Jarvis Landry was added to the PUP list on Sunday. Physically unable to perform? You and me both, Jarvis. When I’m not able to perform, I usually just stop at the gas station and…. oh.. I’m being told that my issues are different than the PUP list that Jarvis Landry is on. Well, I had a whole lot more to say on a different subject.
Even with starting camp on the PUP list, Landry is still eyeing week 1 as a real possibility for his return after offseason hip surgery. And I think that there is plenty to like about Landry when you are targeting depth at wide receiver in the middle rounds.
The Stats
The offense in Cleveland will look a little different under Kevin Stefanski, but you have to love Baker Mayfield’s connection with Jarvis Landry that led to 138 targets which ranked 9th among NFL wide receivers. Even in Cleveland, Landry was doing what fantasy owners have expected of him since Miami, catch a ton of short and intermediate passes. Landry was also 7th in red zone targets for WRs with 12. That was good for a 28% red zone usage rate. Although the addition of Austin Hooper might take a chunk out of his red zone work.
Outside of the opportunity statistics, Jarvis’ yards after catch were impressive. He made a big jump in YAC from 2018 to 2019 with over 400 of his yards coming after the completion.
Injury Situation
Remember getting a nice deal on Giancarlo Stanton who was going to start the season on the DL? Now after the late start he looks like a great value. The same situation could very well happen in football. If Covid numbers continue to climb, the NFL could go to a wait and see approach leaving more time for Landry to recover if there is a setback and providing a ton of value at the 7th round price tag. According to FantasyPros, the names that Landry is surrounded by include A.J. Green, Deebo Samuel, Marquise Brown, and Michael Gallup. Landry easily has the highest floor out of all of those players.
Odell Beckham Jr. Effect
I can see Beckham opting out in the future based on his recent comments. For the record I agree with him that the NFL isn’t ready to roll out a season in 2020. Beckham has also expressed interest in playing for other teams last season with his “come get me” outcries. So if Beckham does opt in if there is a 2020 season, there is no guarantee that he spends the entire time in Cleveland. That scenario could also lead to more volume for Jarvis Landry.
There are a lot of paths to profit when drafting Landry in large part due to lack of depth in the receiving game for Cleveland. Outside of Beckham, Hooper, and Hunt, there isn’t much outside of maybe Rashard Higgins. David Njoku wants a trade and even if it isn’t granted, I’m not sure he will carve out a large role in the Stefanski offense. The only real downside to Landry is a possible nagging hip problem.
