Jesse James Fantasy Football News & Stats

Jesse James

24-Year-Old Tight EndTE

Detroit Lions

2018 Receiving Stats

REC

YDS

423

AVG

14.1

TAR

2018 Receiving Projections

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YDS

AVG

TAR

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2018 Fantasy Outlook

The Steelers traded for Vance McDonald a week before the regular season started last year, popping whatever fantasy upside James had coming into 2017. But the 6-7 James showed what he had to offer in Week 1 while McDonald got acclimated, catching six of eight targets, including three inside the 10-yard line, for two TDs. That's as good as it got, though. Even in the six games McDonald missed, James didn't do much. He caught 17 of 26 targets in those game but posted only 5.5 YPA and scored just once more. McDonald is back to handle the starting role this season. Even if McDonald, who has missed 22 games in five seasons, were to sustain an injury, James' upside is limited because tight end has been somewhat of an afterthought in the Pittsburgh offense. Read Past Outlooks

RANKS

#298.42

ADP

Overall

Tight End

Add To Watchlist

Bye Week 6

Height 6'7"

Weight 261

DOB 6/4/1994

College Penn State

Drafted 5th Rd 2015 #160 Overall

Excited about future

TEDetroit Lions

March 14, 2019

James said he doesn't think he'll be used in Detroit the same way he was used in Pittsburgh, Michael Rothstein of ESPN reports. "I feel like I'm going to be a key part of this offense," the tight end told Kyle Meinke of MLive.

ANALYSIS
In between a forgettable rookie campaign and last year's role reduction, James logged over 850 offensive snaps for Pittsburgh in both 2015 and 2016. Even at this peak of his tenure, James was little more than a complementary piece in an offense that ran through wide receiver Antonio Brown and running back Le'Veon Bell. That shouldn't be the case anymore in Detroit, as James will slot in as the clear No. 1 tight end in an offense that doesn't have a bonafide superstar. However, before getting excited about James' sleeper appeal in fantasy formats, it should be noted the Lions targeted tight ends the second-fewest times in the NFL last season, and this year's draft class is absolutely loaded at tight end.

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NFL Stats

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Fantasy/Red Zone Stats

See red zone opportunities inside the 20, 10 and 5-yard lines along with the percentage of time they converted the opportunity into a touchdown.

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Advanced NFL Stats

How do Jesse James' 2018 advanced stats compare to other tight ends?

This section compares his advanced stats with players at the same position. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that metric and it would be considered average. The longer the bar, the better it is for the player.

Air Yards Per Game

18.1

Air Yards Per Snap

0.51

% Team Air Yards

5.7%

% Team Targets

5.8%

Avg Depth of Target

7.4 Yds

Catch Rate

76.9%

Drop Rate

5.1%

Avg Yds After Catch

6.3

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NFL Game Log

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Scoring

Standard

PPR

Half PPR

FanDuel

DraftKings

Yahoo DFS

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Snap Distribution / Depth Chart

Lions 2018 TE Snap Distribution See more data like this

L.Levine Toilolo

L.Luke Willson

M.Michael Roberts

J.Jerome Cunningham

H.Hakeem Valles

% of Team Snaps

527

425

159

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#1 TE

Lions

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How often does Jesse James run a route when on the field for a pass play?

This data will let you see how Jesse James and the other tight ends for the Lions are being used. Some tight ends may have a lot of snaps, but they're not that useful for fantasy purposes because they're not actually running routes. This data will help you see when this is the case.

Jesse James

277 routes 39 targets

← More Blocking

% Routes Run

More Receiving →

84%

Michael Roberts

94 routes 20 targets

Jerome Cunningham

14 routes 1 target

Logan Thomas

115 routes 17 targets

Receiving Alignment Breakdown

See where Jesse James lined up on the field and how he performed at each spot.

Detailed

Grouped

Side

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Measurables Review View College Player Page

How do Jesse James' measurables compare to other tight ends?

This section compares his draft workout metrics with players at the same position. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that metric and it would be considered average.

Height

6' 7"

Weight

261 lbs

40-Yard Dash

4.83 sec

Shuttle Time

4.50 sec

Cone Drill

7.53 sec

Vertical Jump

37.5 in

Broad Jump

121 in

Bench Press

26 reps

Hand Length

9.38 in

Arm Length

33.00 in

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Past Fantasy Outlooks

2017

2016

2015

The first key point with James is his age -- although he's already played two pro seasons, he didn't turn 23 until early June. To put this in perspective, James is only a few months older than O.J. Howard, the first tight end selected in this year's draft. Benefitting from Ladarius Green's absence for most of last season, James was Pittsburgh's No. 2 red-zone target (13 looks), turning those chances into seven catches, six first downs and three touchdowns. However, he faces new competition in Vance McDonald, whom Pittsburgh acquired in an August trade with San Francisco. It's possible this could turn into a tight-end-by-committee situation before long, leaving both with marginal utility in fantasy.

Catching eight of 11 targets for 56 yards and a touchdown, James made the most of limited playing time in his rookie season. It appeared he was poised to assume the starting tight end job after Heath Miller abruptly retired during the offseason, but the signing of free agent Ladarius Green suggests the Steelers may not believe James is ready to take on that role. Still, James should see an increase in offensive snaps, particularly within the red zone, making him an interesting late-round draft pick with upside in touchdown-only formats.

Recognizing that Heath Miller can’t play forever, the Steelers selected James in the fifth round of the draft. His size (6'7/261) and athleticism suggest he can create mismatches, particularly in the red zone, but his poor blocking skills will likely limit his playing time, and subsequent fantasy value, this season.

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