I already plan to trade out Jefferson to Fulgham.
But OUT JuJu - IN Claypool, is it a wasted trade?
(
Claypool is only $670K less than JuJu, but Claypool has a BE -29, so will make money and has a high ceiling).
Extract from the article below:
.........The path to upside is tougher for JuJu Smith-Schuster. As mentioned, both Claypool and Johnson have multiple games with at least two deep targets. Smith-Schuster has two deep targets the entire season. He hasn't topped 69 yards yet in a game, and unless you expect his role to change, it's hard to see that outlook getting brighter.........
https://www.numberfire.com/nfl/news...otball-sannes-situations-to-monitor-in-week-6
The Arrival of Chase Claypool
There were a couple of factors that led to
Chase Claypool's big game. He had big efficiency, and at least some of his volume was thanks to
Diontae Johnson's injury. Neither of those things are locks to stick going forward.
That doesn't mean Claypool goes back in the box now.
(UPDATE: Johnson has since been ruled out, elevating Claypool's floor but putting a slight dent in Roethlisberger's ceiling.)
Although this isn't always the case in the NFL, past productivity can often lead to future volume. When said productivity includes dropping four tuddies on the
Philadelphia Eagles, you know this guy's going to have a role moving forward. Why on earth would the
Pittsburgh Steelers bottle him back up after what he did?
It's also encouraging that the Steelers acknowledged Claypool's talent. They gave him three rush attempts in Sunday's game. It's an indication they want the ball in his hands, in addition to the points you can squeeze out of a rush attempt. Both of those are valuable.
So, will Claypool see 11 targets when Johnson is healthy? Maybe not. But he might not need to in this matchup.
The opposing
Cleveland Browns rank 27th against the pass, according to numberFire's schedule-adjusted metrics. They're going to have a tough time slowing down Claypool, and it's a game we should be inclined to stack. Claypool should be a part of those stacks.
This isn't to say you should write off Johnson, assuming he gets the green light to play. He had 23 targets the first two games, and he had a pair of deep targets in both Weeks 2 and 3 (despite being limited to just 19 snaps in the latter). We should just prioritize Claypool as it seems likely he'll be the one getting the hyper-valuable downfield looks between the two, but Johnson would be a potential pivot if we get clearance on his health.
The path to upside is tougher for
JuJu Smith-Schuster. As mentioned, both Claypool and Johnson have multiple games with at least two deep targets. Smith-Schuster has two deep targets
the entire season. He hasn't topped 69 yards yet in a game, and unless you expect his role to change, it's hard to see that outlook getting brighter.
Instead, you could consider
Eric Ebron as the tertiary outlet within the offense. Ebron has at least five targets in three straight games, and among relevant options, his aDOT is second on the team behind Claypool. Ebron fills a gross position for just $5,200 and is facing a Browns defense that has already allowed at least six targets to six different tight ends this season.
In the lineups where you use Claypool, Johnson, or Ebron,
Ben Roethlisberger is a viable quarterback play, even though he hasn't shown upside yet this year.
A big part of the reason for Roethlisberger's lack of a ceiling is that he isn't throwing deep. His aDOT is 6.8 overall, and you need some big run-after-the-catch action or touchdown luck to pop on that. However, Roethlisberger's aDOT is 7.4 in the two games with Claypool's snaps up, and it could inch higher if we get both Johnson and Claypool active. That's enough to justify taking a swing at Roethlisberger in the ideal script for a quarterback in DFS.