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Jacksonville Jaguars 2014 Fantasy Football Preview
The Jags are a team on the rise after showing energy and improved play over the second half of the 2013 season. With high hopes for top draft choice Blake Bortles, the fortunes of a downtrodden franchise might finally be turning in the right direction.
Jacksonville Jaguars Quarterbacks
It’s going to be tough to hold the reigns back on the up and coming rookie Bortles. He has looked as good or better than the veteran signal caller Chad Henne. However, head coach Gus Bradley seems to be determined to let the youngster sit and learn for the first few games of the upcoming season.
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In fantasy football terms, Henne is looked at as a bottom tier option. Throughout his career, Henne has averaged over one interception for every touchdown he has thrown with a 300-yard performance thrown in every once in awhile. In standard drafts Henne will be an undrafted free agent and only a viable option in deep 2 quarterback leagues or super flex positions.
Bortles is an interesting sleeper, but you should take a more of a wait and see approach due to his uncertain status. Average offensive weapons and the NFL learning curve should temper expectations when he finally takes over.
Jacksonville Jaguars Running backs
In the offseason, Jacksonville’s all time leading rusher Maurice Jones-Drew left for Oakland leaving a hole at the running back position. The replacement is Adrian Peterson’s long time back up Toby Gerhart.
Currently, Gerhardt is on the fringe of the top 20 runners for 2014. This might be generous considering backs with more upside like Bishop Sankey and Ryan Matthews will likely still be available. Last year Gerhardt averaged a startling 7.9 yards per carry for Minnesota, but the Jags were only able to free up Drew for a below average 3.4. The change of teams and systems may not be kind to Gerhardt. In his last preseason tune up, he only totaled 19 yards on 6 carries.
Jacksonville Jaguars Wide Receivers
With the suspension of Justin Blackmon, the receiving core revolves around Cecil Shorts and the rookie Marqise Lee. It should be noted that while the Jags passing game is suspect, the quarterbacks have clicked much better than in the past.
Shorts is considered the number one option at this point and will come off the board in the later rounds. A recent hamstring injury has limited him in the preseason making it hard to gauge his chemistry with the quarterbacks.
After dropping in the draft, Lee may fly under the radar. He was a star at USC and has big play potential. Keep an eye on him in the early going; he may make a push for significant targets in the Jags offense.
Jacksonville Jaguars Defense
Imitation is the greatest form of flattery. Jacksonville hired former Seahawk defensive coordinator Gus Bradley to employ the system he learned in the Northwest. It may take time, but the Jags will be better by years end in this area. They are probably not even a late pick option even in deep leagues, but I think they may offer a few surprises.
