Dede Westbrook (WR, JAX) - Week 6 Waiver Wire Pickups

October 9, 2018

Jacksonville wide receiver (WR) Dede Westbrook is a waiver wire pickup and add target for Week 6 of the 2018 NFL season. Brady Grove recommends Westbrook for his big-play capabilities out of the Jaguar receiving core, as demonstrated by his improving YPR.

BALLER MOVE: Add in 10-Team PPR Leagues

OWNED IN: 52% of Leagues

ANALYSIS: The Jacksonville Jaguars offense has been nicely bolstered this season by the presence of a few key emergent receivers, and at the forefront of that movement so far has been Dede Westbrook. The Jags passing game has been relatively strong so far in the 2018 campaign with Blake Bortles currently ranking tenth in the NFL with 305 passing yards per contest, and Westbrook has been a significant benefactor (or is it vice versa?). Though he ranks third on the team in total targets (33) behind Donte Moncrief and Keelan Cole, he has nabbed a team-leading 24 receptions for an also team-leading 349 receiving yards. The drawback currently to deploying Westbrook is his TD-potential. Moncrief and T.J. Yeldon have cornered most of the touchdown-market through both big-play opportunities and red-zone targets, while Westbrook has yet to receive a target in the red-zone with the bulk of his receiving contributions coming in Jaguar territory.

However, this shouldn't detract too heavily from Westbrook's value on the field. He has been seeing a healthy volume of targets from Bortles and passes have been sticking to his hands like glue (he boasts a 72.7% success rate). His lack of use in the red-zone may not keep him out of the end-zone as long as it appears from the surface. Though Moncrief is a specialized deep-threat, Westbrook has put up a 62-yard reception this year with a 14.5 Y/R which actually ranks slightly ahead of Moncrief. This seems to indicate enough big-play potential in conjunction with his frequent usage to give credence to the idea that he'll find himself scoring soon. Dede Westbrook may not be the receiving option that Blake Bortles has targeted the most, but he has certainly been the most effective receiver on the Jaguars roster so far this season. With the efficiency that he is catching passes with and the frequency that he is seeing opportunities of large reward, he is a great option moving immediately forward in PPR leagues on the more shallow side.