The Jets haven't been able to get a lot of things right of late, which makes little gaffes even that much more embarrassing. Take the NFL Draft for example.
You probably know the story by now, but when former Jets fullback Tony Richardson announced the team's third-round pick on national TV, he kind of screwed up their signature chant. Richardson said, "With the 79th pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, the New York J-E-T-E Jets select ArDarius Stewart, receiver, Alabama."
J-E-T-E? Come on, Tony. You should know better. Fireman Ed can't be happy about that.
And Fantasy owners aren't exactly happy about the Jets.
There's a chance the Jets could be a Fantasy wasteland this year. Josh McCown is expected to open the season as the starting quarterback, which could get ugly. Matt Forte and Bilal Powell could make for a frustrating running back tandem as long as both are healthy (we like Powell better). And the receiving corps is led by Quincy Enunwa now that Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker are both gone.
Are you excited yet?
Now, this isn't to say you should avoid the Jets in all Fantasy leagues. Powell and Enunwa have plenty of upside and can become eventual starters, and Forte will also have some positive moments.
Robby Anderson also has some late-round appeal in deeper leagues, but we'll see how the Jets use rookies in Stewart and Chad Hansen, who could play prominent roles right away. But Stewart and Hansen are only worth drafting in dynasty leagues. And tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins is doing well this offseason, although he's just a streaming option at best to start the year.
There's a good chance the Jets are the worst team in the NFL, and it's doubtful they are going to improve on last year's 5-11 finish. The defense still has good players with Muhammad Wilkerson, Sheldon Richardson, Leonard Williams and Darron Lee, and they drafted two safeties with upside in Jamal Adams and Marcus Maye.
But the offense could be awful, and it's not the most ideal team for Fantasy owners. A handful of Jets will be drafted this year, but none of them are players to covet.
You might be better off with the J-E-T-E, whatever that is, than the J-E-T-S in 2017.
Sleeper: Quincy Enunwa
Very quietly, Enunwa had a solid third season in 2016, and he's hoping to build off that performance this year in what should be a tremendous opportunity for him with Marshall and Decker no longer on the roster. Enunwa led the Jets in 2016 with 58 catches for 857 yards and four touchdowns on 106 targets, and we hope McCown leans on Enunwa as often as possible. We know it's not exciting to trust any of the Jets players, but Enunwa should have the chance for about 120 targets this year. And of the 22 receivers with at least 120 targets last year, 19 finished in the top 24. The three who didn't were Allen Robinson, DeAndre Hopkins and Marshall, but we like Enunwa's chances if his targets go up as expected this year. He's worth drafting in all leagues with a late-round pick.
Someone to avoid: Matt Forte
The Jets did nothing to enhance their backfield this season, which means Forte and Powell will again share the workload. And Powell is clearly the one to covet, even if Forte is the starter for Week 1. As we saw last year, it's hard to count on Forte for a full season. In 2016, his first year with the Jets, Forte finished as the No. 20 Fantasy running back in standard leagues with 218 carries for 813 yards (3.73 yards per carry) and seven touchdowns and 30 catches for 263 yards and one touchdown, and he scored double digits in Fantasy points in six of his first 10 games. But he also had trouble staying healthy, including a knee injury that required arthroscopic surgery for a torn meniscus in the offseason, and he missed two games. Meanwhile, Powell finished as the No. 23 Fantasy running back in standard leagues with 131 carries for 722 yards (5.51 yards per carry) and three touchdowns and 58 catches for 388 yards and two touchdowns. Forte is 31 and has plenty of wear-and-tear on his body. With a suspect offense around him, he should be considered a No. 4 Fantasy running back at best in the majority of leagues. Powell is the Jets running back to target with a mid-round pick, while Forte should only be drafted with a late-round selection.
Dynasty-league target: ArDarius Stewart
Enunwa is likely the only Jets receiver who will be drafted in the majority of seasonal leagues this year. But in dynasty leagues, you should plan on drafting Stewart and Hansen in rookie-only formats with late-round picks. And Stewart should be the better of the two -- if the Jets upgrade their quarterback situation down the road. Stewart had 129 catches for 1,713 yards and 12 touchdowns over the past three years at Alabama, including 54 catches for 864 yards and eight touchdowns in 2016. He doesn't project as an elite Fantasy receiver, but he could develop into a low-end starter or No. 3 option in the majority of leagues. We hope the Jets can find a franchise quarterback as early as 2018, and if that happens then Stewart's long-term outlook could be positive. He's not likely to help you much this year, even with Marshall and Decker gone, but there's potential for him in the near future, which is why he's someone to target in dynasty leagues now.
