JACKSONVILLE (at Seattle)
The Jaguars are a lesser team, but their offense has some value. It's averaging 348 yards per game, which is just below the league average. And it's scored 2, 3, 3 and 2 TDs in its last four games. This week ...
... it's had an extra week to prepare and will be facing a defense that's ranked last in total yards for most of the season. Conservatively, Jacksonville should finish above-average in yards, probably with 2-3 TDs. ... James Robinson looks good. After a slow start, he's won over the coaching staff, with them making more of an effort to feature him. He's run for over 70 yards in four straight games, and he's scored in all of those contests. He also averages 19 receiving yards per game. He'll work against a defense that's been struggling against the run for most of the year (good against Alvin Kamara on Monday night, but still ranked just 30th in run defense). Looks like a decent candidate ...
This report is taken from today's Week 8 edition of Fantasy Index Weekly. The newsletter includes our player rankings and 18 pages of matchup previews, plus stat projections and custom rankings for the games being played this weekend.
(If you're looking for help drafting a team, purchase the October 26 Fantasy Index ReDrafter Cheat Sheet, available through the store.)
Haven't ordered yet? BUY IT NOW! Already a subscriber? LOG IN!
... for top-10 running back numbers. Carlos Hyde (who played for the Seahawks in the not-too-distant past) will get some change-of-pace, but they haven't been using him much. He's run for only 13 yards in their last two games. ... Trevor Lawrence is meeting expectations. He's got the size, mobility and cannon arm, and he's not shy about driving the ball downfield. In general, he looks like a guy who'll be a top-10 quarterback for a lot of years. He's not there yet; he hasn't thrown more than 1 TD in a game since their opener. But it might not be long before he develops into a viable option. They've been opening up the offense some recently, with him passing for 273 and 319 yards in his last two (he didn't pass for 220 in any of this previous three games). Here he's facing a defense that's given up a lot of big passing days. Prior to the Pittsburgh game, the Seahawks had allowed over 320 passing yards in four straight games. So looks like a spot where Lawrence has a good chance to maybe chalk up his third 300-yard game. For whatever it's worth, he'll be working with Seattle's last two offensive coordinators, trying to makes sense of where to attack the defense (of course, the Seahawks fired both Darrell Bevell and Brian Schottenheimer, not thinking much of either one of them). Lawrence is averaging 20 rushing yards per game. Would be easier to get behind him if he'd been better at putting the ball in the end zone. ... With the kind of passing production the Seahawks have allowed, we're ranking the wide receivers higher than usual. Marvin Jones is averaging 57 yards per week, with 3 TDs (he's caught almost half of their touchdowns). Laviska Shenault has almost as many catches and yards but hasn't gotten in the end zone yet (he's averaging 51 yards per week). With DJ Chark out for the year, Jamal Agnew is playing a lot in three-receiver sets and has been surprisingly good; he's caught 11 passes for 119 yards the last two weeks. Agnew will also handle the ball on an end-around or two, and he'll probably score on another kickoff return before the year is through (he's already scored 2 TDs on returns). ... The Jaguars traded for Dan Arnold a month ago, and there's a chance he'll be a top-15 tight end for the remainder of the season. He's got good hands and route-running ability (that's why they traded for him), and they have some interest in getting him involved. Before Arnold showed up, James O'Shaughnessy (his predecessor) caught 6 passes in the opener, and Arnold caught 6 balls against Tennessee. He's caught 2 passes in each of his other two games with the team. Now they've had a bye week to further work him into the offense. Prior to the Steelers game, the Seahawks had allowed touchdowns to tight ends in three straight games, and rookie Pat Freiermuth caught 7 passes against them. ... Matthew Wright hit 3 field goals in Jacksonville's last game, including a pair from over 50, but the Jaguars haven't been a kicker-friendly team thus far -- those were the team's first field goals all year. ... The Jaguars Defense doesn't look like it will be a factor this year. It's generated only 8 sacks and 2 takeaways in its first six games. Jacksonville is the only team that doesn't have a takeaway on a fumble. It's got one of the league's best kickers, at least, with Jamal Agnew scoring on a kickoff return against defense and returning a field goal attempt for a touchdown against Arizona.