The 2022 fantasy football season is already reaching the end of the first month of action, and we have you covered for all of your waiver wire questions. It’s time to really dig into all data we have available since trends are forming. Don’t hesitate to make a bold move if the first few weeks haven’t gone your way.
Pay attention to the top names on the waiver wire all season long. Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Zay Jones has become a surprising fantasy option for managers. We’ll dive into Jones’ Week 4 waiver wire value against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Should you add Zay Jones from the waiver wire for Week 4?
Available in 89% of Yahoo leagues and 91% of ESPN leagues, Jones is an up-and-coming roster candidate. He’s the 35th-best fantasy receiver in the league right now and is second on the team in targets. His Week 3 outbreak featured a season-high 11 targets, 10 catches, 85 yards, and a touchdown.
With 19 receptions for 173 yards and one score on the year, Jones is the go-to guy for Trevor Lawrence when he needs a short completion. The dynamic between Jones and Christian Kirk, the top target within this offense, is a unique one compared to the rest of the league. Kirk was expected to be the slot star after seeing his role in Arizona, but he’s been moved all around, with Zay Jones as the slot option and Marvin Jones Jr. a third-down and red-zone master.
PPR league fantasy managers won’t get high upside with Zay Jones despite Trevor Lawrence’s growing fondness for him. Jones isn’t an overly physical player at the catch point despite his size and the offense. He’s more like what Rondale Moore was for Arizona last year than Kirk, which is a fascinating development.
With an average of 14.1 points per game in PPR leagues, Jones has the second-lowest yards per reception amongst the top 51 fantasy receivers. Only Curtis Samuel has fewer, but it makes sense given his role. This is a bit of a red flag for Jones’ fantasy relevance and upside moving forward.
A consistently low ceiling isn’t much to be happy with. Zay Jones has been targeted six times in the red zone but has only caught three passes. Marvin Jones is a clearly better red-zone option with his skill set and has more red-zone fantasy points despite being targeted three times there on the season. Will Doug Pederson force the ball to Zay even if his skill set doesn’t fit the role?
That’s a key question for fantasy managers. Zay Jones is worth picking up because he continues to get opportunities, but it’s worth keeping a higher-variance option over him until we see more red-zone success. There’s not much of a difference between Jones’ profile and Greg Dortch’s, for example.
Is Zay Jones a good play against Philadelphia?
The Eagles are one of the better defenses in the league at slowing opposing receivers. They rank 10th in fantasy points allowed to receivers, giving up 42 receptions for 448 yards and two touchdowns on 76 targets. Expect Lawrence to be less efficient this week than his previous two performances against weaker defenses.
The Eagles have big, physical corners in Darius Slay and James Bradberry. Those two can be major headaches for Jones, and it’d be wiser for Lawrence to prioritize Kirk, Marvin Jones, and Evan Engram this week. Unless you absolutely need a player likely to produce under 10 points, consider staying away from Jones on the waiver wire or grabbing him and stashing him.
If you’re in a FAAB league, Jones is a low-cost option only if you’re suffering from injuries and need a modest floor, low-ceiling starter, or depth piece.
