Fantasy Upside
A one-time high second-round pick for Buffalo who was up-and-down in three seasons each with the Bills and Raiders, Zay Jones proved dependable in his first season in Jacksonville in 2023. Jones set career bests for receptions, targets and yards, while his five touchdown catches were just two shy of his previous high, established in Buffalo in 2018. More than half of those TDs came in a Week 15 overtime win against Dallas, as Jones had eight catches for 109 yards and three scores. It marked his second 100-yard receiving game of the season and also featured his season's longest reception of 59 yards. Jones carried the ball only four times, and not after Week 16. It hardly mattered as Jones' development made him a deep threat for quarterback Trevor Lawrence, putting the Jaguars on track for a run to the AFC South crown and a frenetic wild-card victory against the Los Angeles Chargers. Worth noting: Jones was the WR31 in fantasy points per game last year, settling in as Lawrence's red zone favorite (12th-most red zone targets per Fantasy Pros).
Fantasy Downside
As Fantasy Pros put it, "Jones has an uphill battle this year if he hopes to get close to the 121 targets (18th-best) he saw last year." Indeed, the addition of Calvin Ridley will likely be a limiting factor for all the team's receiving assets.
2023 Bottom Line
While Jones will still be in the top-three rotation at wideout (although one could argue tight end Evan Engram might be ahead of him), it will be hard to view him as anything but a WR4 or WR5 for fantasy purposes this season barring the unforeseen.