Calvin Ridley‘s lone season with the Jacksonville Jaguars didn’t quite go as planned. Will the team bring him back, or will Ridley continue his career elsewhere? What landing spots would be best for Ridley’s fantasy football value?
Potential Landing Spots for Calvin Ridley
The Bears Need a WR2 Opposite DJ Moore
It was awesome to see Justin Fields finally unlock DJ Moore‘s true potential as a WR1. However, the Chicago Bears still struggled to win games, as the offense lacked much in the way of playmakers beyond Moore.
While it’s possible Ridley is better in 2024 than he was last year, the Ridley we saw in 2023 was not capable of being an NFL team’s WR1. That’s what makes him a good fit in Chicago — he doesn’t have to be.
If Ridley signs with the Bears, he would not be a threat to Moore’s WR1 status. At this point in their respective careers, Moore is far and away the better player. Ridley would certainly provide an upgrade on Darnell Mooney and the cavalcade of WR3s the Bears rolled out last year.
Assuming the Bears do what’s been rumored — trade Fields and draft Caleb Williams — there’s a decent chance Ridley could have more fantasy value as the Bears’ WR2 than he did as the Jacksonville Jaguars’ WR2 behind Christian Kirk.
Ridley averaged 13.5 fantasy points per game last season. It would certainly be a surprise if he were able to do much better. But we saw what C.J. Stroud was able to do for Nico Collins and Tank Dell. Williams is a better prospect than Stroud (that doesn’t mean he will be better as a rookie, or at all, though). We could see Ridley post WR2 numbers in a new-look Bears offense with Williams under center.
It’s Been Years Since the Patriots Had a True WR1
Julian Edelman retired after the 2020 season. Ever since then, the New England Patriots have been searching for a top option in their passing game. Jakobi Meyers filled the void for a couple of years, but he was always miscast as a WR2 in a WR1 role.
Now, I don’t believe Ridley is capable of being a true WR1 anymore. However, he’s certainly far better than anything the Patriots had last season.
It’s unlikely signing with the Patriots would catapult Ridley into high-WR2 territory for fantasy. However, he would likely be peppered with volume, as there’s really no one else to throw to.
At this point, though, it’s difficult to assess the fantasy values of anyone who might be on the Patriots because we don’t yet know who their quarterback is going to be. They are heavily rumored to be drafting one in the first round. But if they opt to go back to either Mac Jones or Bailey Zappe, it would be a problem for their wide receivers.
If Ridley signs with the Patriots, that would be bad news for DeMario Douglas‘ fantasy value. Douglas is a solid receiver, but it’s unlikely this offense will be able to support more than one fantasy-relevant receiver. For better or worse, Ridley would be that guy.
The Falcons Could Bring Ridley Back To Play Alongside Drake London, Kyle Pitts
I’m incredibly optimistic about the Atlanta Falcons offense this season, provided they end up with a capable starting quarterback. They should be just fine with Drake London, Kyle Pitts, and Bijan Robinson as the top three options. However, they could still benefit from an improvement at WR2.
Currently, the Falcons have Van Jefferson, Scotty Miller, Mack Hollins, and KhaDarel Hodge as their four receivers behind London, and they’re all impending free agents. All of those guys are fine as roster depth pieces, but none should be starting in two-receiver sets.
Ridley would not be returning to his previous role as the Falcons’ clear WR1. That job belongs to London. But as the WR2, he would provide a stabilizing force for whoever the Falcons’ quarterback is.
As the WR2, the Falcons could ask Ridley to do less than he was asked to do in Jacksonville. At this stage of his career, that might be beneficial for him, not only as an NFL receiver, but a fantasy one as well.
Signing Ridley would not exactly revive his fantasy value — he’d still be no more than a WR3. It would force us to lower London and Pitts a bit, though. While Ridley would be the third option in the passing game, he’s still going to command a reasonable target share.
There are only so many targets to go around. Combine that with the volume headed Robinson’s way, and Ridley to Atlanta is more of a negative for London and Pitts than it is a positive for Ridley.
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The saving grace would be, hopefully, that Ridley’s arrival would lower London and Pitts’ ADPs, making them more affordable for fantasy managers going back to the well one more time on their breakouts.
