Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports
As a diehard Green Bay Packers fan, I can fully sympathize with the desire to load up your Fantasy team with members of your favorite squad, especially if you are playing in a free league. But any way you slice it, there is simply no way wide receiver James Jones will repeat his fluke season last year, when he led all NFL receivers with 14 touchdowns receptions.
Don’t get me wrong, I love watching Jones haul-down perfect passes from Aaron Rodgers as much as the next cheesehead. As far as third receivers go, he’s about as good as you’ll find in this league. Even so, there’s simply no way he’ll come close to 14 touchdowns this year; I’d be shocked if he reached 10. His 14 touchdowns came on just 64 receptions, meaning that a whopping one out of every four passes he caught was for a touchdown. Those numbers simply don’t match any other season of his career.
Additionally, Jordy Nelson, who averaged 15.2 yards per reception last year, will always be the primary deep threat for the Pack. Jones is an excellent receiver on throws of 10-20 yards, but Nelson is the guy who gets those big plays that can swing your Fantasy matchup.
Moreover, Jones may be overshadowed not only by Nelson and fellow wide receiver Randall Cobb, but this may be the year Jermichael Finley makes a huge leap forward. Finley has been fantastic in the preseason, particularly last week against the Saint Louis Rams when he racked up 78 yards on four catches in limited action.
Finally, it looks like coach Mike McCarthy is going to make a concerted effort at establishing the run this year, which makes perfect sense as the Pack has been eliminated two years in a row by teams who refused to respect Green Bay’s ground game. Eddie Lacy has shown promise, and if the running game gets going, it spells fewer receptions for Jones.
James Jones is a huge asset for the Packers, but you shouldn’t expect him to do wonders for your Fantasy team. He’s an acceptable bench player if he falls to a low round in your draft. But other than that, it wouldn’t be wise to make him a crucial part of your team.
Tony Baker is a Los Angeles Angels writer for Rant Sports. You can follow him on Twitter at @tonloc_baker and on Google.
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