Tag: Ja’Marr Chase

Ja’Marr Chase’s fantasy football outlook

After being selected fifth by the Bengals, Ja’Marr Chase is one of the most fascinating rookies to analyze from a fantasy perspective.

After being selected fifth overall by the Cincinnati Bengals in the 2021 NFL draft, Ja’Marr Chase is one of the most fascinating rookies to analyze from a fantasy perspective.

There is little doubt how talented Chase is, and many will argue he could not have been drafted into a better situation than being paired with his former college quarterback and pal, Joe Burrow.

Chase has the talent and the quarterback, but will he put up big numbers Year 1?

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Fantasy football experts will heavily debate this topic leading up to the start of the 2021 NFL season.

Chase will without question start the season as WR1 in Cincinnati and that’s not really a breaking news type statement. Chase was more than great for LSU in the 2019 season, he was an absolute star paired with Burrow: 84 receptions for 1,780 yards and 20 touchdowns. Chase had one elite season for LSU, and it was no fluke. Chase is the real deal.

It’s not talked about often enough, but Chase is the best wide receiver prospect to come out of the draft since Julio Jones. If Chase was eligible to enter last year’s draft, he would have been the top wide receiver selected.

It’s not even close, to be honest.

In the NFL, rookie wide receivers are making a bigger fantasy impact each and every year, but it’s still never a certainty that they’ll offer you immediate production.
Here are the numbers by last year’s first-round wide receivers:
  • No. 12 overall Henry Ruggs III: 26 catches for 452 yards and 2 touchdowns in 13 games.
  • No. 15 Jerry Jeudy: 52 catches for 852 yards and 3 touchdowns in 16 games.
  • No. 17 CeeDee Lamb: 74 catches for 935 yards and 5 touchdowns in 16 games.
  • No. 21 Jalen Reagor: 31 catches for 396 yards and a 1 touchdown in 11 games.
  • No. 22 Justin Jefferson: 88 catches for 1,400 yards and 7 touchdowns in 16 games.
  • No. 25 Brandon Aiyuk: 60 receptions for 748 yards and 5 touchdowns in 12 games.

For the Cincinnati Bengals to draft Chase and expect him to produce some of those numbers immediately is a tall ask for the young receiver. Sure, he was the better receiver in 2019 when comparing him to Justin Jefferson, but this isn’t apples to apples here.

College football and the NFL are very, very different.

It is much, much safer to assume his ceiling is within the range of a WR3, which still makes him a valuable target in the middle rounds of fantasy football drafts. Obviously in dynasty leagues, Chase has an elite draft value.

Chase having a future franchise quarterback, Burrow, who he’s already familiar with from their LSU days together, will make his transition into the league much easier, and that will help his fantasy draft outlook.

The Bengals also already have talented options at the receiver position, Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd. So fantasy football managers should not expect Chase to lead the league in targets either.

One big question on Chase’s outlook as a rookie will be in the red zone. If Burrow and Chase build a strong connection throughout the year, double-digit touchdowns as a rookie is absolutely on the table for Chase.