Fantasy Football Player Notes

For the sixth time in the last seven weeks, Etienne has finished as a top 12 RB on the week. His three-touchdown performance overshadowed his abysmal 12 carries for 32 yards on the ground last week. Instead, he made his hay with three receptions that all went for touchdowns and combined for 73 yards. With Bayshul Tuten set to miss the next few weeks after receiving surgery on his finger, Etienne is one of the true bell cow RBs down the stretch. Unfortunately, the stretch starts with a tough matchup against the Broncos. Although Jacobs found success on limited work last week against the Broncos, they are allowing the eighth-fewest fantasy points to the position since Week 10.

Patrick Surtain will shadow Jakobi Meyers or Brian Thomas Jr. this week. Who will it be? That's a great question. Considering how integral Meyers has been to the Jags' passing attack since his arrival, I do lean that it'll be Meyers, but I could easily be wrong about that. Since Week 11, Meyers has been the WR19 in fantasy points per game with a 23.9% target share, 62.8 receiving yards per game, 2.26 yards per route run, and a 29.6% first-read share. In those five games, Meyers has had six red zone targets and one deep target. Surtain has shadowed six times this season, following A.J. Brown, Calvin Ridley, Quentin Johnston, Terry McLaurin, Christian Watson, and Ja'Marr Chase on 64.3-94.7% of their routes. Only McLaurin scored a touchdown with Surtain in tow, and none of those receivers surpassed 61 receiving yards in his coverage. Fade Meyers this week.

Since Week 13, Brian Thomas Jr. has had two top 24 wide receiver weekly finishes (WR23, WR15) while seeing a 17.8% target share with 60.3 receiving yards, 2.21 yards per route run, and a 26.2% first-read share. During this three-game stretch, he has had a 21.0 aDOT, and 50% of his targets have been downfield. This isn't the matchup to consider flexing Brian Thomas Jr. Since Week 9, Denver has allowed the eighth-lowest deep ball completion rate and the fourth-lowest passer rating to downfield passing. If that doesn't scare you, then I'll also add that since Week 10, Denver has allowed the 12th-fewest PPR points per target to perimeter wide receivers.

Since Week 12, Brenton Strange has had two TE1 weekly finishes (TE4, TE7). In his last four games, Strange has had a 15% target share, 47.8 receiving yards per game, 2.08 yards per route run, and a 14.5% first-read share with five red zone targets and four deep targets. Strange should produce as a TE1 again this week, and he could lead the Jags' passing attack. Since Week 9, Denver has allowed the third-most receiving yards and the fifth-most fantasy points per game to tight ends.

Last week, in his return to the lineup, Parker Washington split the slot role with Tim Patrick. Washington had only a 52.8% route share, a 9.4% target share, and a 9.5% first-read share. Washington is droppable at this point. He's not worth holding on a roster with the Jags' passing offense at full strength and his role trending downward.