Team Profile
Jacksonville Jaguars
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8.2% 11thOff DVOA
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27.9% 11thPassing DVOA
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-1.5% 16thRushing DVOA
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3.4% 18thDef DVOA
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15.4% 20thDef Passing DVOA
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-10.4% 15thDef Rushing DVOA
2024 Team Stats
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Points For15.0 27th
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Points Against19.0 10th
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Yards Per Game295.0 22nd
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Yards Allowed Per Game349.0 23rd
The Kansas City Chiefs released former rugby star and running back Louis Rees-Zammit on Tuesday, according to sources. The Chiefs continue to cut down their roster to get to 53 players ahead of the 2024 regular season in less than two weeks, and they also cut running back Deneric Prince. The 23-year-old Rees-Zammit was fighting for a depth role this summer, but a back injury suffered on Monday in practice certainly didn't help his cause. The signing of Rees-Zammit was pretty much just an intriguing flier from the beginning, and he was unlikely to do much for the Chiefs this year outside of maybe some special teams duties had he made the team. With Rees-Zammit now gone, both Mecole Hardman and Nikko Remigio will likely take on bigger return roles to begin the regular season.
Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson said that wide receiver Christian Kirk (calf) is feeling good and will return to practice this week. A mild calf injury has kept Kirk off the practice field at training camp for around two weeks, but the 27-year-old will return this week and should have plenty of time to get up to speed in order to suit up in the Week 1 regular-season opener on Sept. 8 against the Miami Dolphins. Don't be surprised if Jacksonville eases Kirk back into practice this week. A groin injury cut his season short in 2023, leading him to finish with a 57-787-3 line in just 12 games played. Kirk set career-highs in catches (84), receiving yards (1,108) and touchdowns (eight) the year before, though, and he was on pace for similar numbers last year before his injury. A bounce-back season could be in the making for Kirk in 2024 as long as he's healthy, making him a nice WR3/flex target in upcoming fantasy drafts.
Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. caught one pass for a team-high 38 yards in Friday's 31-0 preseason win against the Atlanta Falcons. The LSU product hasn't touched the ball much this preseason, but he's made big plays when he has. BTJ's speed should get him on the field early on, with his main competition for playing time being Gabe Davis, who was signed this offseason from Buffalo. Typically, rookies become valuable in fantasy as they improve later in the season. Given the first-round WR's draft capital and path to playing time, he could easily fall into that category and become a league winner down the stretch. With an ADP of 128, fantasy managers who believes in the talent should take a shot on Thomas as a bench stash.
Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Evan Engram caught four passes for 48 yards and two touchdowns in a 31-0 win against the Atlanta Falcons. Engram was a matchup nightmare for Atlanta's backups, especially in the red zone, capping each of Jacksonville's first two drives with a short touchdown. With Travis Kelce getting older, the top of the tight-end rankings has never been wider open. Engram is one of the numerous guys this year with TE1 overall potential. On Yahoo, his ADP is 91, slotting him in at TE8, just after Kyle Pitts. With Calvin Ridley gone, the 29-year-old has huge potential as possibly the top receiving option for Trevor Lawrence. He finished as the TE2 last season, nine points behind Sam LaPorta. Engram could be a massive value in the middle of the draft for those looking to wait on the tight end position.
Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne put up 46 rushing yards on seven carries and three yards on one catch in a 31-0 win against the Atlanta Falcons. He averaged 6.5 yards per carry, and his longest run of Friday's game was 19 yards. The third-year running back looked explosive on the ground against Atlanta's defensive backups and will be a bell-cow once again this season. Etienne currently goes at RB10 and 22nd overall on Yahoo, which feels a little low given his potential volume. He finished as the RB3 last season but was inconsistent down the stretch. However, with a revamped offense and improved offensive line, fantasy managers shouldn't worry about the former Clemson back as a second-round pick with a first-round upside. Managers looking for a running back in the second round should feel good about picking Etienne.