The initial thought of a Patriots wide receiver in the post-Brady era might make fantasy owners queasy. That is certainly for good reason, as the Patriots attempted just 27.5 passing attempts per game last year and Cam Newton finished 34th out of 32 teams in touchdown passes (8). For all the shit surrounding New England’s offense, or lack thereof, there is a beacon of hope late in fantasy drafts and Jakobi Meyers is the guy I’m not leaving without on draft night.
Jakobi Meyers finished with a 72.6% success rate vs. man coverage last year, placing him at the 80th percentile. Solid scores against man and zone as well. Really underrated separator that #ReceptionPerception has ranked higher than consensus.
Profile:https://t.co/JBLDAFnu7e pic.twitter.com/sf3zhNvzrA
— Matt Harmon (@MattHarmon_BYB) August 20, 2021
This offseason, the Patriots went out and boosted their offense when the team added Nelson Agholor, Kendrick Bourne, Jonnu Smith, and Hunter Henry in free agency. However, it’s Meyers who is shining brightest in his third year in New England. It takes time to learn the Patriots’ offensive scheme as a young player, and Meyers appears to be grasping all of its intricacies and concepts.
Fast forward to preseason game action. After leading the team in receiving, Meyers seems to be translating his early camp success into success on the field. Cam Newton targeted Meyers three times in Preseason Week 2, to the tune of three receptions for 56 yards and a touchdown.
Jakobi Meyers is the highest graded WR of the preseason with 91.4 Overall Grade
Jakobi Meyers is the WR1 in New England pic.twitter.com/J0sS99wz0R
— PFF NE Patriots (@PFF_Patriots) August 22, 2021
Meyers will play a huge role in New England’s offense in its legendary slot role. From Wes Welker to Julian Edelman to Danny Amendola, no one schemes an offense better around its slot position than Josh McDaniels. Not to mention, the offense as a whole should vastly improve with the added weapons, along with Newton’s comfortability in the offense and potentially the arrival of rookie Mac Jones as the team’s QB1.
If the preseason is a prerequisite for the regular season, Meyers is due to improve off a year in which he led his team in targets, receptions, and yards — and potentially score his first of many receiving touchdowns.
Currently, Meyers’ ADP sits at WR66. The Wolf ranks him higher in his 2021 Fantasy Rankings at WR55. Meyers is the clear WR1 in New England while operating out of the heavily targeted slot position in what should be a breakout year for Meyers.
