Packers at Jaguars: 5 best fantasy options

4. QB Blake Bortles, Jacksonville Jaguars

Remember when the original plan was to have the third overall pick in the 2014 draft sit out his entire rookie season?

Whether you believed that was going to be the plan all along is a moot point. What’s more important are the strides that quarterback Blake Bortles made from his first year to his second. And that’s just one reason that there is optimism in Jacksonville for the first time in recent memory.

The third overall pick in the 2014 NFL draft tied for second in the league with 35 touchdown passes this past season, compared to only 18 interceptions. It was quite a leap from Bortles’ debut campaign, which saw him limited to 11 scores while being picked off 17 times in 14 contests.

Talk about being consistent in terms of production? Bortles threw at least two scoring passes in 11 games this past season and totaled at least 300 yards through the air in six appearances. There are the “Allen Brothers” in wideouts Allen Robinson and Allen Hurns combining for 144 receptions, 2,431 yards and two dozen touchdowns – 14 by Robinson. As last season wore on, tight end Julius Thomas became more acclimated to the offense and finished the year with 46 catches for 455 yards and five scores. And if running back Chris Ivory can offer a little balance, look out.

It all adds up to a lot of opportunities for Bortles, despite the fact that he could be running for his life (again) versus the likes of Packers outside linebackers Clay Matthews and Julius Peppers on Sunday.

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