After a one-year “prove it” deal with the Kansas City Chiefs last season, veteran wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster signed a three-year, $25.5 million contract with the New England Patriots in free agency this spring. The move immediately slides him to the top spot on the depth chart with the Patriots, but just how much that translates into actual production in a mediocre offense remains to be seen.
2023 Fantasy Football: JuJu Smith-Schuster Profile
Recap of 2022 season
After an injury-shortened season the year before, Smith-Schuster had a nice bounce back with the Chiefs in 2022. He caught 78 passes on 101 targets for 933 yards and three touchdowns. He was Kansas City’s leading wide receiver — though still well behind tight end Travis Kelce in his overall production totals.
Updated Patriots outlook
New England’s wide receiver depth chart leaves a little to be desired. Smith-Schuster will instantly step into the role vacated by departed free agent Jakobi Meyers, and he’ll probably see most of his work out of the slot as a reliable short-area target for quarterback Mac Jones. DeVante Parker — a shell of the player he looked like he could be back in 2019 — is the No. 2 receiver behind Smith-Schuster.
Best case scenario
Smith-Schuster’s best bet for production is a high volume of targets as the clear-cut No. 1 in an offense that figures to be playing catchup an awful lot this season. He won’t stretch the field the way Meyers could, but as a steady pair of hands who can keep the chains moving, it’s not unreasonable to think that he could top 1,000 yards.
Worst case scenario
Injuries have been a big part of Smith-Schuster’s recent seasons, and he’s still dealing with a knee issue that popped up in the postseason last year. Even healthy, this is an offense with Jones at quarterback, not Patrick Mahomes, and a team that’s firmly committed to running the ball no matter what. Even atop the depth chart, he could struggle to turn those targets into numbers reliable enough for an ongoing spot in fantasy football lineups.
Prediction
Smith-Schuster will have up and down weeks in this offense, even as the No. 1 target option. He’ll be a low-ceiling WR3 or Flex option in fantasy lineups, depending on the matchups.