Fantasy Impact: Julius Thomas Signed To Jaguars

Julius Thomas, former tight end for the Denver Broncos, is expected to sign with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Last season, Thomas had 43 receptions for 489 yards and 12 touchdowns. Thomas played in 13 games last year where he had a total of 62 targets (4.8 per game). The previous season Thomas had 90 targets on 14 games (6.4 per game). I expect Thomas to get an increase in targets, getting at least 90 targets this year.

Quarterback Blake Bortles is heading into his 2^nd yard in the league, and a best friend for a young quarterback is an athletic tight end. Thomas’s value is expected to drop by leaving Peyton Manning’s offense. Even though he’s leaving one of the best situations in the NFL, he is not going to fall off the map because he’s going to be a focal point of the offense. Thomas is going to fall in redraft leagues because he doesn’t have the Manning Connection, but he’s going to be a sneaky value in the late rounds. In dynasty he is a cheap buy because his trade value is at its lowest right now. If you own Thomas, then you must hold on to him because you are not going to get anything close to what you would have gotten for him a few months ago. That’s the stock market in dynasty; player values can shift in a heartbeat in free agency, and sometimes you have to sell before you’re left holding the bag. The good thing about Thomas is that he’s not going to be a total loss in value because he can still contribute to your team this season.

Oct 5, 2014; Denver, CO, USA Denver Broncos tight end Julius Thomas (80) pulls in a touchdown reception past Arizona Cardinals strong safety Tony Jefferson (22) in the fourth quarter at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Jacksonville Jaguars Wide Receiver Corps (Justin Blackmon and Allen Robinson)

Even with Thomas stealing some of the targets, the wide receiver corps are going to have easier matchups because defenses are now going to have to account for the tight end. Blackmon and Robinson are both very talented wide receivers and anything that could help will be tremendous for them. I like both players in dynasty and redraft; Blackmon as an upside flier, and Robinson because of being a stud prospect.

Blake Bortles QB Jacksonville Jaguars

Jacksonville is committed to building around Bortles, which is a very good thing. Bortles is getting the security blanket that he needs, and Thomas is going to help him out tremendously. Bortles passed for 2,908 yards and 11 TDs last season. He looked very good during the beginning the season and regressed towards the end. Some of his regression was due to some of receivers getting injured for the season. Having an athletic tight end with experience is going to help Bortles with hot routes and underneath passes. I expect Bortles to take a step forward this season.

Need Help with your dynasty team? Contact me on Twitter @bmatz08 and I will give you the guidance you need to make the best decisions on trades, drafts, and the waiver wire.

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