Julio Jones’ status has been in doubt this week after he was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list six days ago. What is his status ahead of the Titans game against the Miami Dolphins in Week 17? Will Jones be available for fantasy football managers?
Will Julio Jones play today against Miami?
On Saturday, the Titans announced that they activated Bud Dupree, Denico Autry, and Buster Skrine from the COVID list. But Jones remained on the COVID list, and as a result, will not be cleared to play today. He is officially out.
The Titans have struggled to keep their offensive weapons on the field together this year, and the season has not quite worked out the way they hoped. When Derrick Henry, A.J. Brown, and Jones are all healthy and on the field, Tennessee has one of the most dangerous offenses in football.
Sadly, the Titans haven’t been able to enjoy that trio much this season. The three stars have played together in only five games, of which Tennessee won four.
Tennessee will have to rely heavily on Brown again today if they want to pull out a win against Miami.
How has Julio Jones performed so far as a Titan?
It was always going to be an adjustment for 33-year-old Julio this season. He is playing for a team other than the Atlanta Falcons for the first time in his career. Jones has been a prolific talent since he came into the league. He immediately notched over 1,000 yards as a rookie and has continued to hit the 1,000-yard marker in all but three seasons of his 11-year career.
This year, amidst missing games and adjusting to a new team, Julio will post his lowest regular-season receiving total since turning pro. Jones has played in nine games and will miss another today.
He’s yet to find the end zone so far this year. Jones has posted low touchdown totals in the past, but he’s never gone scoreless in a season. He did have only three scores in 2020.
Jones absolutely still has talent. In Week 2, he generated 128 yards on 6 receptions for the Titans. He’s still an excellent asset — he’s just had a difficult time staying on the field.
Julio Jones’ fantasy outlook
Julio wasn’t a perfect fantasy wide receiver heading into the season. He’s getting a little older, moved to a new team, and was going to have to share touches with Henry and Brown. But Jones’ production has been even lower than expected.
Injuries and COVID protocols that have cost him seven games so far won’t help his statistics, as Julio has been targeted fewer times in 2021 than ever in his career. His 38 targets mark the lowest of his career. His previous low was 57 in 2013 when he fractured his foot in Week 5.
Julio has hit 10 points in fantasy this season just once this year (in Week 2). He’s also not played in more than 50% of the Titans’ snaps in his last three games. He’s not a viable starter in fantasy right now.