The Jacksonville Jaguars’ biggest offseason free-agent acquisition, tight end Julius Thomas, is expected to make his team debut Sunday after missing the season’s first month with a hand injury, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The tight end has 24 touchdowns over the last two seasons, spent with the Denver Broncos.
Julius Thomas expected to make 2015 debut for Jaguars, fantasy owners
The tight end hasn’t played all season, but should be active Sunday. We break down the fantasy implications.
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The Jaguars haven’t gotten much out of their tight ends while waiting for Thomas. Clay Harbor has seven catches for 74 yards and a touchdown, while Marcedes Lewis has five catches for 40 yards. The team has leaned on its top two wide receivers without Thomas; Allen Robinson has 15 catches for 330 yards, while Allen Hurns has 22 for 314. Each receiver has two touchdowns.
Fantasy impact: Thomas won’t be the touchdown monster he used to be in Denver, simply because Blake Bortles isn’t Peyton Manning, but his return does make him an appealing fantasy option for sneaky scores. Per Schefter, he will be a full participant in Sunday’s game, not limited or eased into the offense.
At a tight end position that hasn’t seen a lot of super-strong performers, Thomas could slot as a low-end TE1 even in his first week back, because he has as good a shot at a touchdown as just about anyone at the position. Meanwhile, his return likely hurts Robinson and Hurns a bit, knocking each of them down a handful of slots in the position rankings. Robinson looks like a high-end flex option after Thomas’ return and Hurns a low-end.
