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Jacksonville Jaguars WR Calvin Ridley is back in the NFL after a lengthy suspension. He was with the Atlanta Falcons in 2021, and in November of that season, he stepped away from football due to mental health reasons. It turned out the then 26-year-old had larger problems, as it was learned he gambled on NFL games while injured, and he was suspended indefinitely.
The Falcons elected to part ways with the former Alabama star, dealing him to the Jaguars in November 2022 despite the suspension. He was officially reinstated in March, and now begins his career working with QB Trevor Lawrence, who is obviously glad to have another playmaker in the receivers stable.
It is to be expected that we’ll see some rust from Ridley, at least early on. However, all indications are that Ridley will rise again to become the top target, ahead of WR Christian Kirk and TE Evan Engram. He is also a top boom or bust target, although it might take a month or 2 before we know his true trajectory.
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Calvin Ridley’s ADP: 31.45
(ADP data courtesy of MyFantasyLeague.com; last updated at time of this publishing – ADPs continually change as more drafts occur)
Fantasy managers sure aren’t worried about rust, and consider Ridley to be close to low-end WR1 status. Pun totally not intended, but it’s quite a gamble, considering it’s been nearly 2 full calendar years since we’ve seen the star wideout in an NFL game.
In leagues of 12 teams, Ridley has been going off the board in the neighborhood of late Round 3 or early Round 4. The best strategy would be to have a bona fida WR1 already rostered, then dip your toe into the Ridley waters to guard against potential early rust.
Ridley has always been tremendously quick, and he is a great route runner. He certainly has WR1 upside, and if you can get him as your WR2, you’ll be doing yourself a tremendous service. There seems to be little doubt in training camp that Ridley has ascended the depth chart past Kirk already, and it appears he’ll be the apple of Lawrence’s eye early on.
Among wide receivers, Ridley’s ADP in redraft leagues is 11th, just behind the New Orleans Saints’ Chris Olave (29.34) and the Philadelphia Eagles’ DeVonta Smith (30.67). Ridley’s ADP puts him ahead of Seattle Seahawks’ DK Metcalf (31.88), Cincinnati Bengals’ Tee Higgins (33.93), San Francisco 49ers’ Deebo Samuel (35.93) and the Los Angeles Chargers’ Keenan Allen (37.55).
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Calvin Ridley’s 2021 stats (Falcons)
Games: 5
Receptions | targets: 31 | 52
Receiving yards: 281
Receiving touchdowns: 2
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Where should you draft Ridley?
Call me crazy, but I was burned last season stashing away Cleveland Browns QB Deshaun Watson after a lengthy suspension. While it’s a little different, as Ridley has been participating in training camp and the preseason games, and will immediately return in Week 1, I still expect some rust during the early going as he gets back into meaningful NFL games after a nearly 2-year absence.
The 2 long-term suspension situations aren’t parallels. They have different circumstances, they’re players in different positions, etc. But I can’t help but feel that it would be better to draft a young up-and-comer like Olave or Smith, or grab a tried-and-true veteran like Allen, Metcalf or Samuel, rather than roll the dice on Ridley.
Again, if I were to grab a stud WR1 in the 1st or 2nd round, that would mitigate any potential risk with Ridley. There isn’t even the rust factor to worry about. There is also the potential groin or hamstring injury risk, going from sidelined to 110 percent in real NFL games. I worry about that. Perhaps I worry too much. But the injury risk is a little higher for a guy who has been away from the game for a while.
That being said, I’d glad take Ridley on my fantasy roster as a WR2, especially if he were still on the board in Round 4. Any earlier, I’d probably shy away. But if he is sitting there in Round 4, and you have 3 studs already dotting your fantasy roster, go for it. He is a high-risk, high-reward player who just might win you a championship.
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