Fantasy Football Player Notes

There were flashes of what could be an alpha wide receiver in Chark last year, but there were also times where he disappeared. For example, he had six games of 15-plus fantasy points, but he also had eight games with less than nine fantasy points. Is it reasonable for him to grow as a player? Yes. Is there now a bit more competition for targets on the roster? Yes. With the shortened offseason, it will be difficult to learn a new playbook, especially for rookies like second-round pick Laviska Shenault. Because of that, Gardner Minshew will likely be looking Chark's way a lot. With a schedule that starts with the Colts, Titans, Dolphins, Bengals, Texans, and Lions, Chark should have a monster first half of the fantasy season. There are much tougher matchups as the season goes on, however, but drafting Chark as a low-end WR2 with upside in the fifth round makes sense. But again, you may want to look at the possibility of trading him during his bye in Week 7.

Of the top of your head, do you know how many receivers received 100-plus targets last year? 30. Westbrook was one of them. There's a new offense being installed, but Westbrook should fit Jay Gruden's offense quite well. Remember Jamison Crowder while in Washington? Has seasons with 103 and 99 targets, so it's definitely in reach. We did hear that Gruden plans to use D.J. Chark in the slot a bit more, which tells us that Westbrook won't be pigeonholed into the slot role that he's been the last couple years. Westbrook has real speed on the perimeter and could be more than just a target-heavy slot receiver. We know that second-round pick Laviska Shenault had core muscle surgery this offseason which might put him behind the learning curve, and it's not like the Jaguars have any allegiance to Chris Conley, so it's possible that Westbrook is the 2020 version of Jamison Crowder in 2019 (finished as the WR31) with more vertical play upside. The best part is that you can grab him with one of your last picks and find out almost immediately.

Not many realize just how good of a year Conley had in 2019, racking up 90 targets, 47 receptions, 775 yards, and five touchdowns. It may not matter, though. The Jaguars drafted his eventual replacement in Laviska Shenault in the second round of the NFL Draft, so it's only a matter of time before Conley is booted from the starting lineup. Shenault did have offseason core muscle surgery, so it's possible Conley can hold him to start the year, but that's far from a guarantee.