It’s Time To Drop Patriots’ JuJu Smith-Schuster On Fantasy Rosters
Smith-Schuster has not lived up to expectations through three weeks
JuJu Smith-Schuster has not lived up to his billing through the first three weeks of the season, and while the New England Patriots will try to get the 26-year-old going, fantasy football managers should jump ship and move on.
Smith-Schuster is ranked as the WR87 and rostered in 56% of Yahoo leagues through three weeks, according to Fantasy Pros. For context, Robbie Chosen’s one catch for a 68-yard touchdown in the Miami Dolphins’ blowout win last Sunday made him the WR79.
The Patriots essentially signed the Pro Bowl wide receiver over Jakobi Meyers, and that decision has yet to pay off. Smith-Schuster’s upside was absent through the first three games of the season, and his poor play has affected him mentally. And his penalty against the New York Jets made him an even more frustrating player for New England fans despite Bill Belichick’s praise.
New England projected as a run-first team, and that showed itself to start with the Patriots 23rd in neutral pass rate. That means you’re asking for efficiency from Patriots pass-catchers, and Kendrick Bourne and Hunter Henry are the only two who have given that.
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Bourne is the WR31 through three games but only rostered in 33% of Yahoo leagues. Smith-Schuster did out-snap Bourne last Sunday, but the latter made better use of his time on the field.
If you’re down early in your league, you can’t waste time and wait for Smith-Schuster to become a thing. Below are high-upside options rostered in less than 50% of Yahoo leagues who should be added ahead of Smith-Schuster:
Adam Thielen, Carolina Panthers
Tank Dell, Houston Texans
Romeo Doubs, Green Bay Packers
Marvin Mims Jr., Denver Broncos
Jayden Reed, Green Bay Packers
Rashid Shaheed, New Orleans Saints
Josh Downs, Indianapolis Colts
Joshua Palmer, Los Angeles Chargers
Quentin Johnston, Los Angeles Chargers
It’s possible Smith-Schuster can muster some real-life value for New England, but if you need an upgrade at wide receiver, he’s worth dropping as soon as possible.
