Week 6 vs. Miami Dolphins
Julio Jones suffered a hip flexor in the Falcons' Week 4 loss to the Bills. He went down late in the second quarter and never returned. The good news is that Atlanta had its bye in Week 5, so Jones was able to take two full weeks off. He was limited in Wednesday and Thursday's practices but said he felt great. There's no reason to believe Jones won't suit up Sunday when the Falcons host the Dolphins. Ranked as our No. 3 WR for Week 6, make sure Jones is in your lineup. At some point, he's going to explode and it could be Sunday against Miami's leaky secondary.
Week 4 vs. Buffalo Bills
Julio Jones was targeted 12 times in Week 3, catching 7 passes for 91 yards in the Falcons' victory over the Lions. Jones has still yet to catch a touchdown after three games, but that's not for lack of trying on the part of Matt Ryan and his play-caller Steve Sarkisian. It simply hasn't happened yet. Even without the scores, Jones is averaging 18.97 points per game in PPR leagues. That's still more than his quarterback is averaging per week.
Jones will once again be a WR1 when the Falcons host the Bills on Sunday. Buffalo ranks as fantasy's No. 8 defense against wide receivers, but despite the Bills' solid play, Jones remains a must-start in all formats. He ranks as our WR3 for Week 4.
Week 3 at Detroit Lions
Julio Jones caught 5-of-9 targets for 108 yards in the Falcons' Week 2 victory over the Packers. The dynamic receiver was involved early, as Jones had 4 of his catches and 95 yards receiving in the first half. He was held to just one catch after halftime, although that was because Atlanta was attempting to protect its big lead. He's now averaging 19.17 points per game in PPR leagues and 12.62 points in standard formats.
The Falcons travel to Detroit on Sunday to take on a Lions team ranked as fantasy's No. 21 defense against receivers. Jones is our WR2 for Week 3 and is a must-start in all leagues.
Week 2 vs. Green Bay Packers
Julio Jones caught just 4 passes for 66 yards on 5 targets in the Falcons’ Week 1 win over the Bears. Chicago, which looks improved defensively, did a great job taking Jones away by bracketing him in coverage. Then again, Jones saw consistent double-teams a year ago and he still managed to finish as fantasy’s WR6. He should get going at some point, although it might take a few weeks before this offense, with new playcaller Steve Sarkisian, fires on all cylinders. There won't be too many times that Jones sees fewer targets than Mohamed Sanu and Tevin Coleman, which was the case last Sunday in Chicago.
Jones ranks as our WR1 for Sunday night’s matchup against the Packers, who rank as fantasy’s No. 31 defense against receivers. He should have a bigger game this weekend in what should be a shootout in Atlanta’s home-opener.
Week 1 at Chicago Bears
Julio Jones is coming off another monster season in which he caught 83 passes for 1,409 yards and 6 touchdowns. Injuries are always a concern with Jones, who did miss two games in 2016. That said, when he's healthy, he's a monster in the passing game and will once again be the featured weapon in Atlanta's explosive offense in 2017. Jones is a legit No. 1 wide receiver in every sense.
The Falcons head to Chicago on Sunday to take on a Bears team that ranks as fantasy's No. 11 defense versus receivers. Even if they were ranked No. 1, Jones would still be a WR1. He ranks as our No. 2 receiver in Week 1 and needs to be in your lineup. Jones will likely face a Bears defense without Prince Amukamara and who have struggled to find a pair of safeties. Good luck, Chicago.
Fantasy Upside
While he didn't post the same numbers as he did in 2015, when he caught a career-high 136 passes for a career-high 1,871 yards, Julio Jones was highly productive again last season. He caught 83 passes for 1,409 yards and six touchdowns. He finished as the fantasy WR6 in 2016, despite playing in only 14 games. At 28, Jones could show some decline, but he remains the top target in an offense that will be explosive yet again in 2017. Plus, new offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian has already stated he wants to use Jones more in the red zone after the receiver finished with just six touchdowns a year ago.
Fantasy Downside
Receivers often show some decline after they turn 28, and Jones has battled multiple injuries throughout his career. He had a procedure this offseason on his left foot and, while it was simply to fix a bunion, it nevertheless was the third career foot surgery of his career. Switching from Kyle Shanahan to Sarkisian is also somewhat concerning considering Sarkisian has never called plays in the NFL before. After torching the NFL last season, the Atlanta offense could be due for some regression this year.
2017 Bottom Line
Injuries will always be a concern when it comes to Jones, but he nevertheless remains a top-three fantasy receiver and will get his in Atlanta's high-powered offense. If you want him, you'll need to draft him in the first round (his current ADP is 1.05). Touchdowns can be hard to predict, but if Sarkisian fulfills his promise to target Jones more in the red zone, the seven-year veteran won't disappoint.
Super Bowl vs. New England
Julio Jones went off in the Falcons' 44-21 victory over the Packers in the NFC Championship Game, catching nine-of-12 targets for 180 yards and two touchdowns. His first score came right before halftime as he made a toe-tapping reception along the sidelines and his second score was a soul-crushing 73-yard catch in which he broke multiple tackles on his way to the end zone. While he has been limited in practice leading up to the Super Bowl, there's no question that he'll play on Sunday. He might not be 100-percent because of his toe injury, but he'll face plenty of attention from the Patriots' defense. Jones ranks as our WR2 for the Super Bowl, listed behind only Julian Edelman.
NFC Championship vs. Green Bay
Julio Jones caught six passes for 67 yards and a touchdown in the Falcons' 36-20 win over the Seahawks in the Divisional Round before leaving the game early in the fourth quarter. Jones re-aggravated an existing foot/toe injury, and with the game pretty much in hand, he went to the locker room early to receive treatment. He and the Falcons insist the injury isn't a big concern, but he played just 42-of-72 offensive snaps last Saturday and has been held out of practice this week. The concern isn't whether or not he'll play, because he will. The concern is whether or not he's going to be explosive. Still, Atlanta's offense is firing on all cylinders, and Green Bay's secondary is highly banged-up, so Jones is an excellent DFS play this weekend. He's behind only the Steelers' Antonio Brown in our Championship Sunday rankings.
Divisional Round vs. Seattle
Julio Jones capped off another outstanding season by catching seven-of-nine targets for 96 yards and one touchdown in the Falcons' Week 17 win over the Saints. Jones finished as fantasy's WR6 in the regular season while catching 83 passes for 1,409 yards and six touchdowns. He ranks as our WR4 for the Divisional round and is a solid DFS play, even though he could face plenty of Richard Sherman on Saturday. The bottom line is that he'll play a significant role in Atlanta's game plan, and fantasy owners can count on plenty of targets.
Week 17 vs. New Orleans
Julio Jones caught four-of-seven targets for 60 yards in the Falcons' Week 16 win over the Panthers. Matt Ryan came out of the gates looking for Jones, who caught a five-yard pass on the first play of the game. On the Falcons' second drive, Jones caught a 16-yard pass that helped Atlanta get into field goal range for a 10-0 lead. Overall, it wasn't a bad day for Jones, who missed the past two games dealing with a turf toe injury. He didn't look 100-percent but he wasn't hobbled either. He probably won't have great value in DFS leagues this week but he does have a tremendous matchup as the Falcons host the Saints on Sunday. New Orleans ranks No. 23 against fantasy receivers this season and Jones is our WR4 for Week 17. View him as a WR1.
