Wide receiver Julio Jones was traded Sunday to the Tennessee Titans, who acquired him from the Atlanta Falcons. Here’s our reaction with analysis for Julio Jones trade fantasy football tips and betting outlook.
Julio Jones Traded To Tennessee Titans: Fantasy Football & Betting Tips
The Atlanta Falcons traded wide receiver Julio Jones to the Tennessee Titans on Sunday in exchange for a 2022 second-round pick and a 2023 fourth-round selection, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. The Titans also receive a sixth-round pick in 2023 and take on Jones’ salary of $15.3M in 2021 and the rest of the deal. As part of the deal, the Falcons have $7.75M in dead money this year.
This is a huge get for Tennessee, who lost two big receiving options in wide receiver Corey Davis and tight end Jonnu Smith this offseason in free agency. While the Titans ranked 2nd in total offense last year, they ranked towards the bottom of the NFL in completions (28th), attempts (30th), and yards (23rd). However, Tennessee finished in the top 10 in receiving touchdowns (T-8th) and interceptions thrown (T-2nd).
In his career, Jones has accumulated 12,896 yards and 60 touchdowns on 848 catches. The seven-time Pro Bowler is first in NFL history in receiving yards per game, as he’s averaged 95.5 yards through 135 career games. In an injury-filled season in last year’s campaign, Jones played 9 games in which he finished with 51 catches for 771 yards and 3 touchdowns. Whenever he’s on the field, defenses need to pay special attention to Jones, and that shouldn’t change as he joins Tennessee.
Tennessee finished 1st in the AFC South with an 11-5 record after winning the tie-breaker over the Indianapolis Colts. However, the Titans fell to the Baltimore Ravens in the first round a year removed from losing in the AFC Championship. The addition of Jones bodes well for Ryan Tannehill and third-year receiver A.J. Brown.
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Titans Acquire Julio Jones: Fantasy Football Tips
With Jones joining the Titans, it’s safe to say everyone’s stock on Tennessee’s offense goes up. Now Tannehill will be throwing to one of the most dominant receivers in the league. Jones has 58 career 100-yard games, which puts him fourth all-time in NFL history. Jones can play at every level on the field, from the short game to going deep over the top. With Jones’ size, Tannehill will have no problem dumping it to him in the red zone.
The addition of Jones is great for Brown and Derrick Henry, too. Entering his third year in the league, Brown gets to learn from one of the best receivers in the league. Along with that, Jones will draw more attention to his side of the field, leaving many opportunities for Brown to be left alone in 1-on-1 situations. Through two seasons, Brown has 2,126 yards and 19 touchdowns on 122 receptions. That puts him right on pace where Jones was at through his first two years in the league.
With defenses more likely to focus on the pass now, Henry should continue to have a field day on the ground. Henry led the NFL in all rushing categories when teams knew the Titans would run the ball. While it might ding Henry’s carries, Henry shouldn’t see much change in his yards and touchdowns, as he’s still one of the best running backs in the league. The Titans will definitely pass more, but they won’t forget their roots in the run game.
Now that Julio Jones is gone, Calvin Ridley becomes the entrenched No. 1 receiver of Matt Ryan‘s passing offense. Replacing Jones as the No. 2 target is TE Kyle Pitts, Atlanta’s No. 4 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. Ridley had the biggest year of his career last season, setting career highs in targets, receptions, and yards. It also helps that, at 36 years old, Ryan shows no sign of slowing down. Pitts will also benefit greatly, as he will replace Jones’ size when it comes to the red zone.
- Julio Jones is a fantasy WR2. He is coming off an injury-plagued season and is joining a new offense with a new quarterback throwing to him for the first time since college.
- A.J. Brown, on the other hand, should go before Jones as he’s the top option in Tennessee as still a top-10 overall wideout.
- Ryan Tannehill is easily capable of a strong fantasy QB1 season but could be drafted beyond the top 10 at his position, so he could become a value.
- Derrick Henry is still Derrick Henry and should be taken within the first five picks.
- For the Falcons, Calvin Ridley’s draft stock goes up as the top option in Atlanta. He’s arguably a top-5 wideout in most formats.
- I also would argue to take Ryan ahead of Tannehill, as it’s obvious the Falcons favor the passing game.
- Pitts is a TE1 and will make an immediate impact for Atlanta, so he should be one of the first 2021 fantasy tight ends off 2021 fantasy football draft boards.
Titans Acquire Julio Jones: Betting Tips
What bets would you place on his new team?
According to PointsBet, the addition of Jones boosts Tennessee’s odds in multiple categories. The Titans’ odds of winning the Super Bowl go from +3500 to +3000. Their odds of winning the AFC Championship and AFC South moved from +1800 to +1600 and +120 to +110, respectively. Along with that, Tannehill’s and Jones’ odds of winning the MVP also improve. Tannehill’s odds go from +2800 to +2000, and Jones goes from +15000 to +10000.
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The bet to hammer would easily be the Titans winning the AFC South.
They just barely edged out the Colts last season, but definitely get the edge with the addition of Jones. The rest of the bets are a little bit tricky, as the AFC still has the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills, not to mention teams getting better such as the Baltimore Ravens and Cleveland Browns. If you want a long-shot bet that could pay off, go with the Titans winning the AFC Championship.
If you’re looking for a player prop to take, it’s Julio Jones Over 5.5 receiving touchdowns next season.
Jones had under 6 receiving touchdowns in only three seasons, two of which he was injured. All 8 of Smith’s touchdowns were within 15 yards of the endzone while 4 of Davis’ 5 touchdowns were within the redzone. With Jones having a similar build to both Smith and Davis, it only makes sense for Tannehill to look for Jones when the Titans reach the redzone.
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