NFL free agency has begun to wind down and the fantasy community continues to digest the player movement, update rankings and projections, and formulate takeaways. The player movement has been fast and furious. The New York Jets made a big splash by signing Justin Fields to be their new starting quarterback. Fields signed a two-year, $40 million offer, with $30 million guaranteed. He will now take over the post-Aaron Rodgers Jet offense that ranked bottom half in total offense and scoring. Fields is a bit of a conundrum when it comes to quarterback play, his fantasy stats and real-life play do not always jive.
Justin Fields Fantasy Outlook After Inking Deal With Jets
Justin Fields As A Real Life NFL Quarterback
Last season as the Pittsburgh Steelers starting quarterback, Justin Fields posted a 4-2 won/loss record. However, as we dove into his passing metrics, his record was not indicative of how he played the position. The numbers were very damning on Fields as a real-life quarterback. Among 43 qualifying signal callers from a clean pocket, Fields was bottom 7 in the fastest time to throw, success rate, and EPA/attempt. In another key quarterback data point, he was bottom-15 in yards per attempt. This means he was not adept at consistently getting the ball down the field. Now to be fair, the Steelers did not ask of much of Fields overall offensively but you can see he struggled as a passer in 2024. To put the data into perspective only the Panthers duo of Bryce Young and Any Dalton were worse.
The QB1 Potential Is There For Fields In Fantasy
Some Fantasy pundits will look at Fields’ aforementioned quarterback metrics and say that is irrelevant when it comes to fantasy production. In the six games as the Steelers starter, Fields ranked as a top-12 quarterback averaging just under 19 fantasy points. He had 10 total touchdowns, and his fantasy stats were buoyed by his rushing prowess. Fields added 231 rushing yards and five scores on the ground. His 18.8 fantasy points per game would have finished the season as the QB7. Putting him just behind Jared Goff and in front of Bo Nix. Playing in 15 games for the Chicago Bears in 2022, Fields finished as the overall QB6.
Does Justin Fields Skill Set Mesh With The New Jets Offensive Coordinator?
Another key point to consider is how Fields fits into new Jets Offensive Coordinator Tanner Engstrand’s offense. This was talked about in a similar fantasy piece on Jets wide receiver Garrett Wilson. Engstrand’s success as the Lions passing game coordinator came with Jared Goff under center. Goff and Fields possess two different skill sets. Engstrand will have to adjust his playbook to suit Fields best asset which is his running ability.
Field’s current pre-season ranking as the QB26 and an average ADP of 185, make him worthy of a late-round fantasy selection. He possesses QB1 upside and his 15th round ADP offers zero risk and high upside. In best ball leagues, drafting Fields represents a lottery pick on your rosters. Above all, if Fields can get back to his 2022 output he can be a league winner who is currently free in fantasy drafts.
Main Photo: [Scott Galvin] – USA Today Sports
