The New York Jets will face the New England Patriots in Week 8. Here’s fantasy football start-sit advice for every Jets skill player who has the potential to make a fantasy impact during the game.
Looking for more lineup advice? Head over to our Week 8 Fantasy Start-Sit Cheat Sheet, where we cover every fantasy-relevant player in every game.
Aaron Rodgers, QB
We got it. We finally got it. Ever since Rodgers joined the Jets, there was speculation about him reuniting with Davante Adams and we finally got it in Week 7. The results were revolutionary:
Weeks 1-6:
- 61.8% completion rate (4.1% TD rate)
- 72.8% quick-pass rate
- 10.4 yards per completion
- 7.1 air yards per throw
Week 7:
- 61.5% completion rate (2.6% TD rate)
- 74.4% quick-pass rate
- 11.5 yards per completion
- 5.2 air yards per throw
What’s that? Those numbers are essentially identical? And the Jets actually averaged 7.4% fewer yards per drive on Sunday than they did through six weeks?
I still think the Jets are going to make a push at some point and Rodgers will be a part of that. But at this point, savvy fantasy managers will be reactionary as opposed to aggressive. We all have Lambeau leaps in our mind when thinking of Rodgers/Adams-led offenses, but that was years ago and things (the two players, the offensive environment, and the rules of the NFL) are different now.
Rodgers has the potential to move inside of my top 15 once we get some breadcrumbs, but last week, even against an elite defense, didn’t provide enough for me to trust him right now.
Braelon Allen, RB
As a season wears on and the games become more important, their rotations become more telling of who they trust.
Allen’s snap shares:
- Week 4 vs. Denver Broncos: 34.3%
- Week 5 at Minnesota Vikings: 25.4%
- Week 6 vs. Buffalo Bills: 18.6%
- Week 7 at Pittsburgh Steelers: 9.1%
Allen has shown a level of burst in his opportunities this season, but I think we were all a little over our skis in thinking that this offense could support two running backs. The rookie is a high-end handcuff, and that’s valuable as long as you don’t try wish-casting him as a Flex candidate.
Breece Hall, RB
Hall has been a top-10 producer at the position in both games since the coaching staff change, averaging 155 scrimmage yards, 15 carries, and 7.5 targets across those games. If he sustains that level of usage moving forward, he’ll be positioned to pay off the draft capital you spent on him this season.
Hall totaled 83 yards and a score in the Week 3 win over these Patriots, a stat line that is well within reason to project this weekend when you consider that Joe Mixon, Jordan Mason, and Tank Bigsby all produced more points than that in their New England matchup.
The Patriots allow rushing scores at the fifth-highest rate this season, giving Hall an out, even if his efficiency lags.
Allen Lazard, WR
Lazard caught all four of his targets last week for 58 yards and might fill a decent role in this offense, but I don’t expect it to be fantasy-friendly. His value has largely been the result of his five touchdowns on the back of a 31.3% red-zone target rate, a role that I don’t think he has a prayer of sustaining with Davante Adams now in town.
If I’m going to roster a hit-or-miss receiver like this, I want more offensive upside than what the Jets have to offer. I’d take any Packers receiver moving forward over this former Packer or even a Noah Brown type that could work into a viable role when Jayden Daniels is active.
Davante Adams, WR
Adams was targeted on his first route run as a Jet (incomplete), but his reunion with Aaron Rodgers was awfully underwhelming.
Adams’ production, Weeks 1-3:
- 1.66 yards/route
- 10.5 aDOT
- 21.4% on field target%
- 26% slot
Adams’ production, Week 7:
- 0.77 yards /route
- 7.6 aDOT
- 23.1% on-field target share
- 50.9% slot
Expecting this connection to pick up where it left off was never reasonable, and last week proved as much. Could a full week of practice make the difference?
It’s at least possible and enough hope for me to keep him in lineups across the board.
“The Patriots aim to take away your top option.” We’ve heard that narrative for as long as I can remember, but with Bill Belichick on TV sets across America, New England is struggling to do that.
When they played the Bengals in Week 1, Ja’Marr Chase was the most productive receiver. What about the Seahawks in Week 2? DK Metcalf. And these Jets in Week 3? Garrett Wilson. You get the idea. In six of seven games, the receiver you’d expect the opponent to be most interested in getting the ball to has led the WR room in PPR fantasy points.
Adams is my WR15 this week, ranking in the Tee Higgins, Stefon Diggs, and Amari Cooper range at the position.
Garrett Wilson, WR
Wilson took a little bit of a backseat in the debut of Davante Adams, but not to such a degree that he should be sat down on fantasy benches.
Weeks 1-6:
- 27.3% on-field target share
- 26.5% slot usage
- 94.1 air yards
Week 7:
- 22.5% on-field target share
- 28.3% slot usage
- 94.0 air yards
Speculation was swirling last week about a potential Wilson trade (my thoughts here: I don’t think it’s likely, but I don’t think it’s a dead thought). However, he earned nine targets against the Steelers and looked fine as the WR2 in this offense.
The ceiling he has in this role isn’t near what he had pre-Adams, but it wouldn’t shock me if Wilson’s efficiency moving forward covers the loss of volume. We need Aaron Rodgers to rediscover his form. If that happens, Wilson will be a weekly WR2 that you can feel good about. We clearly aren’t there yet, but a matchup against the fourth-worst defense in terms of pressure rate could help him turn a corner.
I’m cautiously optimistic about Wilson’s stock, more so today than I was when the Adams trade occurred.
Tyler Conklin, TE
Conklin found the end zone on a play that the Jets never wanted to take place (the coaching staff botched a chance to challenge if the play prior was a score). That was pretty much the only noteworthy play we saw from the tight end during Davante Adams’ debut (four catches for seven yards).
Against the Steelers, Conklin’s on-field target share was under 12%, a low threshold that he has now failed to reach in the majority of games. He’s been useful in three of seven weeks this season. While that is a suitable hit rate, it’s not one that I’d bank on sustaining with this offense as it is currently constructed.
If we see this offense click and generate red-zone drives on a consistent basis, we can have a discussion about streaming Conklin. But for now, there’s no need to keep him rostered. Hunter Henry, Noah Fant, and even Ja’Tavion Sanders are all options down the board that I like the short-term outlook of more.
New York Jets at New England Patriots Game Insights
New York Jets
Team: The Jets were 4-3 through seven games last season and scored on 29.4% of their drives. They are 2-5 this season, scoring on 30.3% of their drives.
QB: The quick hitters that Rodgers has thrived on in the past are gone. He’s thrown 123 passes in 2.7 seconds or less over the past four games, and none of them have resulted in a touchdown (four interceptions).
Offense: During their four-game losing streak, the Jets have scored 61 points, including the Hail Mary to end the first half of Week 6 against the Bills.
Defense: Only the Falcons (3.9) allow fewer yards per reception after the catch than the Jets (4.3).
Fantasy: Breece Hall has two top-10 finishes since the coaching change (he had one top-10 week prior to it).
Betting: Aaron Rodgers is 7-4 ATS for his career against the AFC East with unders cashing in eight of those 11 games.
New England Patriots
Team: The Patriots have lost four of their past five games by at least 16 points, and they lost four of their previous 56 regular-season games by at least 16 points.
QB: Drake Maye has multiple touchdown passes and at least 15 rushing yards in each of his first two career starts – he joins Drew Lock (2019) and Bruce Gradkowski (2006) as the only QBs to do that over the past 20 seasons.
Offense: The Patriots’ rushing success rate has been 8.8% since Drake Maye became the starting quarterback two weeks ago. No other offense has had a lower rate than 20% in that span.
Defense: New England allowed 30 points in regulation through the first two weeks this season – since: 28.4 PPG.
Fantasy: If you extend Hunter Henry’s numbers in Drake Maye’s starts for a full season, you’re looking at 94 catches for 1,131 yards and 8.5 touchdowns.
Betting: The Patriots are the worst home ATS team since the start of the 2021 season (9-18-2, 33.3%).