Week 1 vs. Arizona Cardinals
Julio Jones enters the 2021 season in a new environment in Tennessee, a scenario that usually does not end well for receivers for fantasy purposes. That being said, this is Julio Jones and while he is now 32, he showed last year he still has the juice to be a highly effective receiver when healthy. Jones will slot into some sort of 1A-1B arrangement with young superstar A.J. Brown in terms of targets from Ryan Tannehill. A Week 1 matchup with Arizona's questionable secondary should provide plenty of opportunity for both Jones and Brown to get loose for some big gains. The biggest concern with Julio will always be his health at this stage of his career, but for as long as he is healthy, he can be slotted into fantasy lineups as an exciting WR2, particularly in a soft Week 1 matchup this Sunday.
2021 Fantasy Upside
In one of the biggest moves of the offseason, the Falcons shipped franchise legend and superstar wideout Julio Jones to the Titans. In Tennessee, Jones joins a pass-catching arsenal devoid of established talent behind budding star A.J. Brown, who will line up opposite Jones in base sets. Jones and Brown project to dominate Ryan Tannehill's target distribution as a potential game-breaking duo operating out wide. Jones is now 32 and firmly in the late stages of his career. That being said, he has remained effective when active. Battling numerous physical ailments throughout 2020, Jones still finished third in both yards per route run (2.70) and yards per target (11.3) among wide receivers. While Brown's presence likely means Jones will be target 1B in the Tennessee offense, Julio retained substantial fantasy value in a similar scenario with Calvin Ridley in Atlanta. The threats posed by Brown and Derrick Henry in the running game mean defenses will not be able to sell out to stop Jones, and he could even see some favorable coverages in light of Brown's ascension to alpha status. Health and age caveats aside, Jones still has enough gas in the tank to serve as an intriguing WR2 for fantasy purposes.
2021 Fantasy Downside
As alluded to above, Jones comes with several red flags as a fantasy asset. He sat out seven games last season due to injury and was severely limited in several more he was active for. At the age of 32, injury concerns will only become a bigger problem for Jones's fantasy profile and the likelihood of him maintaining full health through 17 games in 2021 is low. Jones is also no longer the surefire No. 1 target on his team, a status he held for virtually his whole career aside from stretches where he was dealing with injuries in Atlanta. How Jones adapts to being a complementary piece instead of the offensive focal point remains to be seen.
2021 Bottom Line
While Jones is no longer the locked-in fantasy WR1 he has been for the past decade, he still has substantial upside playing in an efficient offense with little competition for targets other than Brown. The Tennessee defense looks to be mediocre at best, meaning the Titans could be forced to throw more this season. Jones projects as a strong WR2 who will provide weekly WR1 upside whenever healthy.
Week 14 vs Chargers
Jones matched Calvin Ridley with 10 targets against the Saints, a much-better performance than the first meeting with the Saints. We're at the point where the Falcons are pretty much resting Jones through the week of practice. Jones also has some prior good history with the Chargers. In 2016, Jones caught nine passes for 174 yards.
Update: Jones has been ruled out for Sunday. Get him out of your lineup.
Week 12 vs Raiders
While Calvin Ridley returned from injury, Julio Jones was again dealing with a hamstring injury during Sunday's loss to the Saints, only playing 22 snaps. He looks like he might play this week, so keep an eye on if he's going to be limited again. And we know the damage Julio can do. He's in the WR2 range this week.
Week 11 vs Saints
Calvin Ridley doesn't look anywhere near ready to return, so Julio Jones continues to shoulder the load, which he loves. He was seeing roughly 10 targets per game since missing the first Panthers meeting in Week 5. Brandon Aiyuk had a fine day last week, so there's a good chance Jones will as well.
Week 9 vs Broncos
There's no doubt Julio Jones is back. Two of his last three games have gone for 137 yards, with the third being 97 yards. Matt Ryan will likely force-feed Jones again, now that Calvin Ridley is dealing with a foot injury and probably won't play Sunday.
Week 8 vs Panthers
After dealing with a hamstring injury, Julio Jones is now dealing with a hip issue and has been limited in practice. Keep a close eye on his status in a short week. Jones is coming off two straight games with eight catches and posted 137 and 97 yards against the Vikings and Lions, respectively.
Week 7 vs Lions
It's so nice to have Julio Jones back and healthy. Perhaps now we can finally see the Falcons offense we had been expecting all season long. Coming off an 8-137-2 line in Week 6, both Jones and Calvin Ridley crack our top five receivers this week in a pretty tasty matchup against a Lions team that has allowed ten passing touchdowns in five games.
Week 5 vs Panthers
That hamstring injury is clearly a major issue for Julio Jones. It cost him Week 3 against the Bears and he wound up playing just 15 offensive snaps against the Packers, finishing with four catches for 32 yards. His practice status will need to be closely monitored. It's entirely possible Jones misses another game. If he does play, he's up against a quietly good cornerback pairing of Donte Jackson and Rasul Douglas for the Panthers.
Week 3 vs Bears
Julio Jones is currently our No. 7 WR this week but is dealing with a strained hamstring and did not practice Wednesday. Monitor his situation throughout the week and how limited he might be on Sunday.
