Week 11 NFL Moneyline Underdogs
Mike Randle
After weeks of waiting, the NFL free agency period is now knocking at the door. Fasten your seatbelts, because things are about to get wild. With a bountiful crop of free agents set to hit the market, these dominoes will shape the 2021 NFL landscape. The immensely talented and arguably criminally underutilized Jonnu Smith is among those hitting the open market. Smith has the talent to explode in fantasy football depending on his landing spot.
Jonnu Smith career stats
Smith was selected in the third round (100th overall) in the 2017 NFL Draft. Smith then spent the next two seasons working in tandem with the Titans' leading receiving weapon, Delaine Walker, and played behind Walker before his 2019 injury as well. Last season was the first season for Smith to emerge from Walker's shadow and truly show what he could do. In 2020, Smith gave prospective teams a glimpse of his immense talent as the Titans made him a bigger part of the offense, especially in the red zone. Smith saw his targets rise from 2.7 to 4.3 per game. Smith quietly finished tied for ninth in red-zone targets (17) in the NFL with JuJu Smith-Schuster, Tyreek Hill and Logan Thomas. The increase in touchdown equity propelled Smith to a TE8 finish in fantasy points per game (7.1). Smith has the red-zone prowess to be a productive player in fantasy even if his volume continues to be limited with his new destination.
The best Jonnu Smith fantasy landing spots
- Jacksonville Jaguars: Jacksonville has the most cap space in the NFL ($85.6 million), so affording Smith should be no problem. The Jaguars declined Tyler Eifert’s option for 2021 and James O’Shaughnessy is an unrestricted free agent. Smith would compete with Josh Oliver, Tyler Davis (2020 sixth-round pick) and Ben Ellefson for the starting role. Smith vault to the top tier of Jacksonville’s red-zone weapon list immediately.
- Cincinnati Bengals: The Bengals have Drew Sample in house to handle the run-blocking duties. Smith would be an automatic upgrade to their current receiving tight end option in C.J. Uzomah. Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd could use a red-zone running mate in 2021. With Joe Burrow under center, the Bengals were tied for 10th in red-zone passing rate (57%).
The worst Jonnu Smith fantasy landing spots
- Indianapolis Colts: The Colts are known as tight end connoisseurs (or hoarders, depending on your vantage point). Even with Trey Burton hitting free agency, the Colts still have Jack Doyle and Mo Alie-Cox on the roster. Frank Reich loves his tight end committees, so interest isn’t out of the question. Smith would be sure to log a two-touchdown game this upcoming season, but good luck figuring out which week that is for fantasy.
- New England Patriots: The Patriots have holes at numerous skill positions on the offensive side of the ball. Who will be the quarterback for 2021? Who will catch passes from that signal caller? And in the fact that New England was the most red-zone run-heavy team in the NFL in 2020. Even penciling in Smith as the leading receiving weapon here would leave some concerns with all these question marks surrounding him.
