1. LeGarrette Blount Is Still a Force in Close
It'll always be hard to trust a guy like LeGarrette Blount given his low snap rates and lack of passing-game involvement. But even with Tom Brady back, Blount has shown he's not going to disappear in the red zone.
In the three games Brady has played, Blount has gotten 48.2% of the total red zone opportunities on the team. That's a slight decrease from his 50.0% mark for the entire season, but Brady's presence means the team should figure to see more overall scoring opportunities. Being an integral member of said opportunities is huge for fantasy, and it means we can't completely ignore Blount.
The New England Patriots are going to be heavy favorites often this season -- as well they should be. When that's the case, Blount will always be worth a look given his red zone involvement, even if he does carry higher risk than other assets at a similar price.
2. Julio Jones Is Missing Just One Thing
Julio Jones has it all. After seeing 15 targets Sunday, his target market share is up to 26.9%, and the efficiency is as high as ever. He's the perfect fantasy asset.
Or at least he would be if he scored touchdowns.
Through seven games, Jones has amassed a whopping three red zone targets. That's the fifth-highest total on the team, tied with Justin Hardy, who has played 136 snaps the entire season. Jacob Tamme leads the way with 11, and both Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman lead Jones. Does that even make a single iota of sense?
This doesn't, however, murder Jones' fantasy value. He still leads all receivers in points based on half-PPR scoring, according to Fantasy Data, and he has the ability to score from anywhere on the field. Instead, it shows how stupid his ceiling could be if the Atlanta Falcons were to target him close. Jones has already been silly this season, but there's still room for growth, and that should only get us more excited to plop him on our rosters.