X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

Fantasy Spin - DeSean Jackson to Bucs

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers had a glaring need for a No. 2 wide receiver, and they spent millions to fill it.

DeSean Jackson has taken his fleet feet to Tampa Bay. Now, the Buccaneers look like one of the most explosive and fantasy-friendly passing attacks in the NFL. With Jameis Winston at quarterback, top-5 fantasy wideout Mike Evans as his top target, 2016 breakout star Cameron Brate at tight end and the newly-signed Jackson acting as the home run threat, the Bucs are an offense filled with fantasy forces.

Jackson signed a three-year deal with Tampa Bay, and the ramifications will be felt throughout the fantasy football world. Here is a look at how the fantasy futures of Jackson, his new teammates and his old teammates will be affected by his signing.

 

DeSean Jackson's Impact in Tampa Bay

Jackson was able to post two 1,000-yard years in three seasons with the Washington Redskins, even though he had to share targets with talented tight end Jordan Reed, fellow veteran wideout Pierre Garcon and several other pass catchers. He was targeted 100 times last season for only the second time in five years.

While Jackson is showing no signs of slowing down, Father Time is not known for being considerate towards speedsters in their 30s. Sooner or later Jackson will lose some life in his legs, and that will spell curtains for his fantasy worth when it happens. Since Jackson does not have size to fall back on (5’10”, 175 lbs) and is not a touchdown compiler (averaged five TD per year over nine seasons), his fantasy stock could plummet rapidly whenever he loses a step.

When Jackson was with the Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Redskins, he was either the No. 1 WR or was neck-and-neck with another wideout for the title, with Jeremy Maclin in Philadelphia and Garcon in Washington. But now he is the clear No. 2 behind Evans in Tampa. Getting 100 targets will not be easy with Evans swallowing up so many. Winston and the Bucs will have to air it out a ton for Jackson to get the same opportunities he has had in other offenses

Jackson projects to be a 50-catch, 900-yard guy with five touchdowns in 2017 in my mind. While Evans will free him up against man-to-man coverage and create chances for him downfield, Evans will also cut into his targets and receptions because Evans is the centerpiece of the offense. Jackson will still be good in distance leagues where 50-yard scores get fantasy owners bonus points, but he will be a WR you will have to spot start in fantasy leagues, not one you can use on a weekly basis.

 

How Will This Affect Other Players?

Jameis Winston has improved steadily since his rookie campaign and should elevate his game (and his fantasy value) to a higher level in 2017 with another year of experience under his helmet and with Jackson making Winston’s receiving corps the best he has had to work with during his short career.

When Evans was double-covered by intelligent defenses last season, Winston was stuck checking down to Brate or having to settle for short passes to slot receiver Adam Humphries. Now Winston has Jackson available for crossing patterns and seam routes that could translate into large chunks of quick yardage and some long touchdown tosses for Winston.

Winston’s trajectory is one where a 4,500-yard season with 30 touchdown passes is very likely this upcoming season. Having Jackson as part of his receiving crew, especially if the Bucs don’t stop there and add another weapon, will definitely help Winston’s fantasy value rise. Winston should go from a top-15 fantasy QB to a top-10 fantasy QB in 2017.

Evans was targeted more often than any receiver in the NFL in 2016. While Jackson is not a receiver who needs a high volume of targets to rack up yards because of his big-play ability, there is no doubt he will eat into Evans’ target total slightly.

With Jackson on the other side of the field keeping defenses honest due to his deep speed, Evans should find fewer double teams to fight through and more room to run free in opposing secondaries. So even if he is targeted fewer times, that will be evened out by the fact that Winston and he should connect more often when passes head Evans’ direction. Another 90-catch, 1,300-yard season with a dozen touchdowns is very likely for him.

The offseason has been very interesting for the Kirk Cousins. He was franchise-tagged for the second year in a row and was probably the main cause for Washington’s front office dissension, which ultimately led to general manager Scot McCloughan getting ousted. Have you ever seen an organization have less confidence in an above-average quarterback who almost threw for 5,000 yards last year?  Do they actually want Colt McCoy running the offense?  Or worse, Jay Cutler?

Cousins and his Redskins have lost Garcon and Jackson to free agency, but the team signed 1,000-yard Terrelle Pryor to a contract and still have talented tight end Jordan Reed and young receivers Jamison Crowder and Josh Doctson in the fold, so Cousins still has explosive weapons to work with (especially if the oft-injured Reed and Doctson can stay on the field for a change). Losing Jackson does not help Cousins’ fantasy value, but thanks to Pryor it should not change very much if at all.

Keep tabs on Rotoballer's NFL page for the latest reaction and analysis to free agent moves in order to stay ahead of the game.




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Jordan Kyrou25 mins ago

Tallies Three Points On Sunday
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins28 mins ago

Dishes Out Three Helpers
Cale Makar37 mins ago

Tallies Three Points On Sunday
Dmitry Kulikov43 mins ago

Injured On Sunday
NASCAR3 hours ago

Bubba Wallace Wrecked at Las Vegas, but Showed Promising Speed
Alex Bowman3 hours ago

Recovered From Loose Wheel to Finish Seventh
Austin Cindric3 hours ago

Won Stage 1, but Loose Wheel Foiled Victory Bid
William Byron3 hours ago

Lost Las Vegas Race on Strategy, but Still Expanded Points Lead
Ryan Preece3 hours ago

Earned Best Career Non-Drafting Oval Finish at Las Vegas
Mookie Betts8 hours ago

Won't Play In Tokyo Series Against Cubs
Tee Higgins8 hours ago

Becomes Highest-Paid WR2 In NFL History
Ja'Marr Chase8 hours ago

Bengals Make Ja'Marr Chase The Highest-Paid Non-QB In NFL History
Brandin Podziemski8 hours ago

On Track To Return Tuesday
Christian Braun9 hours ago

Tagged As Probable On Injury Report
Aaron Gordon9 hours ago

Listed As Questionable For Monday
Jamal Murray9 hours ago

Iffy For Monday
Nikola Jokić9 hours ago

Nikola Jokic May Sit Out Meeting With Warriors
Quinten Post9 hours ago

Uncertain For Monday
Stephen Curry9 hours ago

Questionable To Play On Monday
Vince Williams Jr.11 hours ago

Returning On Monday
Coby White11 hours ago

Tagged As Probable For Monday
Josh Giddey11 hours ago

Doubtful For Monday
Gary Trent Jr.11 hours ago

Cleared For Sunday
Scotty Pippen Jr.11 hours ago

Listed As Questionable For Monday
Ja Morant11 hours ago

Won't Play Monday
Aaron Nesmith11 hours ago

Questionable Versus Minnesota
Tyrese Haliburton11 hours ago

On The Injury Report For Monday Night
Michael Tonkin11 hours ago

Will Open Season On Injured List
Aaron Wiggins12 hours ago

Returns To Action Against Bucks
Michel Otañez12 hours ago

Michel Otanez Shut Down From Throwing
Myles Turner12 hours ago

Questionable Against Minnesota
Kyle Kuzma12 hours ago

Ready To Play Sunday
Pascal Siakam12 hours ago

Won't Play On Monday
Damian Lillard12 hours ago

Good To Go Sunday
Giannis Antetokounmpo12 hours ago

Available Against OKC
Brandon Marsh12 hours ago

Exits Early Sunday
Royce Lewis12 hours ago

Expected To Begin 2025 On Injured List
Miami Dolphins12 hours ago

Ryan Stonehouse Signs With Dolphins
Sam Darnold12 hours ago

Could Opt Out After One Season
Mark Andrews13 hours ago

Unlikely To Be Cut
Igor Shesterkin13 hours ago

Remains In Rangers Crease Sunday
John Gibson14 hours ago

Still Out On Sunday
Nick Bjugstad14 hours ago

Returns For Utah Sunday
Filip Chytil14 hours ago

Questionable For Sunday
Jiri Kulich14 hours ago

In Concussion Protocol
Adam Pelech14 hours ago

Out On Sunday
Zach Hyman14 hours ago

A Game-Time Call Sunday
Bailey Falter14 hours ago

Ready To Go For Monday
Yu Darvish15 hours ago

Dealing With Fatigue
Clarke Schmidt15 hours ago

Won't Start On Monday
Mark Leiter Jr.15 hours ago

Should Be Ready For Opening Day
David Bednar15 hours ago

Not Officially Named Closer
Yoán Moncada15 hours ago

Yoan Moncada Could Land On Injured List
Atlanta Falcons16 hours ago

Keith Taylor Signs With Falcons
Atlanta Falcons16 hours ago

Storm Norton Back With Atlanta
Ronnie Rivers16 hours ago

Re-Ups With Rams
Mason Adams17 hours ago

Diagnosed With Flexor Strain
Joey Gallo17 hours ago

White Sox Release Joey Gallo
Sean Burke17 hours ago

Named Opening Day Starter
Jung Hoo Lee17 hours ago

Expected To Remain Sidelined For A Few Days
Max Kepler17 hours ago

Exits Early On Sunday After Collision
Eiberson Castellano17 hours ago

Could Win Bullpen Job
Kyle Freeland18 hours ago

Rockies Name Kyle Freeland Their Starter For Opening Day
Royce Lewis18 hours ago

Exits Early On Sunday
Ramón Urías18 hours ago

Ramon Urias Expected To Return On Thursday
Emmanuel Rivera18 hours ago

Dealing With Sore Shoulder
New York Jets19 hours ago

Derrick Nnadi Signing With Jets
Washington Commanders19 hours ago

Eddie Goldman Joins Commanders On One-Year Deal
Cooper Rush19 hours ago

Agrees On Two-Year Deal With Ravens
Baltimore Ravens22 hours ago

Ben Cleveland Remaining With Ravens
Seattle Seahawks22 hours ago

Shemar Jean-Charles Signing With Seahawks
Velus Jones Jr.22 hours ago

Signs With Saints
Christopher Bell23 hours ago

Quest For Four Wins In A Row Just Got More Difficult
Kyle Larson23 hours ago

Should Contend For Another Win At Las Vegas
Ryan Blaney23 hours ago

Once Again The Chalk DFS Pick At Las Vegas
Ross Chastain23 hours ago

Fastest In Practice At Las Vegas
Chris Buescher23 hours ago

Has Sneaky Upside This Weekend
Quinton Byfield24 hours ago

Scores In Sixth Straight Contest
Chase Elliott1 day ago

May Be A Sneaky DFS Option For Las Vegas Lineups
Artemi Panarin1 day ago

Extends Point Streak To Eight Games
Pyotr Kochetkov1 day ago

Shuts The Door On Flyers On Saturday
William Byron1 day ago

Expect William Byron To Compete For The Win At Las Vegas
Tyler Reddick1 day ago

Is One Of The Top DFS Options For Las Vegas
Anthony Cirelli1 day ago

Strikes Twice On Saturday
Denny Hamlin1 day ago

Could Denny Hamlin Be A Quality Driver For DFS At Las Vegas?
Alex Ovechkin1 day ago

Scores Goal, Adds Assist In Victory
Connor Dewar1 day ago

Scores Twice On Saturday
NASCAR1 day ago

Bubba Wallace Could Be A Solid DFS Option For Las Vegas
Brad Keselowski1 day ago

Qualifies Deep In The Field For Las Vegas
Erik Jones1 day ago

Is Erik Jones Worth Rostering At Las Vegas This Week?
Daniel Suarez1 day ago

Should Fantasy Managers Roster Daniel Suarez At Las Vegas?
Carson Hocevar1 day ago

Showcases Speed And Can Be Worth Rostering At Las Vegas
Ryan Preece1 day ago

Is Ryan Preece A DFS Fade For Las Vegas Lineups?
Joey Logano1 day ago

Likely To Lead At Las Vegas, But Will He Lead Enough For DFS Consideration?
Jordan Mason1 day ago

Vikings Acquire Jordan Mason From 49ers, Sign Him To Two-Year Deal
Dee Eskridge1 day ago

Sticking With Dolphins
JuJu Smith-Schuster2 days ago

Returning To Chiefs
Tennessee Titans2 days ago

Chidobe Awuzie Released By Titans
Parris Campbell2 days ago

Headed To Dallas
Jiri Kulich2 days ago

Sustains An Upper-Body Injury Saturday
Tyler Myers2 days ago

Set To Return Against Blackhawks
Nikita Kucherov2 days ago

Good To Go Against Bruins
Yegor Chinakhov2 days ago

Rejoins Blue Jackets Lineup Saturday
Philadelphia Eagles2 days ago

Patrick Johnson Rejoins Philadelphia
Los Angeles Rams2 days ago

Larrell Murchison Back With The Rams
Roman Dolidze3 days ago

Set For A Rematch
Marvin Vettori3 days ago

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Chidi Njokuani3 days ago

Looks For His Third Win In A Row
Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos3 days ago

Looks For His 12th UFC Win
Kurt Holobaugh3 days ago

An Underdog At UFC Vegas 104
Alexander Hernandez3 days ago

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Cody Gibson3 days ago

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
Da'Mon Blackshear3 days ago

A Favorite At UFC Vegas 104
Brendson Ribeiro3 days ago

Searching For Second UFC Win On Saturday
Diyar Nurgozhay3 days ago

Set To Make His UFC Debut
MMA3 days ago

Seung Woo Choi In Dire Need Of Victory
Kevin Vallejos3 days ago

Makes Debut At UFC Vegas 104
Jacob Bridgeman5 days ago

Use Caution For Jacob Bridgeman At TPC Sawgrass
Nicolai Hojgaard5 days ago

Looks To Stay Consistent Heading Into PLAYERS Championship
Karl Vilips5 days ago

Makes PLAYERS Championship Debut After First PGA Tour Win
Taylor Pendrith5 days ago

A Sneaky Play At TPC Sawgrass
Sahith Theegala5 days ago

Out Of Form Ahead Of The PLAYERS Championship
Matt Fitzpatrick5 days ago

A Shaky Play Heading Into PLAYERS
Scottie Scheffler5 days ago

Eyeing Three-Peat At TPC Sawgrass
Aldrich Potgieter5 days ago

A Risky Play At TPC Sawgrass
Si Woo Kim5 days ago

Looks To Keep Building Momentum At The PLAYERS
Denny McCarthy5 days ago

Looks To Continue Solid Play At TPC Sawgrass
Collin Morikawa5 days ago

Poised For Another Strong Performance At TPC Sawgrass
Robert MacIntyre5 days ago

A Risky Play With Upside At The PLAYERS Championship
Jordan Spieth5 days ago

Looking To Change Fortunes At TPC Sawgrass
Cameron Young5 days ago

Avoid Cameron Young At The PLAYERS Championship
Michael Kim5 days ago

Continues Incredible Form Ahead Of The PLAYERS Championship
Justin Thomas5 days ago

Looking For More Magic At TPC Sawgrass
Xander Schauffele5 days ago

Continues Competitive Return At The Players Championship
Rory McIlroy5 days ago

Looks To Reverse Recent History At TPC Sawgrass
PGA5 days ago

Victor Hovland Looking To Find Form At The PLAYERS Championship
Brian Harman5 days ago

A Sleeper Pick At The PLAYERS Championship
Min Woo Lee6 days ago

A Hard Name To Trust At The Players Championship
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF