Tag: James Jones

Welker Alternatives

Not only is Wes Welker battling concussion issues but he is also suspended(MDMA) for the first four games of the NFL season. If you drafted wisely the answer is already on your roster, but if not… who are the fantasy alternatives?

Analysis: Brandin Cooks is available in 15-25% of fantasy leagues. He is the fastest player Drew Brees has ever played with and he is the most polished rookie of the 2014 draft class. The Saints finished 2nd in passing yards last year and 4th in passing attempts. Cooks is a fine Wes Welker alternative.

James Jones is the number one wide out for the Raiders(for now). Oakland should be trailing in the second half of most games this year which means tons of fourth quarter junk yards for James Jones. Jones is available in 60% of fantasy leagues.

I don’t understand the Brian Hartline fantasy aversion. He has now compiled back to back 70 plus reception, 1,000 plus yard seasons. He isn’t a touchdown machine but expect a career high from Hartline as Ryan Tannehill breaks out this season with an improved offensive line. Hartline is available in 45-85% of fantasy leagues.

Under The Radar- Jones

James Jones is quietly having a solid season as the Seattle Mariners continue to push for a playoff berth at the midpoint in the season.

Analysis: James Jones is hitting .295 with 17 stolen bases and 33 runs in 56 games played. During the month of June he was the 9th best fantasy outfielder. Despite only playing in those 56 games he ranks 7th among outfielders in stolen bases and 13th in batting average.

At some point this season or next Jones’ power will start to appear. He is a toolsy, raw talent but the twenty-five year old will provide enough steals to offset the lack of power and RBI production for the time being. Jones does not walk much(4.4%) but he isn’t a high strikeout rate hacker either(16.5%). Among outfielders with at least 200 plate appearances he ranks in the top 30 in contact rate so we can expect the .350 BABIP and .325 OBP to be somewhat sustainable marks.

James Jones is available in 80% of fantasy leagues.

Week 12 WR Recap

Nate Burleson returns from injury while James Jones and Jarrett Boykin benefit from the Scott Tolzien benching.

Analysis: Nate Burleson was having a solid season up until his arm “injury.” In the three games prior to his injury Burleson caught 19 balls on 23 targets. He was back at it again Sunday posting 7 receptions on 10 targets for 77 yards and a score. He is the clear cut number two option in the Detroit passing game which makes him a must add. At the moment Burleson is available in 65-97% of fantasy leagues.

Matt Flynn stepped in for Scott Tolzien and no one benefited more than James Jones. Jones caught 7 balls on 12 targets for 80 yards. It may not matter if Aaron Rodgers returns this coming week in regards to Jones’ fantasy value as long as Matt Flynn is at the helm. Jones is available in 5-10% of fantasy leagues.

Another wide out getting lost in the Aaron Rodgers/Scott Tolzien/Matt Flynn mess is Jarrett Boykin. Boykin recorded 60 receiving yards and a touchdown on Sunday afternoon against the Vikes. Boykin now has five 60-plus receiving yard days in his last six games, he also has 2 touchdowns in that span. Boykin is still available in 5-50% of fantasy leagues.

Stock Rising- DeAndre Hopkins

DeAndre Hopkins recorded 6 receptions on 11 targets for 69 receiving yards in week ten against the Arizona Cardinals.

Analysis: Hopkins is putting together a solid rookie campaign. He has five 60 plus receiving yard games thus far to go along with 2 touchdowns in nine games. Hopkins has 12 receptions on 21 targets for 199 receiving yards over his last three games. With Arian Foster out for the rest of the season Houston will pass a bit more which should translate into more targets and receptions for the former Clemson Tiger.

Hopkins isn’t a PPR stud nor will his touchdown production blow anyone away but he is on pace for nearly 1,000 yards. He makes a solid depth add when considering six teams still have bye weeks which include Philly, Cincy and Dallas. Hopkins is available in 30-50% of fantasy leagues.

Another player of note this week is James Jones. The Packers have problems at quarterback at the moment but Jones is worth stashing if he’s available. Jones caught 4 balls on 7 targets for 44 yards from two quarterbacks today and most importantly he looks healthy. Jones is available in 3-10% of fantasy leagues.

Injury Impact- Greg Jennings

Greg Jennings is out two to three weeks with a sprained MCL. There are plenty of replacement options on the wire but who will produce the most going forward?

Analysis: Even though Tim Tebow is a wide out’s worst nightmare in terms of stats, Demaryius Thomas has put up big numbers as of late. Thomas has three touchdowns, two-hundred plus receiving yards and twenty targets in his last two games. Thomas is Tim Tebow’s go-to-guy and you have to love that he is available in about ninety percent of fantasy leagues. He is a great replacement for Jennings who will continue to be one heavily targeted wide out.

Another potential fantasy replacement for Greg Jennings is Donald Driver. Jennings’ targets have to go somewhere and since Jordy Nelson is not available, Donald Driver makes the most sense. James Jones has been held without a reception in two and his last four games while Donald Driver has two seventy plus yard games and two touchdowns in his last four contests. If a widely available fantasy wide out on Green Bay will produce in Jennings’ absence, it will be Donald Driver more so than Jones. Unlike Demaryius Thomas who has WR2 potential, Driver’s upside is just a WR3 but he’s still worth a look.