PRESEASON EXPECTATIONS

After a rocky season, Trevor Lawrence was hoping for a fresh start, especially with a new head coach. The Jaguars did add some talent for him to progress him even more. People were still high on the prodigious sophomore.

DRAFT EXPECTATIONS

Trevor was the 18th QB taken and picked usually around the 6th-7th round. At this time of the draft, you’re hoping for him to break out. This would be of good value especially if he did take the next step.

OVERALL SEASON PRODUCTION

His sophomore season was what many of us expected of him. Trevor Lawrence bounced back from a nightmare first year to looking like the generational QB prospect he was labeled early on. He threw for 4113 yards and 25 TDs while only throwing eight interceptions. In the running game, he ran in for five touchdowns as well. This performance gave him the eighth-best ranking for QBs and the 16th overall player. His third season could bump him up with the elite quarterbacks in the NFL.

CRITICAL MOMENTS DURING THE SEASON

Week 3 vs Los Angeles Chargers

After a pedestrian start to the season, Trevor Lawrence went off in the Week 3 matchup against the Chargers. He threw for 262 yards and three TDs in the 28-point win. He connected with Zay Jones for a 14-yard TD in the first quarter. A four-yard TD pass to Christian Kirk and a late fourth-quarter touchdown to Marvin Jones Jr sealed the deal in an upset victory.

Week 14 vs Tennessee Titans

With the playoffs still in sight, the Jaguars went to Tennessee and stole a victory over the Titans. In his best game of the season, Trevor threw for 368 yards and three TDs. He connected with Evan Engram for a couple of TDs and he sneaked in one in what turned out to be the start of an immaculate run for Jacksonville. He had a season-high 33.42 FP and QB 1.

Week 15 vs Dallas Cowboys

Another big game happened the week after when Dallas visited Jacksonville. Trevor was still hot from last week with 27/42 passing for 318 yards and four TDs. Zay Jones was the main beneficiary with three TDs and the Jaguars won on a pick-6 in overtime. Things were looking bright for the Jaguars.

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QB DAWG Of The Week: Kirk Cousins 34.40 FP

460 Passing Yards, 4 Passing TDs, 2 Interceptions, 1 2-Pt Conversion (Projected: 17.56 FP)

Kirk Cousins is now the King of Comebacks. He led the Vikings from down 33 at halftime to a 39-36 victory over the Colts in the wildest game of the season. Cousins did his damage in the 2nd half with four passing TDs to four different players. He threw for 460 yards and he needed all of it for this comeback victory. Kudos to Kirk for one hell of a comeback.

RB DAWG Of The Week: Jerick McKinnon 34.20 FP

10 Carries, 52 Rushing Yards, 1 Rushing TD, 8 Receptions, 70 Receiving Yards, 1 Receiving TD, 1 2-Pt Conversion (Projected: 14.28 FP)

Jerick McKinnon is back on the DAWGS article for the second week in a row after another dominating performance against the Texans. McKinnon looks like the favorite receiver not named Travis Kelce. The Chiefs RB rushed for 52 yards, which included a 26-yard TD that won the game in OT. In the passing game, he caught eight passes for 70 yards and a 20-yard TD to tie the game in the 2nd quarter. He is a dangerous weapon that makes the Chiefs one of the best teams in the league.

WR DAWG Of The Week: Zay Jones 34.90 FP

6 Receptions, 109 Receiving Yards, 3 Receiving TDs (Projected: 8.56 FP)

The Jaguars had a BIG comeback win over the weekend when they defeated the Cowboys in overtime. The star of the show was Zay Jones who had a career day. The Jaguars WR caught six balls for 109 yards and three TDs. Zay caught a five-yard TD in the 2nd quarter, a 59-yard TD in the 3rd quarter and a three-yard TD in the 4th quarter which gave them their first lead. With Trevor Lawrence looking special, his WRs are sneaky pickups for the rest of the season.

TE DAWG Of The Week: George Kittle 25.30 FP

4 Receptions, 93 Receiving Yards, 2 Receiving TDs (Projected: 9.95 FP)

George Kittle had his best game of the year in the Week 15 win over the Seahawks. Kittle led the way with a 54-yard TD in the third quarter and a 28-yard TD in the first quarter. These performances make the 49ers TE a dangerous weapon to have in the fantasy playoffs. We hope you had him in the starting lineup this past week.

DEF/ST DAWG Of The Week: Indianapolis Colts 24 FP

35+ Points Allowed, 1 Blocked Kick, 1 Forced Fumble, 1 Fumble Recovery, 1 Defense TD, 2 Interceptions, 7 Sacks, 1 Special Teams TD (Projected: 5.88 FP)

The Indianapolis Colts played one of the weirdest games in the NFL. They lost a 33-0 lead at halftime yet still scored 24 FP. In the 1st quarter, the Colts blocked a punt and JoJo Domann returned it for a 24-yard Special Teams TD. Julian Blackmon returned a pick-6 for 17 yards and it became a 30 point game at that point. Zaire Franklin forced a fumble. Dayo Odeyingbo led the way with two sacks while five other Colts recorded a sack. This was a heck of a performance that will be remembered for a long time.

Thanks for reading! You can look forward to this series until the end of the season. You can check out the last installment of DAWGS Of Week 14.

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Quarterbacks

Gardner Minshew – QB Philadelphia Eagles

Out of the gate we start with some unfortunate news on Jalen Hurts. It looks like he suffered a shoulder strain that will keep him out for a couple weeks. If you’re a Hurts owner this is not the news you wanted heading into your crucial playoff game this weekend. In steps Gardner Minshew whom doesn’t have the same upside as Hurts but can put up solid numbers with all the talent around him.

Running Backs

Zack Moss – RB Indianapolis Colts

More unfortunate injuries this time at the running back position. Jonathan Taylor will officially be shut down for the season due to his high ankle sprain. The next man up appears to be Zack Moss as he totaled 24 carries in the loss to the Vikings for 81 yards. This development is a bit surprising as many expected Deon Jackson to step into that lead role. Jackson is still worth stashing but Moss is our top waiver priority for week 16.

Wide Receivers

Zay Jones – WR Jacksonville Jaguars

Zay Jones lit up the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday hauling in 3 touchdowns and 109 yards. The last 4 weeks he has seen a whopping 41 targets from his emerging QB Trevor Lawrence. If somehow Jones is available in your league you should prioritize picking him up. The Jaguars offense is getting hot at the right time and Jones should continue to soar.

Tight Ends

Dallas Goedert – TE Philadelphia Eagles

Goedert is getting set to come back off of IR and could be on track to play this weekend. More than likely he was dropped a while back when he suffered his shoulder injury. Goedert has shown he can put up solid fantasy numbers and if you need to stream a TE for your pivotal matchup this is the guy.

The post Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 16 appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Jake Rajala

The Jacksonville Jaguars inked the wide receiver Christian Kirk this off-season and it’s clear that he’s impressed big figures in the building up to this point. After Trevor Lawrence praised the former AZ Cardinals WR, Doug Pedersen spoke highly of Kirk, per SI. He stated, “He’s come in, he’s really one of the guys that guys that’s been here learning and picking up the offense.”

Kirk was a slight disappointment in his first three seasons, but he really blossomed in his fourth season. He had a career-high 77 receptions and a personal best of 982 yards last season. He will seemingly be the second (or third) most productive pure pass-catching weapon in Jacksonville. I expect Marvin Jones Jr. (who signed with the team the last off-season) to build stronger chemistry and unveil more success with his second-year QB.

Kirk will join a Jags WR room that boasts Laviska Shenault Jr, Zay Jones, and TE/WR Evan Engram. Shenault Jr. has been a modest WR, as he ousted 600+ yards in each of the past two seasons. Jones was an underrated addition and he recorded 546 yds (including a few big catches) for Derek Carr last season. Evan Engram (Pro Bowler in 2020) was a smart pick-up by Pedersen and he should finally show his true ability in Jacksonville. The former Eagles HC will use him in a similar way that he utilized Zach Ertz in Philly. It should also be noted that his QB has been a noticeably rough Daniel Jones (21 passing touchdowns in the past two seasons combined).

The 2021 rookie QB in Jacksonville ranked 17th in passing yards last season and 28th in passing touchdowns a season ago. It’s safe to say that Lawrence will significantly benefit from a few new receiving weapons (and a healthy Travis Etienne) and a far more impressive coach next season.

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The Detroit Lions had an unlimited fighting spirit and never-ending confidence in 2021. They finished 3-13, but they took positive strides with Dan Campbell and it’s clear they will continue to climb the ladder in 2022. The Lions have the 10th most cap space in the NFL and the second overall pick to help them make a lot of noise this offseason.

There are quite a few position groups that need to be improved, outside of the QB situation. I’d like to see the Lions continue to build around their QB spot. They drafted Penei Sewell in the 2021 Draft and I’d like to see them build up the OL and weapons around Goff this offseason, as well.

The 2022 NFL free agency is approaching and I’d love to see them add a free agent wide receiver. Here are a few WR free agent options that would make a ton of sense.

Christian Kirk

Christian Kirk would be a beautiful fit for Detroit and he could like the number of targets he would get in the Motor City. Kirk, who is 25 years young, is coming off a career season in receiving yards (982 yards) and receptions (77). It will be hard for the Cardinals to satisfy his aspirations as they currently have DeAndre Hopkins and Rondale Moore.

Amari Cooper

Amari Cooper will be hard to acquire when he most likely becomes a free agent, but I believe he is the most likely big-name WR to consider signing with the Lions. Cooper is still a very talented WR, but he was overpaid and playing in a stacked Cowboys offense for the past couple of years. Cooper ousted 865 yards and 8 touchdowns last season. The Lions should aim to break the bank for him and convince him they are heading in the right direction, too.

Zay Jones

The Las Vegas Raiders soon to be free agent Zay Jones is one of the biggest underrated gems in the free agent WR pool. The 26-year-old Jones recorded 546 yards in an offense with Darren Waller, Hunter Renfrow, and Desean Jackson last offseason. I believe he has the potential to be an 800+ yard receiver in Detroit. Jones would be a great signing for Detroit with or without a bigger free-agent WR signing.

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The secret is out: the Dallas Cowboys will likely release their star wide receiver, Amari Cooper. The Boys feel comfortable with pardoning the wideout, especially after carrying Ceedee Lamb, Michael Gallup, Dalton Schultz, and Ezekiel Elliot. The chances of retaining Gallup in 2022 took a boost after the recent Cooper news.

The Cowboys could retain Gallup and pair him with their talented wideout Lamb. I wouldn’t be shocked if Jerry wants his beloved NFC East squad to pick up a cheaper WR3 for his explosive offense. If they lose Gallup, they really need to ink a wideout in free agency. I expect them to re-sign Gallup and add another wideout. I wouldn’t be surprised if they try to sign a talented wide receiver, especially with Dak and Zeke in their prime. So, who could they sign? Well, here are a few free-agent wide receiver options for the Boys.

Zay Jones

The Raiders WR Zay Jones would be the ultimate value signing for Dallas. Jones is an ideal replacement on the outside for Cooper. He’s 27 years old, coming off a modest season of 546 yards, and he doesn’t have any injury concerns. Jones has never missed more than two games in a season. Jerry wouldn’t have to break the bank for Jones to say the least. The Raiders will likely sign JuJu or Tae, so Jones most likely won’t be returning to Sin City.

A.J. Green

The Cowboys would be able to resurrect A.J. Green’s career more than any other team on his wishlist. Green could take a short-term contract to play with Prescott, Zeke, and Lamb. If he wants to chase a Super Bowl and put up quality numbers, it would be wise for him to sign with Dallas. Green had 848 yards last season with Murray and I believe he can surely put up better numbers with Prescott.

Cordarrelle Patterson

Cordarrelle Patterson would be a nice, versatile addition to the Cowboys offense. The Tavon Austin experiment with the Cowboys wouldn’t come close to the success that Patterson could unleash with Dallas. Patterson had a career season in Atlanta, but Matt Ryan (and Calvin Ridley) could be gone in 2022. Outside of being a talented WR3 fit for Dallas, Patterson has been All-Pro in his career as a kick returner and he’s a special RB. He could be a supreme x-factor in pivotal playoff matchups.

Honorable mention:

JuJu Smith-Schuster

“never say never”

It would be a surprise if the Cowboys cut ties with Cooper and then made a splash signing at the WR position in free agency (outside of Gallup). Still, I could feel like Jerry would be tempted to sign a younger, talented wideout in the candy shop of free agency. The Cowboys want Prescott to win an MVP award and they really want to win a Super Bowl, while Zeke (and Dak) are in their prime. JuJu Smith-Shuster would be an intriguing signing. He’s also stated how he loves everything about Dallas.

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By: Malcolm McMillan

Football is finally, officially, back. No more wondering how things will shake out, how much the preseason mattered, etc. We now have real, in-season information to assess. Not that the preseason information was all bad. Some of it was actionable, like the trend of New Orleans Saints tight end Juwan Johnson as a receiving threat. Last week, I told you that stashing Johnson could outsmart your league-mates. Hopefully, you did exactly that, because Johnson finished as a top-5 fantasy football tight end in Week 1.

Did I predict that? Of course not. But, it proves that monitoring these deeper stashes gives you an edge over other fantasy football managers. You never know when these players will get the opportunity to shine. Take Detroit Lions wide receiver Trinity Benson, another player discussed in last week’s edition of this article. Benson surprised a lot of people in Week 1 by tying Quintez Cephus for the most targets amongst the Lions’ wide receivers. Benson now has a real opportunity to build on that target share in Week 2 with fellow Lions wide receiver Tyrell Williams out with a concussion.

Unfortunately, it is Week 2 now. This means savvy fantasy football managers have already added some of these breakouts and preseason sleepers to their rosters during the waivers process this week. Luckily, there are still some players out there in dynasty and deeper redraft leagues that have a reason to make their way onto your bench.

Kylin Hill (Running Back) Green Bay Packers

Dynasty managers are already familiar with Kylin Hill, the rookie out of Mississippi State. Given the positional scarcity, few running backs of any relevance stay under the radar. But, Hill is still available in over 30% of Sleeper leagues, and almost every ESPN and Yahoo league. Therefore, I felt it was good to highlight a running back you can pick up off of waivers or acquire cheaply that has some potential.

Drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the seventh round, Hill beat out multiple running backs to make the Packers’ 53-man roster as the RB3. He has a decent toolbox to pull from; he is explosive, has good athleticism (61st percentile SPARQ-X score), and is particularly useful in the passing game as a blocker and a receiver. This combination allows Hill to stay on the field when other RB3s may stay on the bench. He only saw two fewer offensive snaps than Packers RB2 AJ Dillon. Granted, zero of his five touches came before the Packers gave up and benched starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers, but it is still a positive sign. Given how potent the Packers rushing attack was last year in fantasy football, rostering a piece of that is valuable.

Trent Sherfield (Wide Receiver) San Francisco 49ers

Trent Sherfield made his presence known to most of America in Week 1 when he caught quarterback Trey Lance’s first regular-season pass for a touchdown. That is if they had not already discovered the San Francisco 49ers wide receiver when he caught an 80-yard bomb from Lance against the Kansas City Chiefs in the preseason. However, Niners fans had been hearing about the former Arizona Cardinals wide receiver all preseason. Just Google, “Trent Sherfield Niners Camp,” and you get weeks of articles and videos highlighting the rise of the speedy wide receiver.

But let us focus back on the two touchdowns. Yes, Sherfield had a great camp. Good enough even to get the nod over last year’s first-round pick Brandon Aiyuk as the WR2 in the 49ers offense in Week 1. But this team has tons of offensive weapons that can catch the ball. Aiyuk, wide receiver Deebo Samuel, and tight end George Kittle are all excellent options for any quarterback. However, it seems that Sherfield is specifically building a rapport with Trey Lance, who is theoretically the starting quarterback-in-waiting. In dynasty, that makes Sherfield a must-stash, especially in deeper leagues.

Zay Jones (Wide Receiver) Las Vegas Raiders

Has anyone ever had a quieter 12.6 PPR fantasy football point performance than Zay Jones? WR44 is not exactly special, but given that there has been some buzz around fellow Las Vegas Raiders wide receivers Hunter Renfrow and Bryan Edwards, why has there been no love for Jones?

Okay, okay. It is the target share, right? Or is it the snap share? Neither metric was great for Jones, who was eighth on the Raiders in targets and only say the field for 23% of their offensive snaps. However, he did score the game-winning touchdown, and his athleticism and speed make him a great downfield threat for Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr. In an ambiguous wide receiver group like the Raiders, that athleticism and speed could allow him to settle into a valuable role. Jones will likely never be an elite wide receiver, but he could prove to be fantasy-relevant for those in deeper fantasy football leagues.

The post Rolling In The Deep: Fantasy Football Stashes for Week 2 appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Dylan Bishop

The Raiders are now looking forward to the offseason after finishing with an 8-8 record this past season. They do have a superb roster, especially on offense. Nonetheless, this offseason is critical for Mike Mayock and Jon Gruden’s team, as they are looking to add pieces to the roster to hopefully solidify the Raiders as a playoff team for next season and the seasons to come. 

One of the first things to look at this offseason is the Raider’s own impending free agents to see if we should resign them or let them go. Here’s how I believe it should go. 

QB Nathan Peterman: Sign

Jon Gruden really likes Peterman as a QB. The Raiders do need depth so it’s a no brainer to bring him back on a cheap deal. 

HB Devontae Booker: Sign 

Booker played well as he was brought in to put less weight on the shoulders of Josh Jacobs. He did score three touchdowns this season, two of them in Week 10 against Denver. Expect him to be back as he won’t fetch a big price tag. 

HB Theo Riddick: Walk

Riddick rarely saw the field as the Raiders already have a solid third down receiving back in Jalen Richard. We just don’t need him. 

WR Nelson Agholor: Sign

Aghlolor was brought over last offseason from Philly on a prove it deal. He sure did prove it as he had a career year as he was one of Carr’s top targets as he almost had 900 receiving yards and 8 touchdowns. 

Especially with Ruggs being less productive, they need his stability. Bringing Agholor back should be one of the Raiders priorities this offseason as he will likely have a bigger price tag due to his breakout year. But a deal around seven mil/year would be totally worth it. 

WR Zay Jones: Walk

Zay Jones fell back in the depth chart after the additions at the WR position last offseason. The Raiders would likely let him go to give Ruggs, Agholor, Renfrow and Edwards more touches. 

TE Jason Witten: Walk

Witten was brought over from Dallas on a one year, four million dollar deal last season. He’ll likely retire as he should be a future hall of famer. But the Raiders can save a few million dollars and give more snaps to Foster Moreau if Witten leaves this offseason. 

TE Derek Carrier: Sign

Carrier is seldom used, but he’s a good enough tight end to bring back behind Waller and Moreau for our third stringer at the position. 

OL Denzelle Good: Sign 

Good played really well at both guard and tackle in place of the injuries sustained on the offensive line. He’s good enough to start but it would be a no brainer to bring him back. 

OL Sam Young: Walk

Young also had to play a lot, mostly at RT due to Trent Brown missing time. But he is 33 years old so the Raiders should let him walk and find someone younger to play backup on the offensive line. 

DE Takkarist McKinley: Keep

Gruden did say in an interview that McKinley would be part of the Raiders future plans on defense. Seems like they’re intending to keep him around.

DT Jonathan Hankins: Keep

Hankins is a big body guy to plug holes and to stop the run, as he played modest last season. The Raiders should bring him back on a short deal to compete for a roster spot. 

DT Maliek Collins: Walk

Collins followed Rod Marinelli over to Vegas to see if he could bolster the interior of the defensive line. He did miss time but when he was in, he played awful. It should be an easy decision to move on from Collins to find someone better. 

DT Kendal Vickers: Keep

Vickers came in and played well occasionally. He won’t be expensive and he’s young so it’s an easy decision to resign him. 

LB Raekweon McMillan: Walk

McMillan came over from Miami via trade. He didn’t see the field much as the Raiders have better LBs on the roster (Morrow, Kwaitkowski, Littleton). He’ll likely go somewhere else to compete for a spot. 

LB Nicholas Morrow: Keep

Morrow had a career year last offseason and he did it in the right time, his contract year. He earned it after his good play at linebacker. He was second on the team in sacks and was arguably one of the best coverage linebackers we had last season. 

LB Kyle Wilber: Keep

Wilber is a captain on the team and is a great special teamer. He will be back. 

CB Nevin Lawson: Walk

The Raiders have plenty of youth at corner needing playing time, as Lawson did not play well back there this season. Let him go. 

CB Daryl Worley: Walk

All of the reasons to let Worley go are the same for Lawson. Let the young guys get the playing time. 

S Erik Harris: Walk

Harris was one of the main problems on Vegas’s back end as he could not cover a single opposing receiver. Harris needs to walk for this defense to improve. He doesn’t deserve seeing the field. 

S Dallin Leavitt: Keep

Leavitt is mainly a special teams guy as he also played safety some towards the end of the year due to injury. It’s important to keep good special teamers around. He stays. 

K Daniel Carlson: Keep

Carlson had a great year, he broke Janikowski’s single season record of points scored and was named AFC special teams player of December. He deserves a new deal. 

LS Trent Sieg: Keep

Every team needs a long snapper. Sieg does the job. 

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