Let’s start here: Jauan Jennings is good. That’s not up for debate. You can’t explode for 175 yards and three touchdowns in a single game without a certain level of skill. However, possessing the talent of a WR2 might not be as important as the reality of being a WR3. There’s the rub when it comes to projecting Jennings’ week-to-week value.
It’s not like Jennings doesn’t play or can’t have a solid performance when the 49ers are healthy. Heck, with Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk and George Kittle all available in Week 4, Jennings registered six targets and 88 receiving yards against the Patriots. However, that stat line was greatly assisted by a 45-yard reception — something that isn’t the most sustainable form of production.
Without an explosive play, you’re left with games like we saw this past Sunday. Jennings logged a 56.3% snap share and turned that into four targets and a single catch. Unfortunately, if you remove his outlier showing in Week 3, that’s sort of just Jennings’ usual role. If you don’t include that tilt against the Rams, where everyone else was injured, Jennings is averaging 36.3 offensive snaps per contest. He’s run 46 routes combined the past two weeks after running 34 versus Los Angeles. With a target rate that’s sure to be less than 20%, that leaves little margin for error on the path to viability.
This is a short week, so odd things can happen. After garnering 12 targets in Week 5, George Kittle was limited in practice on Monday with his nagging rib issue — maybe he’ll be unable to give it a go on Thursday. Barring that, it’s difficult to get too excited about Jennings’ fantasy potential, particularly in a matchup with a Seahawks secondary that’s conceding just 5.9 yards per opponent passing attempt.
Jennings has some FLEX appeal in 12-team or 14-team formats, but that’s about it. Still, San Francisco’s skill-position players don’t exactly have the healthiest track record, making Jennings one of the best WR handcuffs in the league. He’s worth hanging on to.
Start or Sit Jauan Jennings? Sit.
The Crown Is Yours: Sign up for DraftKings and experience the ultimate host for games and betting experiences!
All views expressed are my own. I am an employee of DraftKings and am ineligible to play in public DFS or DKSB contests.
