When’s the last time you could say the New York Jets could have a viable passing game? When’s the last time you were interested in drafting a Jets wide receiver in fantasy football?
The Jets haven’t even been remotely interesting from a fantasy football perspective since 2015 when Ryan Fitzpatrick quarterbacked an offense featuring Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker at wide receiver.
That all could change in 2022. New York’s front office has – on paper – upgraded the weaponry around second-year quarterback Zach Wilson. If Wilson can take a step forward this season, New York’s offense could experience a rapid improvement similar to Cincinnati’s breakout last year.
So how do we sort out New York’s crowded and mostly unproven receiving corps? Let’s take a closer look.
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- A Closer Look at the Texans Running Backs
The Situation
After adding Corey Davis in free agency and drafting Wilson and Elijah Moore in the 2021 NFL Draft, New York’s passing offense saw marginal improvement. The Jets ranked 20th in passing yards, which is kind of impressive when you consider the following:
- The offense was led by a rookie in Wilson, who was lost at times and missed four games due to injury
- Mike White, Joe Flacco and Josh Johnson took snaps under center for the team in 2021
- Offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur was in his first year calling plays and dealt with growing pains
The Jets doubled down on giving Wilson as many weapons as possible. They re-signed slot receiver Braxton Berrios after a strong finish last season. Then, Gang Green added Ohio State wideout Garrett Wilson with the 10th overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.
Now, New York has a group of wideouts that bring a unique skill set to the offense. Davis serves as the possession, X-receiver. Moore has the highest ceiling of the bunch and can operate at all levels with field-stretching ability. Garrett Wilson needs to polish up as a route runner, but he’s got elite downfield speed and is a monster after the catch, a valuable trait in LaFleur’s offense. Finally, Berrios is a twitchy receiver who’s tough to cover in short spaces and could emerge as this year’s Hunter Renfrow.
The Candidates
Elijah Moore
If you’re looking for a Jets receiver who could break out and finish as a WR1, it’s Moore. His rookie season got off to a slow start because of an injury, but you saw Moore’s elite traits when he took the field and got his feet wet. Even more interesting, Moore was New York’s most targeted receiver despite playing just 11 games. He caught 43 of his 77 targets for 538 yards and a team-high five touchdowns.
Moore is a speedy, ultra-competitive receiver with really good hands. He likely profiles best as a slot weapon, but he could see more usage on the outside in his second season. He needs to be more efficient with his targets (some of that inefficiency was due to shoddy quarterback play) but the talent is evident. All Moore needs is a QB who can make him a star.
Our Expert Consensus Ranking (ECR) lists Moore as the WR29, which is essentially the market’s way of hedging its bet on Moore. He offers tantalizing upside as well as a scary floor if New York’s offense craters.
Garrett Wilson
The 10th overall pick is an immensely talented receiver who needs refinement and seasoning. He’s got blazing speed, great hands and excellent run-after-catch ability. He was highly productive in college, hauling in 70 passes for 1,058 yards and 12 touchdowns for the Buckeyes last season.
Where Wilson needs to improve is in his separation through route running. The fear is he will struggle to get off the line against bigger, longer and stronger NFL cornerbacks.
Developing those separation skills take time. Because of that, I have some trepidation in rostering Wilson in redraft formats. The ceiling is obvious, and a Wilson-to-Wilson connection would give the NYC tabloids so many back page headline options. But it might take some time. Wilson’s ranking as the WR48 makes sense, especially considering he won’t be the primary option in the offense like fellow rookies Drake London and Treylon Burks.
Corey Davis
Davis’ first season with the Jets was a gigantic disappointment. He only played in nine games, catching just 34 passes for 492 yards and four touchdowns. Davis drew the ire of Jets fans with his five drops, some of which came at terrible moments.
But Davis shouldn’t be fully judged based on a bad 2021 season. Just two years ago, he nearly posted 1,000 yards with the Titans. Davis isn’t good enough to be a true WR1 in New York’s offense, but he could present the safest floor among the team’s receiving corps. What’s also interesting is Davis posted a career-high 13.1 average depth of target.
The upside isn’t great, hence Davis’ WR62 ranking. But if he can stay healthy, he could be a steady WR3.
Braxton Berrios
Berrios will likely only be drafted in deeper formats, as evidenced by his WR86 ranking. Maybe I’m oversimplifying, but I get Hunter Renfrow vibes from Berrios if he gets the opportunity. The third-year wideout posted career highs in receptions and yards in 2021. He also finished the season strong, catching 20 passes for 180 yards and a touchdown in the final four games of the season.
If not for his strong finish, Berrios might never have gotten his 2-year, $12-million contract this offseason. However, it’s a smart investment for a Jets offense that needs as many diverse weapons as possible.
Berrios will likely operate as a short-yardage, middle-of-the-field safety valve for Zach Wilson. However, we just saw that role lead to a lucrative fantasy season from Renfrow, who posted 103 catches for 1,038 yards and nine touchdowns. Renfrow posted an average depth of target of 6.5 yards in 2021, while Berrios posted an ADOT of 5.1.
I’m not suggesting you spend draft capital on Berrios. But he could be someone worth adding on the waiver wire if New York’s offense takes flight.
If you want to dive deeper into fantasy football, check out our award-winning slate of Fantasy Football Tools as you navigate your season. From our Start/Sit Assistant – which provides your optimal lineup based on accurate consensus projections – to our Waiver Wire Assistant, which allows you to quickly see which available players will improve your team and how much – we’ve got you covered this fantasy football season.