T.J. Yeldon still a top fantasy football option at running back on the Jaguars
By Daniel Lago
Despite now having to share the backfield with free agent signing Chris Ivory, T.J. Yeldon is still a solid bet to become a top fantasy running back.
With a nice lull until training camp starts, now’s a good time to start discussing a topic the Jacksonville Jaguars are startlingly relevant in – fantasy football.
For the first time in several years, the Jacksonville Jaguars had offensive skill players with major contributions to fantasy football. Blake Bortles was one of the most productive fantasy quarterbacks, Allen Robinson and Allen Hurns were two of the most consistent producers at receiver, and Julius Thomas spurned a handful of owners with his huge downtick in production in 2015.
Heading into 2016, the Jaguars should continue to contribute for fantasy owners, particularly in the backfield. One of the top fantasy backs in 2015 now resides in Jacksonville and he should see plenty of redzone opportunities. Pro Football Focus has him ranked as a top 100 fantasy player heading into 2016:
"94. Chris Ivory, RB, Jacksonville Jaguars(No. 32 RB; highest rank: 69, lowest rank: NR)Stat that matters: Ivory will need to convert at the goal line to keep a big chunk of his value in Jacksonville, and he led the league in rush attempts inside the 5-yard line in 2015, scoring five touchdowns.Ranker says: The concern with Ivory isn’t his talent. Over the last three seasons, Ivory’s 4.34 yards per attempt ranks sixth-best among the 16 running backs with at least 500 carries. The issue with Ivory is that he will now be joining T.J. Yeldon in a crowded backfield on a pass-happy team. Still, the Jaguars must have a role in mind for Ivory. He likely won’t be a league winner without an injury or demotion to Yeldon, but he should get the bulk of the goal-line work. – Scott Barrett"
Ivory is getting knocked for having to share the load and I completely agree, but more so because I believe in Yeldon. Fighting through nagging injuries and the fatigue of the draft process, Yeldon flashed outstanding ability and the potential to be a dynamic runner in the open field. He was a big contributor in the passing game and has value on all 3 downs. PFF agrees, as they have Yeldon ranked a fair bit higher:
"78 (tied). T.J. Yeldon, RB, Jacksonville Jaguars(No. 31 RB; highest rank: 61, lowest rank: NR)Stat that matters: Only Melvin Gordon and Alfred Morris had as many rushes as Yeldon last year and scored fewer than his two rushing touchdowns.Ranker says: Yeldon had a quality rookie season; Chris Ivory’s signing obscures that fact. He ranked 13th – better than Ivory — out of 68 qualifying running backs in both forced missed tackles per touch and PFF rushing grade on a per-attempt basis. He is also the better pass-catching back. – Pat Thorman"
Yeldon’s touchdown production is a concern, but he should get in the endzone more with an improved line. He’ll also have a more defined role on third down and should get more looks in the passing game.
Even with the presence of Ivory, I would take a flyer on Yeldon as a RB2.