James Jones a Fantasy Lock in Week 4

It turns out general manager Ted Thompson got lucky a few weeks ago when receiver James Jones, the former Packer, was available on the free agency market. And what a signing that turned out to be. He has proven to be one of Aaron Rodgers’ most trusted receivers, evident by his deep ball targets and back shoulder throws. Simply put, they’re clicking.

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When Jones was brought into town, he was seen as a short-term replacement and a big, fat question mark in fantasy football spheres. It’s now safe to say he has made a heck of an impact in the Packers passing game. Through three games, Jones has been targeted 15 times and caught 12 of those passes. He has accumulated 219 yards and four touchdowns.

Look for that roll to continue into Week Four, when the Packers take on the San Francisco 49ers. I have enough confidence in that matchup that Jones becomes a high-end WR2 in all fantasy formats. Let’s make it real simple: if you got him, start him.

There are a few schools of thought that support this decision and we will get to these all in due time. The big things to consider: receiver Davante Adams is playing hurt and is expected to miss some time; the 49ers have been humiliated in recent weeks, especially in the passing game; and quarterback Aaron Rodgers is playing lights-out in the prime of his career. The last part is the most critical. Golden rule in fantasy is to never bet against a quarterback with a hot hand, right? Right.

Injury Bug Yields (fantasy) Opportunities

Sep 20, 2015; Green Bay, WI, USA; Green Bay Packers wide receiver Davante Adams (17) with a catch against the Seattle Seahawks during a game at Lambeau Field. Packers won 27-17. Mandatory Credit: Ray Carlin-USA TODAY Sports

Second-year man Davante Adams has the highest ceiling for a young Packers receiver in a very long time, coming into this season. And this was before Jordy Nelson went down for the year. The depth chart shifted, elevating Randall Cobb to WR1 status and Adams as the go-to outside receiver. Jones was brought in to help out as Rodgers’ third target.

Through the first three games, Jones and Adams have been playing on the outside and things are going to look even more different moving forward. The ankle injury to Adams will allow for even more targets to Jones and you can rest assured he will make the most of them. When Adams reaggravated his injury against the Chiefs Monday night, Rodgers looked to Jones early and often. Jones ended the night with seven catches for 139 yards and a touchdown on eight targets.

With Rodgers at the helm, you can bet on Cobb and Jones getting a boatload of targets week in and week out, especially with Adams sitting out.

Exploiting the 49ers Defense

Another reason to play Jones and Cobb this week is based on how bad San Fran’s defense has been playing. They have been flat out embarrassed the past two weeks, exposing a whole lot of weaknesses. In week two, they were torched by the Pittsburgh Steelers 43-18 in game where Ben Roethlisberger threw for 369 yards and three touchdowns. Antonio Brown, as you may recall, went off for 195 yards on nine catches and a touchdown. The 49ers had no answers for the Steelers offense whatsoever.

Last week, the Arizona Cardinals trampled the Niners 47-7 and Carson Palmer looked like an All-Pro. He completed 20 of 32 passes for 311 yards and two touchdowns with Larry Fitzgerald catching the bulk of those. Fitzgerald turned back the clock, catching nine passes for 134 yards and two touchdowns.

That’s 90 points combined the past two weeks scored against the Niners defense. That HAS to get Rodgers excited.

Sep 28, 2015; Green Bay, WI, USA; Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (12) celebrates with wide receiver Randall Cobb (18) after Cobb caught a touchdown pass in the fourth quarter during the game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

Aaron Rodgers is Tearing it Up

We all saw what Rodgers did to the Kansas City Chiefs last Monday night. For his 300+ yard five-touchdown performance, he earned NFC offensive player of the week honors. Rodgers is in a groove and there is no stopping him. He’s playing quarterback better than anyone else in the league right now. It would not be out of the question for Rodgers to repeat last week’s numbers again this Sunday afternoon.

For the season, Rodgers is completing 73.6% of his passes and has already thrown for 771 yards and ten touchdowns. That’s also good for a quarterback rating of 135.4. In case you might have missed it, Rodgers holds the NFL record for quarterback rating in a season, set in 2011. And it was 122.5. Yeah, you read that right. He’s on pace to shatter his previously-set record.

When a quarterback plays well, it goes without saying that his receivers will benefit as a result. But I’m going to say it anyway. Jones is now the No. 2 target for the reigning MVP. There is now no excuse for benching Jones in any fantasy football league format. Start him this week with confidence.

Next: Green Bay Packers: Under the Scope (Week 3)

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