Fantasy Football: 3 Things We Learned From Week 9
Marvin Jones Is no Longer a Must Start
Marvin Jones came out of the gates with guns blazing in his first few games with the Detroit Lions. In his first three games, Jones posted a ridiculous 18 catches, 408 yards, and 2 touchdowns.
Since that time, Jones has only surpassed 75 yards once. And in Week 9, we got a taste at how low Jones' floor can be when he posted a 1-catch, 5-yard outing.
What's most troubling about Jones' output is his shrinking target share. Below is the number of targets each relevant Lions' skill player has received per game since Week 4.
| Games Played | Targets | Targets Per Game | Red Zone Targets | Red Zone Targets Per Game | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Golden Tate | 6 | 52 | 8.67 | 5 | 0.83 |
| Eric Ebron | 3 | 23 | 7.67 | 1 | 0.33 |
| Theo Riddick | 4 | 28 | 7.00 | 4 | 1.00 |
| Marvin Jones | 6 | 35 | 5.83 | 6 | 1.00 |
| Anquan Boldin | 6 | 32 | 5.33 | 7 | 1.17 |
Jones has only garnered more than six targets in one game since Week 3, and he is being out-targeted on a per-game basis by Golden Tate, Eric Ebron, and running back Theo Riddick since Week 4. And when it comes to red zone target distribution, Jones is still getting out-targeted by Anquan Boldin and is tied with Riddick on a per-game basis.
Jones is still very efficient, managing a 0.93 Reception NEP per target on the season, good for 2nd in the league among receivers with at least 50 targets. But his 61% catch rate leaves much to be desired for fantasy purposes when he's averaging less than six targets per game in his last six games.
With such low target volume in recent weeks, it's clear that Jones' low floor is a scary proposition for fantasy owners. As such, if you have better options, Jones isn't in must-start territory any longer.
