Week 8 vs. Carolina Panthers
DeSean Jackson caught 5-of-8 targets last week for 73 yards. Jackson has been hot-and-cold this season, literally alternating his good and bad weeks every game. If tradition holds up, he'll have a bad game this week, although that's really no way to do fantasy analysis. The simple fact is Jackson is an explosive player who can make a big play at any moment, and most of his production is reliant upon it.
Jackson could struggle this week as he gets a tough matchup against the Panthers. Carolina has been fairly tough on wideouts this season, which could make it hard for Jackson to find much space. The Bucs receiver should be viewed as a boom-or-bust WR3 option.
Week 7 at Buffalo Bills
DeSean Jackson has been pretty solid this season. Two weeks ago he finished with a 100-yard game, and last week he found the end zone. He hasn't been too consistent, but he's proved he isn't too unreliable.
This week could be a different story, though, as he gets a tough matchup against the Bills. Buffalo is allowing the 10th-lowest yards per attempt, which means he may not be able to go deep on this secondary. He should best be viewed as a WR3 this week.
Week 6 at Arizona Cardinals
DeSean Jackson had a breakout performance last week finishing with a season-high 106 yards on 5 receptions. He also led the team with 9 targets, although he failed to find the end zone. It's still a positive trend for Jackson, who has been hot and cold for most of the season.
Jackson's upward trend could continue this week in a favorable matchup against the Cardinals. Arizona has allowed the sixth-most fantasy points to opposing wideouts this season, which means Jackson has a good chance to explode for a big play.
Jackson carries some risk with him due to his low floor, but we like him as a strong WR3 this week.
Week 5 vs. New England Patriots
DeSean Jackson hasn't made a huge splash so far this season. His longest catch has been 32 yards and he's only had one game out of three be worth a start in fantasy. He's been out-performed by teammate Adam Humphries, who has more receptions and yards.
Still, Jackson has been playing a lot in this offense and always has a chance to make a big play. He's kind of a matchup-based receiver, which means he should do well this week against the Patriots. New England has been terrible on defense this season, allowing the most receiving yards and touchdowns to opposing wideouts.
Jackson gets a big boost this week and should be viewed as a WR2.
Week 4 vs. New York Giants
DeSean Jackson showed up last week with 4 receptions for a team-high 84 yards and a touchdown. Jackson took advantage, as we predicted, of Mike Evans being covered by Xavier Rhodes. That same strategy could work again this week in a tough matchup against the Giants.
Jackson is a decent option most weeks, especially since he's always a threat to score on a deep pass. He should be viewed as a WR3 this week
Week 3 at Minnesota Vikings
DeSean Jackson's debut with the Bucs didn't go over too well. He only caught 3 passes for 39 yards in a lousy effort. The good news, though, is he was second on the team in targets with 7.
He could benefit this week with Mike Evans likely being covered by Xavier Rhodes. Jameis Winston will need someone to throw to, and if Evans is covered, Jackson could be able to find some open spots on the field.
Jackson is a bit of a risky play given last week's performance, but his big-play ability makes him intriguing. He should be viewed as a mid-tier WR3 play this week.
Week 2 vs. Chicago Bears
DeSean Jackson's arrival in Tampa Bay should produce good numbers for the speedy wideout. He'll pair up perfectly with Mike Evans, and as we saw in the preseason, Jackson still has his speed.
Jackson is a candidate to be a boom-or-bust fantasy player this season as he's mostly a deep threat for Tampa Bay. He could have one of those booms this week against a favorable Bears defense. Jackson should be viewed as a low-end WR3 or strong WR4 option in Week 2.
Fantasy Upside
DeSean Jackson is coming off of a strong 1,000-yard season, proving he’s still a dangerous weapon in this league. He led the NFL in yards per catch in 2016 at 17.9, and he’ll bring that deep threat to the Bucs. He should pair up nicely with Mike Evans on the outside, giving the team a power-and-speed combo with developing quarterback Jameis Winston.
Fantasy Downside
Jackson is a smaller player and is more prone to getting hurt. He’s been mostly healthy throughout his career but has had some minor injuries keep him out or make him limited in certain games. His big-play ability also makes him a boom-or-bust candidate as he can have several games with low outputs.
2017 Bottom Line
Jackson takes a bit of a step back this season as he’s not the top receiver in the offense, but he’s going to be a strong No. 2 in Tampa Bay. He’s exactly the deep threat the Bucs were looking for to pair with Winston, so expect to see plenty of shots taken downfield with Jackson. He should be a strong fantasy WR3 candidate.
Week 17 vs. New York Giants
It was another big fantasy day for DeSean Jackson owners last week, as he finished with five catches for 114 yards on seven targets. Jackson now has three-straight games with 100-plus yard receiving and four in his last five, so he enters Week 17 red-hot in terms of producing fantasy points.
Jackson has also played well against the Giants his career, and as recent as his last two games, where he's had a TD in each of those contests. Jackson is ranked 11th this week on our WR list. While the Giants are 15th in allowing fantasy points to WRs and have a very good revamped secondary, the G-men don't have anything to play for this week, while a playoff berth is on the line for Washington. This may be as high as you'll see Jackson ranked, and he comes in as a low-end WR1 play.
DeSean Jackson had a nice day last week against the Panthers. He caught seven balls for 111 yards on 10 targets. The 10 targets match a season high from Week 1 and the seven catches are his highest of the season.
Jackson now has back-to-back games of 100 yards or more. In his last five games he has either at least 51 receiving yards or a TD so he's been pretty productive. He gets a nice ranking this week coming in at 20th. The Bears are 21st in allowing fantasy points to WRs, however Jackson has struggled his last two games against Chicago with a 3-26-0 average in that span. Jackson is a solid WR2 play according to our rankings and the good news is he seems to be on one of his hot streaks.
