Week 7 vs. Houston Texans
In the loss at Dallas last Sunday, the Jaguars had just 48 offensive plays with Blake Bortles throwing 26 passes. Keelan Cole was targeted five times and led the team with four grabs for 41 yards. He has only 10 receptions the past three contests, with his lone TD on the season coming back in Week 2. Cole faces the No. 14 pass defense in the Texans at home this week, so look for him to post better numbers.
Week 6 at Dallas Cowboys
After a nearly silent Week 4, Keelan Cole bounced back last week at Kansas City with four grabs for 70 yards on 10 targets. As Jacksonville played from behind the entire game, Blake Bortles aired it out over 60 times, with his lone TD toss going to RB T.J. Yeldon. On the season, Cole has only one touchdown and has registered over 75 yards just once. The Dallas D has been stingy with opponents WRs, so Cole remains a WR3/flex play.
Week 5 at Kansas City Chiefs
Even though Blake Bortles threw for over 375 yards last Sunday versus the Jets, Keelan Cole was targeted only three times, finishing with two receptions for 15 yards. Dede Westbrook and Donte Moncrief both went over 100 yards in the blowout, as Bortles completed 29 passes. Despite the off game last week, Cole and the Jaguars have a good matchup on the road this week against the Chiefs and their No. 31 ranked pass defense.
Week 4 vs. New York Jets
Jacksonville's offense struggled to move the ball versus Tennessee last Sunday, with Blake Bortles throwing for just 155 yards. On a team-leading nine targets, Keenan Cole finished with five catches for 40 yards, the second time this season he’s been below 55 yards. The Jets are ranked seventh against the pass, so don’t expect a big performance from Jacksonville’s aerial attack, making Cole a WR3/flex play.
Week 3 vs. Tennessee Titans
With Blake Bortles throwing for 377 yards last Sunday versus the Pats, Keelan Cole snagged seven passes for 116 yards and a TD. Everything seemed to be going Jacksonville’s way, including the spectacular one-handed grab by Cole. He has 170 yards the first two games and will be facing a Titans defense ranked 18th versus the pass so far.
Week 2 vs. New England Patriots
In the win over the Giants in Week 1, Keelan Cole led Jacksonville with 54 receiving yards on three catches. Most of his yardage total came on a 31-yard reception in the first quarter. Blake Bortles threw for only 176 yards in the opener and will likely need to have a better game at home versus the Patriots, especially with Leonard Fournette nursing a sore hamstring. Cole should be used as a WR3/flex play on Sunday.
Week 1 at New York Giants
Last season, Keelan Cole caught 42 passes for 748 yards and scored 3 times. While these numbers are very average for an NFL receiver, they are all highs for a returning Jacksonville pass-catcher. As the No. 1 Jaguars WR, Cole should see more than the five targets he averaged last season, but the success of the offense will come from the legs of Leonard Fournette. Cole is considered a WR3/flex option, at best.
Fantasy Upside
As SBNation.com noted, the Jaguars' passing game was efficient last year -- not overly productive, but good enough to get the job done on most weeks. Nearly every statistical category hovered around the middle of the league, whether it was their 224.5 yards per game (17th), the 7.1 yards per attempt (13th), or the 21 touchdowns (20th). But what wasn't even average was the number of targets that each of the Jaguars' receivers saw last season. Marqise Lee led the Jaguars with just 96 targets, good for 39th in the league. Cole had 81, tied for 66th in the league. In general, given opportunities, Cole demonstrated the ability to make plays and he added speed to a receiving corps that needed it.
Fantasy Downside
This year, with the addition of Donte Moncrief and the emergence of Cole and Dede Westbrook late last season -- and a second-round pick spent on D.J. Chark, the pool of targets is going to be even more spread out.
2018 Bottom Line
The Jaguars are built to be run heavy. So while the Jaguars' receiving corps seems more than sufficient as a group, it's going to be hard to count on any of them for consistent weekly production. The good news? Cole's price is right.
AFC Conference Championship at New England Patriots
Keelan Cole caught just 1 pass last week on 2 targets, but it was a 45-yard bomb. Will the Jags trust Blake Bortles enough to try a shot or two against the Patriots? That remains to be seen. But Cole is speedy enough to be worth a shot if you're hoping for a high-upside play on a long touchdown.
Divisional Round at Pittsburgh Steelers
Keelan Cole failed to catch a pass last week against Buffalo as the entire Jacksonville passing attack was grounded because of the struggles of Blake Bortles. Cole had some big games for the Jaguars down the stretch but it's tough to count on anyone in this passing game given how bad Bortles has looked in recent weeks. He's a low-end WR3 option.
