The Jacksonville Jaguars will be visiting the New Orleans Saints on Thursday Night Football.
The Jaguars enter this game 4-2, having won three games in a row after a 1-2 start. In their most recent win, they knocked off the Indianapolis Colts, 37-20.
Trevor Lawrence threw for a modest 181 yards and two touchdowns. Wide receiver Christian Kirk had three catches for 49 yards and one touchdown, while fellow receiver Calvin Ridley had four catches for 30 yards.
With Lawrence battling a knee injury, there may be less volume to go around than normal. Which one of these receivers is more likely to have a big fantasy football performance against a great Saints defense?
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Calvin Ridley Fantasy Outlook Week 7
Ridley has been all over the place this year when it comes to production. He has two games where he has had 101 and 122 yards, respectively. He has also had three games with less than 38 yards. His inconsistencies have been tough for fantasy managers, myself included, to know how much they can truly trust him.
When Ridley is at his best, he has the potential to be a top-five WR on any given week. He can make plays over the middle but also has the speed to score at any time. One positive is outside of his two-target game against the Atlanta Falcons, Ridley is going to see the ball come his way. He has at least seven targets in every other game this season.
The New Orleans’ pass defense has been outstanding and features one of the best cornerbacks in the league in Marshon Lattimore. The Saints currently give up 182.8 passing yards per game, which ranks fifth in the NFL.
Christian Kirk Fantasy Outlook Week 7
Like Ridley, Kirk has received plenty of targets this year. He has 49 targets and has had at least six targets in every game except the opener against the Colts. Another mark to look at is Kirk’s performance against the best pass defenses.
MORE: Jaguars vs. Saints Fantasy Preview
The Falcons (179.2 yards, fourth pass defense) and Kansas City Chiefs (183.8 yards, sixth pass defense) are the two best pass defenses Jacksonville has faced. In those two games, Kirk has 19 catches for 194 yards. It wasn’t one big game either, as he had eight catches for 84 yards against Atlanta and 11 catches for 110 yards against the Chiefs.
Being counted on against the best teams is a big sign of trust, even if it’s lent because more talented options are being taken away. Expect him to be looked at again this week.
Which of the Jaguars’ WRs Should You Start?
Both of these receivers are capable of big games, but while Kirk has thrived against the top defenses, Ridley hasn’t been nearly as effective. In those two games against the Falcons and Chiefs, he had four catches for 80 yards.
This is a huge difference that can’t be ignored, and because of that, Kirk is definitely the better play.
Kirk is currently WR14 in the PFN Consensus Rankings, while Ridley is WR18. It won’t matter who is playing quarterback for Jacksonville, Kirk is the one the team will look to make plays against New Orleans.