D.J. Chark will be a top-10 fantasy wide receiver in 2020

After a breakout last year, D.J. Chark has a path to being a top-10 fantasy wide receiver in 2020.

After a lost rookie season in 2018 (14 receptions for 174 yards), Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver D.J. Chark had a breakout campaign last year (73 catches for 1,008 yards, eight touchdowns). In fantasy, he finished as WR17 in full PPR and WR16 in standard scoring.

In 11 games he played and Gardner Minshew started, Chark had seven or more targets eight times. From Week 2-9 (Minshew’s first eight starts), Chark was WR9 in standard and full PPR fantasy scoring. From Week 11-13, Nick Foles’ three starts after the Week 10 bye, Chark as WR14 in full PPR (WR15 in standard).

The Jaguars are a convenient bet to have the league’s worst record this year. That means plenty of negative game scripts, and anyone that benefited from Blake Bortles being a garbage time hero in  knows there’s no apologizing for that fantasy production.

C.D. Carter of Rotoworld has a tighter breakdown of Chark’s splits in Jacksonville’s wins and losses last year. But here are the raw numbers with some per-game averages in his 15 games.

In Wins (5): 21 receptions for 286 yards (35 targets), 2 TD; 4.2 receptions, seven targets, 57.2 yards, 0.4 touchdowns per game
In Losses (10): 52 receptions for 722 yards (83 targets), 6 TD: 5.2 receptions, 8.3 targets, 72.2 yards, 0.6 touchdowns per game

As Carter cited, Chark’s per-game pace in the Jaguars’ 10 losses would have made him WR7 in full PPR for the season-10 spots above where he finished.

The Jaguars changed offensive coordinators after last year, as Jay Gruden replaced John DeFilippo. That’s an upgrade in play caller, as Gruden’s offenses in Washington routinely produced fantasy relevance across the board. Chark’s role as the No. 1 wide receiver is not threatened by well-regarded rookie Laviska Shenault, and if not for a missed game he might have finishd as a top-12 fantasy wide receiver last year.

It won’t necessarily feel good to draft Chark at his current ADP, in the WR2 range. But an unchecked role as a top wide receiver, on a team that could very well win two or three games in a full 16-game slate, can’t be totally ignored. Squint a little, or not even a little if you’re like me, and there’s a top-10 fantasy wide receiver to be found in #DUUUVAL this year.