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Salvatore Marcoccio | Archive | Email |
Staff Writer


2016 Player Outlooks: New York Jets
8/2/16


QB Ryan Fitzpatrick
(2015 QB Rank - No.11, 22.4 Fpts/G)

After an arduous contract battle, Ryan Fitzpatrick returns to the New York Jets and to the offensive coordinator who has helped guide his most successful seasons, Chan Gailey. Shockingly, Fitzpatrick is now the Jets’ record holder for touchdown passes in a single season (31), which doubles a career high. He also achieved a career high with 3,905 passing yards while showing some of that #FitzMagic by adding 270 yards and two scores with his 33 year-old legs. While his raw numbers looked fantastic the truth is he was lucky to escape with only 15 interceptions, as many potential INTs were dropped by opposing defenses. He also benefited from his wide receivers more than any quarterback in the league. The Amish Rifle would often put the ball into tight windows and allow Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker to use their size and strength advantages to come away with the reception.

While the Jets will face a far more difficult schedule this year, it’s unlikely that Fitz’ numbers will suffer all that much since he’ll still have Marshall and Decker to rely on and will add a healthy Jace Amaro and veteran running back Matt Forte to his arsenal of weapons in the passing game. Fitzpatrick has his limitations due to his weak arm but has mastered Gailey’s quarterback friendly system and knows that he can rely on his guys to make plays. Fantasy Football owners that like to take a QBBC approach should strongly consider Fitz in the later rounds, as his floor, barring injury, is fairly high given his team’s offensive system and skill position support.

RB Matt Forte
(2015 RB Rank - No.9, 13.1 Fpts/G)

The Jets replaced the steady hard-running Chris Ivory with the more versatile veteran Matt Forte this off-season. Forte should be a much better fit Chan Gailey’s offense than Ivory, but lacks the power and toughness that his predecessor brought to the table. Forte has consistently been one of the better receiving backs in the league, hitting a high-water mark of 102 receptions in 2014. He’s been remarkably consistent and durable through his eight seasons in the league but at 30 years of age and coming off of an injury marred season, it’s fair to ask what he has left in the tank. The offseason chatter has suggested Forte will get “plenty of rest”, and the team does have a solid stable of running backs behind the veteran. However, it’s hard to imagine Forte not being the main running back in any type of committee the team employs. He was still effective last season, averaging 4.1 yards per carry and catching 44 passes with seven total touchdowns in 13 games. Forte should thrive in an offensive system that fits his style where Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker will command the focus of the defense. He may lose some goaline carries to Khiry Robinson and some snaps to Bilal Powell, there’s no reason to think he can’t be a solid RB2 who will come at a cheaper price tag than many runners that have more perceived “upside” but will likely be less productive by season’s end.

RB Bilal Powell
(2015 RB Rank - No.44, 8.0 Fpts/G)

The team made a serious effort to re-sign veteran Bilal Powell this offseason, which means they likely envision a fairly significant role for him even with Matt Forte in the mix. Powell made his mark down the stretch last season in Weeks 13 through 16 and his absence in Week 17 against the Bills with the playoffs on the line was more significant than it was considered to be at the time. Powell’s role was more clearly defined as a backfield partner with Chris Ivory, who was not a big part of the passing game, but being teamed with the similarly skilled Forte will likely be a boost for the overall offense. Now the play selection will not be as apparent to opposing defenses when Powell is in the as it was when he came on to replace Ivory on passing downs. Powell had 47 receptions for 388 yards and 2 touchdowns last season, and while those numbers may fall a bit with Forte’s presence, there is room for him to increase his 313 rushing yards from last season. If Forte was to miss any time with injury, Powell would likely move into his role without much drop off in production making him an intriguing late-round pick.

Brandon Marshall

Brandon Marshall's 14 TDs in 2015 marked the the fourth time he's scored double digit TDs in a season.


WR Brandon Marshall
(2015 WR Rank - No.3, 14.6 Fpts/G)

Last offseason the Jets traded a 5th round pick for Brandon Marshall and were rewarded with a 109-1502-14 season from the veteran. Marshall had arguably the best season of his remarkable career at 31 years of age and helped make Ryan Fitzpatrick a $12 million dollar quarterback. Marshall was simply amazing, using his big body to shield off defenders and gain yards after the catch. He actually dropped 10 pounds coming into training camp this season in an effort to get even quicker. At 6’4”, 225 pounds he should still have little trouble outmuscling smaller cornerbacks.

Marshall lobbied hard for Fitzpatrick’s return and he will once again team up with the Amish Rifle who often locked onto him right from the snap, trusting the veteran to fight off his defender and make the catch. Last season’s 14 touchdowns were a career high and his receptions and yardage totals were only bettered by him in 2012 while he was in Chicago. Marshall has had a difficult past and has worn out his welcome which is why he’s on his fourth team despite being a perennial 100-catch receiver. His matured with age however and seems to on solid ground with the Jets. While some regression is likely, it’s not hard to imagine another top 10 finish as he remains the focal point of the passing offense, while being surrounded by other players that demand attention from the defense.

WR Eric Decker
(2015 WR Rank - No.11, 11.6 Fpts/G)

Eric Decker played second fiddle like no other last season, able to finish as a fantasy WR1 despite being the second best receiver on his own team. He caught 80 passes for 1,027 yards and 12 touchdowns in 15 games and also had the trust of his quarterback. Much like Marshall, Decker is big bodied at 6’3”, 215 and won the battle for the ball even when the coverage was tight. He has lobbied to be used more on deep routes this season, but that isn’t necessarily Fitzpatrick’s strength. The team is better off using Devin Smith, when healthy or Quincy Enunwa to draw the coverage deep and let Marshall and Decker eat up the defenses underneath. Decker spent a lot of time in the slot last season for the first time in his career and was successful in that role for the Chan Gailey offense. He was also tremendous in the red-zone, leading all receivers with 28 redzone targets and scoring 10 of his 12 TDs from inside the 20. Fitzpatrick is likely to regress coming off a career year, but Decker’s role in the offense and track record of steady production makes him at worst a low end WR2/high end WR3 in fantasy, with obvious upside.

TE Jace Amaro
(2015 TE Rank - N/A)

The Jets drafted Jace Amaro in the second round of the 2014 draft, expecting big things from the former Texas Tech Red Raider. However Amaro often looked lost while adjusting to the pro game as a rookie, and suffered a lost season as a sophomore when a preseason shoulder injury earned him a trip to the IR. The team did nothing to address the tight end position this off-season despite last season’s group catching all of 8 passes, meaning they are counting on getting at least some production from Amaro. Off-season reports have been mostly positive as his blocking is somewhat improved prompting local beat writers to predict an impact role for him in 2016. His skill set fits the Gailey offense as he’s more of a big wide receiver than a traditional lumbering tight end. Watch for Amaro this preseason and see if the Jets are incorporating the tight end into the gameplan. If he looks like he can handle the role and has earned the coaching staff’s trust, he’s well worth a late-round flier.