Dede Westbrook

Week 2 at Houston Texans
With Nick Foles and Gardner Minshew at QB versus the Chiefs last week, Dede Westbrook was targeted six times, leading to five grabs for 30 yards and a score. While D.J. Chark and Chris Conley posted better numbers, Westbrook is a vital part of the Jacksonville passing attack, especially with the rookie Minshew now at the helm. The Texans allowed 370 yards by Drew Brees their opener, but they’ll be at home on Sunday, which could mean a tough outing for Minshew. Westbrook should be used as a WR3/flex option.

Fantasy Upside
According to Fansided.com's David Levin, despite the Jaguars adding depth at wide receiver and making changes at the tight end position, Dede Westbrook is still the team's top vertical threat. Jacksonville added Chris Conley in free agency, and they're banking on the eventual return of Marqise Lee, but if the Jaguars are going to get better in the passing game, Westbrook is going to be the leader of the pack. Levin believes it's Westbrook's versatility that should have new offensive coordinator John DeFilippo the most optimistic about the upcoming season. The good news, as CBSSports.com noted, DeFilippo actually wants to throw the football. More importantly, new QB Nick Foles is actually capable of doing exactly that. ESPN's Mike Clay notes that Westbrook handled a 22% target share as a rookie and a 21% share in 2018. Overall, he's averaged 6.4 targets per game.

Fantasy Downside
The downside is pretty obvious here: Even with Foles and DeFilippo on board, the Jaguars want to be a run-first, run-heavy offense. That's not going to change significantly even if they're more effective with the passes they do throw.

2019 Bottom Line
So how does all this jive with our ranking just outside the WR3 tier? It's all about the role. As ESPN's Matthew Berry pointed out, over the past two seasons (playoffs included), Foles has completed 70.1 percent of his slot passes with three times as many TDs as interceptions. Berry believes this should bode well for Westbrook, who was fourth in the NFL in targets from the slot last season and eighth in yards from the slot. It's a fair expectation.

Week 16 at Miami Dolphins

Outside of his electrifying 74-yard punt return that accounted for the Jaguars only TD last week versus the Redskins, Dede Westbrook had another forgettable performance. On five targets, he caught three passes for 21 yards, marking the eighth time in the past nine outings he’s failed to reach 50 receiving yards. It doesn’t matter who is at QB for the Jags, the offense just hasn’t been able to move the ball with consistency. For your fantasy playoffs, Westbrook is a risky start.