Hall, in the rehab area. pic.twitter.com/VQh4b9rJgN
— Robby Sabo (@RobbySabo) August 5, 2023
While Robert Saleh and the Jets believe Hall will be ready for Week 1, it’s more likely that he’s slowly eased into receiving a heavy workload. That makes Breece a risky selection in fantasy drafts, and someone to avoid at that ADP.
