Week 2 at Houston Texans
Playing in his first game since January of ’18, Marqise Lee saw just 12 versus the Chiefs last week. D.J. Chark, Chris Conley and Dede Westbrook all played well in the loss to the Chiefs, so there’s no guarantee Lee will see more action. It’s advised he remain on your bench until he becomes a more consistent part of the Jaguars offense.
Week 1 vs. Kansas City Chiefs
After missing all last season with a knee injury, Marqise Lee will be back on the field, playing in his first meaningful game since the AFC Championship contest at New England in January of ’18. During the ’16 and ’17 campaigns he totaled 119 grabs for over 1,500 yards and six TDs. As long as he stays healthy Lee is in line for another solid year, with Nick Foles now the Jacksonville signal-caller. However, he doesn’t make for a good fantasy start in Week 1, as the Jaguars may look to play keep away from the Kansas City offense, controlling the clock via the ground game.
Fantasy Upside
Marqise Lee tore his ACL in the Jaguars' third preseason game last August and the good news? If he can regain his pre-ACL form, Lee could re-emerge as the player he was in 2017, when he led the Jaguars with 96 targets. The better news? Nick Foles is now the Jaguars' quarterback, which at least opens up the possibility of a more dangerous downfield passing attack than we've seen in recent seasons.
Fantasy Downside
Head coach Doug Marrone said earlier this year that the expectation was that Lee will be back to full speed by the end of the preseason. Wide receivers coach Keenan McCardell offered his own update on Lee’s condition the first week of June and it doesn’t seem like too much has changed about the wideout’s outlook. “He’s probably a couple of weeks into training camp before he’ll be back,” McCardell said. Whether that means a couple of weeks before he’s ready to seriously dive into drills or a couple of weeks before he’s getting on the field at all remains to be seen, but either option means that Lee will be cutting it close in terms of the regular season and nothing is guaranteed. Remember, the Jaguars could put Lee on injured reserve to start the season if they desire, and that would put them in position to not rush his return (and bring him back in later in the season). However, if he’s 100% by the time the final roster is constructed, that wouldn’t be a bad thing either.
2019 Bottom Line
The Jaguars also have Chris Conley, Dede Westbrook, D.J. Chark, Keelan Cole and the recently-signed Terrelle Pryor, but McCardell called Lee the unit’s “alpha dog", so they’ll be hoping he’s back on track by Week 1. Even assuming the Jaguars pass more with Foles at QB than they did with Blake Bortles as their trigger man, it's hard to view Lee as more than a late-round flier until we get a better feel for his timetable as the exhibition season plays out.
Fantasy Upside
Lee led the Jags in targets (96) last season and is the favorite to do the same in 2018, especially after re-signing in March on a four-year, $34 million contract that includes $16.5 million guaranteed. Lee moved to the forefront after Allen Robinson tore his ACL in Week 1. As Bleacher Report notes, coaches moved Lee all over the field and he proved to be very successful over the middle of the field and on inside-breaking routes from the outside. B/R went on to point out that while drops were an issue at times, Lee went through a stretch of games where he caught everything and saw contested balls at a high rate due to Blake Bortles' ball placement.
Fantasy Downside
The Jaguars selected D.J. Chark at No. 61 overall in the 2018 NFL Draft, adding another body to the wideout group that already included Lee, Donte Moncrief, Dede Westbrook, and Keelan Cole. This after Robinson and Allen Hurns departed (Robinson as an unrestricted free agent; Hurns was released). So there's no denying Lee will have serious competition for Bortles' attention in a run-heavy offense, as the team also made a significant investment in Moncrief and now has the trio of promising young receivers. Furthermore, the Jaguars signed Austin Seferian-Jenkins to replace Marcedes Lewis as the starting tight end, hinting at a desire to get more out of the position in the passing game.
2018 Bottom Line
Given the number of mouths looking to be fed and the above-mentioned concerns about the team's desire to lean on Leonard Fournette and the rushing attack, Lee's already-established chemistry with Bortles will be important. Remember: They have the longest quarterback-to-receiver connection on the team. That should be enough to keep Lee fantasy relevant.
AFC Conference Championship at New England Patriots
Marqise Lee had 3 catches for 28 yards last week but did get a team-high 6 targets. His lack of touchdown production and the lack of overall trust in Blake Bortles dampens Lee's value, but he should produce enough despite a tough matchup to at least be a sneaky play among receivers if you're hoping to avoid the chalk plays.
Week 15 vs. Houston Texans
Marqise Lee continued his strong finish to the season with 5 catches for 65 yards last week. He's been productive in six of the past eight games as a WR3 play and has some WR2 potential. The Texans' secondary has been leaky at times this season against opposing receivers. Lee should produce enough to be a WR3.
Week 14 vs. Seattle Seahawks
Marqise Lee posted 7 catches for a season-high 86 yards and a touchdown last week and has now had solid value in five of the past seven games. He continues to deal with a knee issue, but it hasn't kept him from playing. Seattle is banged up in the secondary, so if Blake Bortles can get time, Lee could do some damage. Use him as a WR3 with some upside.
Week 13 vs. Indianapolis Colts
Marqise Lee drew plenty of Patrick Peterson last week and found that not to his liking as his 1 catch for 13 yards might suggest. He continues to deal with a knee issue but should be good to go this week against an Indianapolis defense which he had 4 receptions for 72 yards earlier this year. Lee should be a solid WR3 play this week.
Week 12 at Arizona Cardinals
Marqise Lee had 5 catches for 45 yards but failed to get into the end zone for the first time in three weeks. He does have at least 5 receptions in four of the past five games, but hasn't topped 83 yards all season. His ceiling is low in this run-first offense. And Lee is dealing with a knee issue. He's a low-end WR3, high-end FLEX play this week.
Week 11 at Cleveland Browns
Marqise Lee had 6 catches for 55 yards and a score last week and now has proven to be a useful fantasy player in each of the past four games, reaching double-digits in all four contests. But he's also dealing with a knee injury, which is nothing new for the oft-injured receiver. Check his status on Friday but he should be good to go this week against a soft Cleveland pass defense. Use him as a WR3, especially in PPR leagues.
