Week 2 vs Miami
Yeldon had a decent effort in his first game, getting 15 touches and producing 65 total yards. He caught three passes, which is good to see from a PPR standpoint. He's clearly No. 1 on the depth chart and faces a Miami defense that allowed 160 yards rushing last week to Washington on 34 carries. Look for the Jaguars to try to get Yeldon 20 touches in this one to see if he can do some damage. Yeldon should produce enough to be a low-end No. 2 starter or strong flex play this week.
Week 1 vs. Carolina
T.J. Yeldon will be the Jaguars starting running back and the 21-year-old brings speed and physicality to the Jacksonville offense. But Carolina didn't allow a rushing touchdown over the final six games last season, so Yeldon faces a tall task in Week 1. He should get 15 to 20 touches, which should allow him to put up 50 to 70 total yards. Expect Yeldon to be used a bit in the passing game, as well. He'll be a solid No. 3 back or flex option this week.
Fantasy Upside
Rookie T.J. Yeldon is pretty much being handed the starting job in Jacksonville. He's a hard-nosed runner who also catches the ball well out of the backfield. Yeldon should be able to put up 1,100 to 1,200 total yards.
Fantasy Downside
Yeldon is a 6-1 runner who runs very upright. You might get away with that in college, but if you do it too much in the NFL, you're leaving yourself open to injuries. Jacksonville's offensive line also isn't great.
Bottom line
Yeldon is an intriguing young back. He's going in the fourth or fifth round in most drafts, which means he's being viewed as a No. 2 or 3 fantasy back. That sounds about right. He should get 200-250 touches as a rookie. If that happens, he should top 1,000 total yards. But there's not a lot of upside in this offense.
