Mac Jones’s fantasy outlook after the Patriots released Cam Newton and named the former Alabama quarterback their starter. When should you draft him?
The Cam Newton era in New England is over and a new one has begun. With Newton being released, Mac Jones is now the starting quarterback for the Patriots.
With a move of this magnitude occurring, this will certainly shift the ranking of Patriots’ skill position players and will even vault Jones into fantasy circles.
Where should you draft Mac Jones in fantasy football?
While Jones’ and Newton’s playing styles are pretty different — it is worth looking at how Newton performed last year in this system.
Newton totaled 2,657 yards with eight touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He added 137 rushes for 592 yards and 12 touchdowns. The bulk of Newton’s production came from his ground attack. Newton’s 12 touchdowns on the ground are significant in fantasy. Jones will not finish anywhere near this number.
While Newton’s passing stats aren’t all that inspiring, it was his first year in the system and he lacked a solid group of weapons around him.
He had Jakobi Meyers, Damiere Byrd, James White and a banged-up Julian Edelman who was nearing his career’s end.
Meanwhile, Jones’ group will include these new additions in 2021: Nelson Agholor, Hunter Henry, Jonnu Smith and Kendrick Bourne. Jones is the type of quarterback that Bill Belichick and Josh McDaniels wanted all along after they lost Tom Brady.
Jones threw for 388 yards this preseason which led all first-round quarterbacks. He earned the highest Pro Football Focus grade out of them all as well, coming in at 92.2.
Jones’ passing upside is higher than Newton’s ever was in this New England system. He will likely eclipse Newton’s 2020 yardage and touchdown numbers, increasing his upside and the rest of the Patriots’ offense.
However, he’s not the rushing threat that Newton was. He’s not getting you anywhere near the 12 rushing touchdowns Newton had. This is great news for Damien Harris.
Bottom line: Jones offers far more upside through the air this year, and he has the advantage over his fellow rookies Justin Fields and Trey Lance since he’s now the clear-cut starter.
He won’t offer a lot on the ground, but his big arm and high football IQ combined with the brand new pass catchers the Pats acquired makes Jones a high-end QB2 who would be an excellent bench stash if you’re looking for another quarterback to sit and develop as the season progresses.