Jeffrey G. Pittenger-USA TODAY Sports
There are many teams reportedly interested in wide receiver DeSean Jackson, but his only set meeting is with the Washington Redskins.
Several teams were reportedly interested in Jackson when the Philadelphia Eagles were trying to trade him, but Washington never seemed like a landing spot for the young wide receiver. A 34-year old Santana Moss and Pierre Garcon are the main targets for the Redskins’ passing game, and tight end Jordan Reed should serve as another offensive weapon in 2014. With several players that could make an impact with a healthy Robert Griffin III, would fantasy football players find success with Jackson in Washington?
The first aspect of the offense that must be evaluated is the balance between the passing and rush attack. With Jay Gruden as the head coach, the Redskins’ game plan will try to have Alfred Morris and Roy Helu more involved in the passing game. Running back Giovani Bernard caught 56 passes for 514 receiving yards when Gruden was the offensive coordinator for the Cincinnati Bengals, so an increase in passing targets should be expected for the Redskins’ running backs. This may cut into the production of the other receivers, but the attack will be much more balanced and less focused on the run.
Quarterback Andy Dalton attempted 586 passes under his former offensive coordinator, so expect RG3 to have an increase in attempts from his previous two seasons. Obviously the more passing attempts, the more chances Jackson will have to score and gain yardage.
While Jackson will face competition for fantasy points from the other receivers, he should still be able to remain fantasy relevant if he signed with the Redskins. Jackson is able to burn most defenders on any given play, and he will especially be difficult to cover if RG3 is dancing around all over the field. The young receiver has obviously played with a mobile quarterback before, so he will be able to quickly find a rapport with his new signal caller.
This may not be an absolute perfect fit, but it is still better than most of the other teams that have expressed interest in Jackson. The former Eagle will benefit from having a coach who has played quarterback and knows how to connect with wide receivers, and he has a talented young quarterback at his disposal. Jackson would also want to punish the NFC East, and he has the potential for two huge games against his former team.
With the Redskins, Jackson can finish as a top-15 receiver. He isn’t going to be the highest scoring player on your team, but he will have a few big games from week to week. Drafting him before the sixth round would be severely overreaching for him, so anytime after that would be a good use of a draft pick.
Don’t be scared away from Jackson if he signs with the Redskins, but make sure you know where to draft him if you plan on adding him to your roster in August.
Jack Delaney is fantasy football writer for www.Rantsports.com. You can follow him on Twitter @jackbmore13, “Like” him on Facebook, or add him to your network on Google.
