Week 5 at Denver
Julio Jones caught 12-of-15 targets for a whopping 300 yards and a touchdown in the Falcons' Week 4 win over the Panthers. Carolina inexplicably attempted to cover Jones with overmatched corners in single coverage and he predictably torched the Josh Norman-less Panthers. One week after catching just one pass for 16 yards, he more than made up for the dud against the Saints with an epic performance last week. After battling early-season ankle and calf ailments, Jones also looked completely healthy racing to the end zone on a 75-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter.
Ranked as our WR7 for the Falcons' matchup with the Broncos in Denver, Jones remains a must-start every week despite facing the No. 1-ranked fantasy defense versus wide receivers in Week 5.
Week 4 vs. Carolina
Julio Jones had a massive dud on Monday night versus the Saints, catching one pass for 16 yards in the Falcons' 45-32 victory. That one pass didn't come until late in the third quarter despite Atlanta moving the ball at will against New Orleans' beleaguered defense. Jones saw a team-high seven targets, but he and Matt Ryan couldn't connect on multiple fade routes in the end zone. The good news is Jones played the entire game despite dealing with ankle and calf injuries.
Jones has been limited this week in practice, but should play Sunday versus Carolina. Ranked as our WR5 for Week 4, Jones should have a bounce back performance, even against the Panthers, who own the No. 4-ranked fantasy defense versus wide receivers. Jones is a must-start.
Week 3 at New Orleans
Julio Jones caught all five of his targets for 106 yards with a touchdown in the Falcons’ Week 2 upset of the Raiders. The score came on a 21-yard pass from Matt Ryan late in the first quarter that gave the Falcons a 10-7 lead. The pair also connected on a 46-yard pass early in the fourth quarter, which set up a Justin Hardy touchdown to give Atlanta the lead for good.
Unfortunately, Jones also suffered a calf strain during the win and missed the Falcons’ final drive. Coach Dan Quinn has been optimistic about the injury and reports from Atlanta suggest that the calf bruise is only minor. Jones was held out of practice on Thursday and Friday, but should return at least on a limited basis Saturday before the Falcons head to New Orleans to play the Saints on Monday night.
Assuming Jones doesn’t suffer a setback, he’s a must-start against a Saints team that owns fantasy’s No. 27-ranked defense versus wide receivers. Jones is our No. 1 WR for Week 3.
Week 2 at Oakland
Julio Jones tweaked the same ankle that he injured in preseason last Sunday when the Falcons fell to the Buccaneers, 31-24. Jones was seen blocking on multiple screen passes to other wide receivers in the first half, so perhaps he was limited heading into the game. He did manage to catch 4-of-8 targets for 66 yards and a touchdown to salvage his fantasy day, however.
Jones was limited in practice on Wednesday and Thursday but said he’s not worried about the ankle injury. Be sure to monitor his status leading up to Sunday’s game against the Raiders but if he plays, he needs to be in your lineup. Oakland allowed Drew Brees to throw for over 400 yards with four touchdowns last Sunday in New Orleans, setting up Jones with a nice matchup this weekend. He ranks as our WR3 for Week 2.
Week 1 vs. Tampa Bay
Julio Jones is coming off an incredible season. He led the league with 1,871 yards receiving, which was the second-highest total in NFL history. Along with Steelers' wideout Antonio Brown, Jones shared the NFL lead with 136 catches. After dealing with an ankle injury in preseason, Jones was cleared to practice in full on Thursday. His status for Sunday isn't in doubt and as our WR2 for Week 1, Jones is a must-start.
Fantasy Upside
Julio Jones finished last season with 136 catches for 1,871 yards and eight touchdowns. Both the catches and yards are the second-most in league history as Jones finished as fantasy's No. 3 overall player in 2015. The production is even more impressive when you consider defenses constantly double-teamed Jones with a safety over the top in coverage. That's not going to change in 2016, as defensive coordinators will still use help to try to limit the damage Jones can create. But the Falcons hope the addition of free agent Mohamad Sanu will at least force safeties to pay attention to the other side of the field. Even if Sanu has little impact, Jones' fantasy potential remains high. At 27, he's in the prime of his career and is one of the best receivers in the game.
Fantasy Downside
Unless Jones is injured, there is no downside. He did miss a game in 2015 and was held to only five games after suffering a "Jones fracture" in 2013, but otherwise has played in at least 15 games in three of the past four years.
2016 Bottom Line
Jones' current ADP is 1.03 for both 10 and 12-team leagues. For some reason, he's falling to the seventh overall pick on average in CBS leagues, but that seems to be his absolute floor. Barring injury, there's no reason to expect Jones to take a step back in 2016. In fact, if Matt Ryan significantly improves his red zone production after struggling in that area last year (and he should given this will be his second season running Kyle Shanahan's offense), then Jones could see a bump in touchdowns after scoring eight times last season. He's a bona fide WR1 who is likely to be selected within the first five picks of your draft.
Week 17 vs. New Orleans
Julio Jones caught nine-of-11 targets for 178 yards and a touchdown in the Falcons' Week 16 upset win over the Panthers. While Josh Norman held Jones to 51 yards in the first half, the Atlanta receiver would have the last laugh. Jones' touchdown came on a highlight-reel play in which he jumped over Luke Kuechly and snatched the ball over the linebacker's head. He then raced to the end zone for what would be a 70-yard score and a game-changing moment in the team's victory. Having the best year of any receiver in Falcons' history, Jones should record his ninth 100-yard game of the season when he takes on the Saints' horrific defense on Sunday. Ranked as our WR1 for Week 17, Jones is a must-start in all fantasy formats.
Week 16 vs. Carolina
Julio Jones caught 9-of-13 targets for 118 yards and a touchdown in the Falcons Week 15 win over the Jaguars. Atlanta got him involved early, as Jones caught three passes for 44 yards on the opening drive and then scored from 11 yards out late in the second quarter. He wound up setting the Falcons single-season record for catches in the third quarter, a mark originally set by Roddy White in 2010. Although he has a tough matchup on Sunday versus Carolina's outstanding cornerback Josh Norman, Jones still managed to haul in seven passes and 88 yards on 10 targets in the Falcons Week 14 loss to the Panthers. In his last 10 games, only once has Jones been targeted less than 10 times, which came in a Week 12 loss to the Vikings. Tough matchup or not, Jones will be heavily involved again on Sunday and needs to be in your lineup. He ranks as our WR6 for Week 16.
Week 15 at Jacksonville
Julio Jones caught 7-of-10 targets for 88 yards in the Falcons Week 14 loss to the Panthers. Thankfully for fantasy owners, Jones caught a 46-yard pass in garbage time to save what would have been a dud performance. Once again, the Atlanta wide receiver was held in check by outstanding cornerback Josh Norman, who has got the best of Jones repeatedly over the last two seasons. Fortunately for owners that have advanced in their league's playoffs, Jones has a good matchup this Sunday against the Jaguars, who own the No. 21 defense versus receivers this season. He's our top-ranked wideout for Week 15 and is a must-start in all lineups.
Week 13 at Tampa Bay
Julio Jones caught 5-of-7 targets for 56 yards in the Falcons' Week 12 loss to the Vikings. Despite struggle this season, Minnesota cornerback Xavier Rhodes did a great job shadowing Jones in coverage. It was the first time in five games that Jones didn't produce at least six catches and 90 yards receiving in a game. He's also been held out of the end zone in three straight contest. Nevertheless, Jones should bounce back against the Bucs, who rank as fantasy's No. 23 defense versus receivers. Jones is our WR3 for Week 13.
