May 23, 2019

After years apart due to the ineptitude of Chip Kelly, DeSean Jackson finally returns home to Philadelphia for the 2019 season. This should mean good things, not only for Jackson but for Carson Wentz and the Eagles offense which has been lacking a deep threat in recent seasons. Jackson may be getting older but even entering his age 32 season, he is still one of the faster players in the league and Carson Wentz can throw a very accurate deep ball. That trait should lead to some touchdowns for the duo. In 153 career games, Jackson has caught 53 touchdowns, an average of one every three games. This continued last season when he had four in 12 games. All of those touchdowns in 2018 came with Ryan Fitzpatrick under center, another quarterback with a good deep ball. Jackson will never be a high volume receiver and therefore should not be in consideration as a WR1 or even a WR2 for fantasy teams. However, his potential for catching deep balls and touchdowns makes him a perfect play as a WR3 or flex option. Although only catching 41 passes last season, Jackson was able to turn these catches into 774 yards. That 18.9 yards per catch average is on par with his career average of 17.4, meaning this was not a mirage as it can often be for some players who obtain this mark for just a season or two. If Jackson finds his connection with Wentz in a Philadelphia offense with weapons like Alshon Jeffery and Zach Ertz taking most of the coverages, Jackson should finish with 65 to 70 receptions for 1,000 yards. If he is able to play in all 16 games he has the potential to reach 10 touchdowns on the season. If these numbers are close to the production achieved by Jackson, he will far surpass his current draft price of WR55 in the 12th round. At this price, there is no risk in taking Jackson and with his upside being that of a WR3, he is a great value. In standard leagues, his value is even higher, as he will not require the high volume to achieve the same yardage as some other possession receivers, thus making him a great late round value. Do not avoid DeSean Jackson in drafts. Instead target him and he will help you win at least one or two games this year.--Dominick Petrillo - RotoBaller