Buffalo Bills: Zay Jones 2017 fantasy football outlook
By Connor Price
Zay Jones is one more weapon for Tyrod Taylor to add to his arsenal, and he will get covered by the opposing defense’s number two cornerback. Fantasy football owners beware.
The East Carolina product enters the league in one of the top rushing offenses.
With opposing defenses putting so much emphasis on the Bills run game, that should open doors for Zay Jones, Watkins, and crew.
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In an article Tyler Buecher of Pro Football Focus wrote, he documented the top 5 fantasy breakout candidates for the upcoming season.All though Zay Jones was not included on the list, his quarterback was.Obviously, Jones is one of the reasons why.
Here is what Pro Football Focus had to say about him:
"“Taylor now gets some additional help with second-rounder Zay Jones out of East Carolina. Jones thrived as an intermediate target at ECU, finishing with a 0.43 market share of receiving yards and 0.31 market share of receiving touchdowns en route to a 158-1,746-8 stat line. Jones and Watkins should thrive immediately as intermediate targets in Dennison’s West Coast offense. It just so happens that’s exactly where Taylor makes his best plays”"
Jones is used to getting the ball an obscure amount. With that being said, he is comfortable with the ball in his hands. He was targeted 216 times in 2016.
That is the most targets a wide receiver has seen in a single season in the last three years.
Prediction
Goodbye Robert Woods and hello Zay Jones. That is a considerable upgrade, and the whole offense should be happy about that. You never know what you will get with a rookie wide receiver, and it can be tough to place your fantasy hopes on the kid. Even if it is just a late round bench spot, sometimes those can be some of the most valuable picks.
One betting site has Zay Jones as the favorite for earning the most receiving yards as a rookie (-140 odds). Current competition for this feat would be Tennessee’s Corey Davis, Cincinnati’s John Ross, and LA Chargers’ Mike Williams.
Jones will enter the season as the number two wide receiver behind Sammy Watkins like Woods was last year.
Robert Woods posted a 2016 stat line of 51 receptions, 613 yards, and one touchdown.
I see Zay Jones gaining an even 710 yards through the air with four touchdowns pending a Sammy Watkins injury. With a new coach comes a new scheme, but remember LeSean McCoy is still at the helm. With Shady carrying the rock it will still be a run-heavy offense.
2017 Zay Jones fantasy projections:
- 710 receiving yards
- 4 receiving touchdowns
- 95 fantasy points
I predict Jones will fall between the 50th and 70th top fantasy scoring WR this year.
Last Word
So many teams in the NFL have an air raid offense meaning there are so many serviceable fantasy options at the wide receiver position.
In a standard ESPN 12 team league, this prediction wouldn’t give him a starting spot on a team. Draft him late as a breakout candidate and put him on your bench to see how he turns out.
All of this could be a wash if Sammy Watkins falls and Jones elevates into the number one receiving position. That is worth saying considering Watkins has missed 11 games in the past two seasons.
Zay Jones could be a solid flex player as he finds his way in the NFL this year, with a massive upside as a rookie.
Watch out for Buffalo Bills: Sammy Watkins 2017 fantasy football outlook!
Next: Buffalo Bills: 7 Best Free Agent Signings in Team History
Do you agree with my predictions? Leave yours in the comments below!