Will Brandon Marshall continue to produce like a WR1?
New York Jets wideout Brandon Marshall became the first Jet since 1988 to have three-consecutive 100-yard receiving games. Marshall has been the best weapon New York has had since Al Toon in 1988 and has been treated like a star in his first season with Gang Green.
Marshall entered Week 5 as the fifth-best fantasy receiver with an average of 14 points per game. Marshall has more than exceeded his value given his average draft position. The question is whether Marshall can continue to put up stellar numbers with Ryan Fitzpatrick throwing him the ball. Although the Jets don’t look flashy on paper, Marshall should be able to finish as a WR1 by season’s end.
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Marshall has 30 receptions for 400 yards and three touchdowns in four games with the Jets this season. He has been targeted 43 times and reeled in nearly 70 percent of those targets. Marshall is on pace for 120 catches, 1,600 yards and 12 touchdowns. Each of those projections would be career highs for the veteran wideout.
Chances are Marshall won’t reach these insane projections, but he shouldn’t finish too far off. Marshall has been targeted 24 more times than New York’s second leading receiver, Eric Decker. The Jets lack any real threats in the passing game aside from Marshall and Decker. Together, the Jets have a good receiving tandem, but Decker’s health and inconsistency has limited his numbers through the first four games.
Fitzpatrick worries fantasy owners, but he certainly hasn’t inhibited Marshall this year. Fitzpatrick has gone at Marshall early and often. The fact that Marshall has caught almost 70 percent of his targets proves that the opportunities are coming in bunches and that the connection between the two is very strong.
Fantasy owners should not feat a regression from Marshall. He is the top option in an offense that is limited in the playmaking department. Marshall is still incredibly talented despite being shipped away from Chicago for a fifth-round draft pick this offseason. Marshall is a WR1 for the rest of the season.
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Matt Barbato is a correspondent at FantasyPros. For more from Matt, you can view his archive or follow him @realmattbarbato.
