So far this season, this has been my favorite debate. To play Jauan Jennings ($5,600), or not to play Jauan Jennings. George Kittle ($5,600) appeared back on the injury report—this time dealing with a rib injury—and did not participate in practice on Thursday. Last week vs. the Patriots, Kittle pulled in 4/4 targets for 45 yards and an impressive touchdown catch after sitting in Week 3 due to a hamstring injury.
That same Week 3, Jennings had a career game hauling in 11 receptions for 175 yards, three touchdowns, and a whopping 49.5 FPTS. It’s important to note Deebo Samuel Sr. ($6,800) was also ruled out Week 3, but Jennings benefitted from the normal short-field work Kittle receives. So the question is, if Kittle sits in Week 5, does Jennings bring enough value to earn him a start in our lineups?
Last week, Jennings caught 3/6 targets for 88 yards, a fairly underwhelming mark after his explosion in Week 3. Brandon Aiyuk ($6,300)—who has been struggling so far through four weeks—received five targets while Kittle got four and Samuel Sr. five. Overall, Purdy has been sharing the wealth, and this week against Arizona is a very pass-friendly matchup for the young QB. The Cardinals have generated a league-low 23.3% pressure rate when blitzing and have yet to record a sack on a blitz. Plus, they have the 2nd-lowest quarterback pressure rate overall. In Week 4, rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels completed 26 of 30 pass attempts for 233 yards against this Arizona defense, putting up an impressive 42 points.
Let’s get to the nitty-gritty. Jennings lined up in the slot on 55% of routes last week and was targeted five times on those routes. Kittle lined up in the slot on 14 (63%) of his routes and caught a touchdown out of the slot. Purdy targeted slot receivers on 48% of his pass attempts. Take Kittle out of the equation, and those slot routes will be divided up between Jennings and Samuel Sr.
Bringing in the defensive matchups, Arizona’s 6x Pro Bowl strong safety Budda Baker has struggled so far this season, missing 10 tackles through four games, which is tied for the 2nd-most of any defender. Safety Jalen Thompson has also been a bit of a non-factor, allowing every single one of his 14 targets faced to be caught for 193 yards allowed. Add in the fact that Jennings stands at 6’3 and will be a big-body red zone target for Purdy, this matchup is looking nicer and nicer.
While I don’t see Jennings going nuclear for 49.5 FPTS like he did in Week 3, the Cardinal’s defense is receiver-friendly and Jennings will definitely benefit if Kittle sits. I envision him as a FLEX play to round out your lineups in Week 5.
All odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.
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All views expressed are my own. I am an employee of DraftKings and am ineligible to play in public DFS or DKSB contests.
