Justin Jefferson
vs Ashton Jeanty

“Jefferson looked especially miserable last year while enduring the worst season of his career. With J.J. McCarthy completely overwhelmed as an NFL quarterback, Jefferson finished with 84 catches, 1,048 yards, and two touchdowns.”

“Justin Jefferson (WR – MIN) | ADP: 11.8 (WR6) While he has been a fantasy superstar since entering the NFL, Justin Jefferson is coming off a massively disappointing season.”

“Justin Jefferson (WR – MIN) Finishes Outside the Top 20 Wide Receivers The prediction: Jefferson, currently going as a top-six receiver, finishes this season outside the top 20 at his position. This is partly a skepticism play on his new starting quarterback’s fit in this specific offense, particularly real questions about accessing the middle of the field effectively. Even last year, on a per-route basis, Jefferson already graded as only a fringe top-15 to top-17 receiver in efficiency metrics, not a true elite option, once poor quarterback play is set aside.”

“Jefferson has been a fantasy superstar since he entered the NFL. Unfortunately, the veteran is coming off a massively disappointing season, finishing last year as the WR21, averaging 11.9 PPR fantasy points per game despite finishing seventh in the league with 141 targets.”

“With a better quarterback, Justin Jefferson is a top-five pick, but with J.J. McCarthy ‘s past poor play and the uncertainty of Kyler Murray , we get a discount on one of the best wide receivers in the league.”

“Last year, Jefferson was still sixth in target share (28.5%) and seventh in first-read share (35.1%), so we should all expect the Minnesota passing attack to run through their alpha wide receiver again in 2026.”

“Last year, Justin Jefferson had a horrible runout as the WR28 in fantasy points per game (WR14 in expected fantasy points per game). Obviously, a ton of his season was impacted by the level of quarterback play, but Jefferson also slid to 36th in separation score and 38th in route win rate (among 109 qualifying receivers, per Fantasy Points Data).”

“Justin Jefferson is the fifth-best wide receiver in the Madden universe, apparently”

“This wasn’t Jefferson’s fault, however. Among wide receivers with 50+ targets, Jefferson ranked 58th in catchable target rate (71%). J.J. McCarthy stunk, and all indications are that Kyler Murray is the clear favorite to be the starter in 2026, and possibly beyond.”

“Jefferson should immediately become Murray’s go-to receiver, making an overall WR1 finish well within reach.”

“The Ballers agree that if Kyler takes the leading QB role, they are confident that Jefferson will be back as a top-tier WR. However, they see him more as a back-end WR1.”

““ Ashton Jeanty is an exciting youngster with a bright future ahead of him, but week four seems ominous. Even though the Raiders play at home, there are easier things in life than running against the Chiefs’ swarming defense, led by standout defensive lineman Chris Jones . Despite their 3-0 record, the Raiders seem more like a paper tiger than a force to be reckoned with come January.”

“The offensive line has been dramatically improved from last year when it impeded basic functionality as an offense, and RB Ashton Jeanty looks like a special back. The Raiders are 2-0 despite not having TE Brock Bowers available, which is amazing considering how thin their skill group is viewed as. Unfortunately, I have serious doubts about how sustainable all of this is.”

“The former No. 6 overall pick, Jeanty suffered an ankle injury in the preseason but didn’t look any worse for wear. Las Vegas got creative in how they deployed him, using him frequently as a receiver out of the backfield, and he responded with a huge game. The Raiders needed Jeanty to show out this season, and he passed the first test.”

“Jeanty ran confidently and experienced no setbacks, leading the Raiders to a 27-13 victory over Miami’s hapless team. Vast improvements along the offensive line opened up gaping holes for Jeanty – hopefully that trend continues all season. Stud:”

“Ashton Jeanty suffered an injury scare in August, but the powers of the prayer circle worked, as he suffered only a low-ankle sprain and was a full practice participant on Wednesday's initial injury report. Mike Washington Jr. also shined in the preseason.”

“Bottom line- this doesn’t seem like a good matchup for the Buccaneers or Irving.” – Mark Ringo ( Sleepers and Busts ) Ashton Jeanty (RB – LV) “ Ashton Jeanty has a juicy matchup on paper at home against the Dolphins, but the bigger issue for Jeanty owners is that Mike Washington Jr. looks more explosive than the former 1st-round pick.”

“As a rookie, Jeanty was thrust into an abominable offense in Las Vegas and put up respectable numbers even though most of his carries looked like fight scenes from a Bruce Lee movie, with wave after wave of attackers coming at our hero. Jeanty ran for 975 yards and five touchdowns, and he caught 55 passes for 346 yards and five touchdowns.”

“Ashton Jeanty was my preferred pick here, but with his preseason injury, I’m looking elsewhere.”

“Ashton Jeanty went down with an ankle injury in Sunday’s practice, the rookie Washington stepped into the first-team reps, and he has earned the market’s attention with his preseason work: Six carries for 63 yards including a 53-yard burst against Arizona, then 56 more yards against Houston, while flashing ability in pass protection and as a receiver. Even with Jeanty expected back, Washington has vaulted up boards as the clear next man up in a Raiders backfield that suddenly looks thin behind the star. Deebo Samuel Sr.”