Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Zay Jones turned in an unexpectedly solid season in 2022 as Jacksonville’s WR2. However, with the addition of Calvin Ridley to the offense this year, Jones figured to take a step back as the team’s third option in the receiver room.
Well, not so fast.
In Week 1 against the Colts, Jones saw the second-most targets (seven) of any Jaguars player, only behind Ridley (11). He finished with five receptions for 55 yards and an acrobatic touchdown, a performance that certainly put him on the radar of fantasy football managers moving forward.
Is Week 1 a sign of things to come with Jones, or was it a performance that will be hard to replicate in the coming weeks?
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Should Zay Jones Be a Fantasy Waiver Wire Add in Week 2?
On just 29.8% of fantasy leagues on ESPN, Jones is one of the hottest waiver wire names following Week 1 of the regular season. But should fantasy managers pick him up?
WHAT A CATCH, @zayjones11 😱 Touchdown @Jaguars!
📺: #JAXvsIND on FOX
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/G4uoYVOqQn pic.twitter.com/BTJmONI8oe— NFL (@NFL) September 10, 2023
In Jacksonville’s pass-happy offense, Jones figures to see a decent number of looks every week. He made the most of his opportunities on Sunday against the Colts and has the trust of his quarterback, Trevor Lawrence.
While Ridley and Jones each turned in solid games for Jacksonville, Christian Kirk finished with just one catch for nine yards on three targets. Kirk, the Jaguars’ leading receiver in 2022, will certainly be more involved in Jacksonville’s aerial attack moving forward.
After all, he finished as the WR12 overall in fantasy formats a season ago. Entering the season, the Jaguars 1-2 combination of Ridley and Kirk figured to eat into Jones’ production.
Yet in Week 1, it was Kirk who sacrificed the most in terms of individual production. Jones ran more routes (33) than Kirk (23) and played 94.3% of the team’s offense snaps, compared to Kirk’s 61% snap percentage.
Kirk almost exclusively played in the slot, while Ridley and Jones served as Jacksonville’s two outside receivers. Jones’ numbers in Week 1 strongly suggest he will still have a big role in the offense moving forward, regardless of Ridley and Kirk’s presence.
😬 Yeah… Does not look good for the Christian Kirk fans.
Data: @TruMediaSports pic.twitter.com/4JTL9ofbhJ
— Jordan Vanek (@JordanVanekDFS) September 11, 2023
As always, Week 1 figures to be a busy waiver wire week. Jones won’t even be the most-coveted wideout on the wire, as Rams’ rookie Puka Nacau and New England’s Kendrick Bourne will be those guys after standout Week 1 performances. Even Rams’ third-year receiver Tutu Atwell could be a popular waiver wire pickup this week.
MORE: Early Week 2 Waiver Wire Pickups
Unlike those players listed above, Jones has proven he’s a viable fantasy asset – he finished as WR26 overall in PPR formats in 2022 – and should be scooped up in almost every league.