J.J. Nelson
  • J.J. Nelson

  • WR
  • ,
  • 32
  • 160 lbs
  • 5' 10"
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Scouting report

by Pete Behnke

OAK WR J.J. Nelson - Week 4 Fantasy Football Outlook

Week 4 at Indianapolis Colts
UPDATE:
J.J. Nelson is OUT against the Colts

J.J. Nelson benefited from the release of Week 1 starter, Ryan Grant. In Week 3, Nelson played 78% of snaps, had four receptions on five targets, 36 yards, 15% of the team targets, and 12% of the team air yards. Nelson will continue to get more snaps but he has a difficult matchup against the Indianapolis Colts. They are third-best against wide receivers, as shown by our signature schedule-adjusted fantasy points allowed metric. 4for4 rankings expert John Paulsen has Nelson ranked as the Half PPR WR63. Nelson should not be in starting lineups.

by Pete Behnke

OAK WR J.J. Nelson - Week 1 Fantasy Football Outlook

Week 1 vs. Denver Broncos

Fantasy owners should have better streaming options on the waiver wire than Nelson. He was outside the top 90 wide receivers until the Antonio Brown was traded to the Patriots. The news boosted Nelson up to PPR WR77 in Week 1 with a median projection of 5.5 fantasy points in John Paulsen's rankings. However, the Broncos are better than average against wide receivers as shown by our signature schedule-adjusted fantasy points allowed metric that has them ranked 13th best in the NFL. Nelson could be a bench stash in deeper leagues but he is not a good start this week in traditional fantasy leagues.

by Bob Harris

ARI WR J.J. Nelson - 2018 Fantasy Football Outlook

Fantasy Upside

As Bleacher Report noted, at 5-foot-10, 160 pounds, Nelson does one thing well: Run fast. He's a deep threat who can occasionally beat defenders downfield. Thanks to that speed, Nelson is useful in keeping opposing defensive coordinators honest, pushing safeties back and opening the field up for teammates like Larry Fitzgerald and David Johnson. It will be up to new offensive coordinator Mike McCoy, who history tells us is a pass-heavy playcaller, to find ways to incorporate Nelson into the offense beyond being just a threat.

Fantasy Downside

Also per B/R, Nelson "has some of the worst hands in the league, and that often leads to devastating drops. He is a major liability as a blocker and can't run a full route tree."

2018 Bottom Line

Barring some kind of surprising revelations in training camp and during exhibition play, it's going to be hard for fantasy managers to justify an investment of draft capital in Nelson, or the team's other wideouts not named Larry Fitzgerald.

by Brandon Niles

ARI WR J.J. Nelson - Week 6 Fantasy Football Outlook

Week 6 vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

J.J. Nelson led the team in receiving yards last week with 80, but he only caught 4 passes total. He has some upside this week against the Bucs, who allow more fantasy points to the WR position than any other team in football this season, but it’s hard to trust him with John Brown healthy and Jaron Brown also playing well. Fantasy owners should consider Nelson a low-end desperation start at best, with some boom/bust potential.

by Brandon Niles

ARI WR J.J. Nelson - Week 5 Fantasy Football Outlook

Week 5 at Philadelphia Eagles

J.J. Nelson has disappointed the past couple of games, including catching only 3 passes for 34 yards against the 49ers last week. With John Brown healthy and Jaron Brown getting plenty of targets, it’s hard to trust Nelson to get back to being a prominent player in the offense. With the inconsistency and injury issues in the Cardinals WR corps, Nelson is worth holding on to, but he’s probably better left on the bench for now, even with a good matchup against the Eagles.

by Brandon Niles

ARI WR J.J. Nelson - Week 4 Fantasy Football Outlook

Week 4 vs. San Francisco 49ers

J.J. Nelson was hobbled last week and disappointing as a result, netting a goose egg on 3 targets against the Cowboys. Nelson scored in two consecutive weeks prior, however, and as long as he’s healthy, he should have value moving forward.

After last week’s performance, it’s hard to trust him, even against a 49ers defense that has allowed 6 touchdown passes so far this season, including 3 to Jared Goff and the Rams a week ago. Nelson should be on your roster, but probably not in your lineup this week until we see he’s healthy and ready to go.

by Brandon Niles

ARI WR J.J. Nelson - Week 3 Fantasy Football Outlook

Week 3 vs. Dallas Cowboys

J.J. Nelson has scored a touchdown in two straight weeks, and he caught 5-of-7 balls thrown his way against the Colts last Sunday for 120 yards. Nelson is looking like a much better option than the oft-injured John Brown, and he remains above Jaron Brown on the depth chart, making him a good pickup.

Nelson was a surprise addition to the Thursday injury report this week, but if he starts, he should be considered a low-end WR2/WR3 option with upside. He has big-play potential and faces a Cowboys team that gave up 4 touchdowns to Trevor Siemian last week.

J.J. Nelson news