All signs point to Mac Jones replacing Trevor Lawrence under center for the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 10 against Minnesota. Lawrence is expected to be out with a shoulder injury, which could keep him out until Week 13.
This means the Jags can see what they have in Mac Jones, as the New England Patriots were not exactly the best breeding ground for a rookie QB after the departure of Tom Brady. The narrative around Jacksonville seems to have changed from “They’re failing Trevor Lawrence” to “Trevor Lawrence is failing them,” so it will be interesting to see how Jones gets on.
The Jags are not looking like the potential AFC South winners that they were touted as in preseason, and there are a myriad of reasons as to why. Lawrence has not been helped by injuries to a new WR room and star TE Evan Engram, as well as a plethora of tipped INTs and an error-prone season from RB Travis Etienne.
So, can Jones come in, save the day and change the trajectory of the 2-7 Jaguars? Probably not, however, he does offer an injection of something different, and that sometimes can be enough to kickstart a season.
Jacksonville hosts the 6-2 Vikings in Week 10, and Minnesota has lost the aura of invincibility they had at 5-0. However, the Vikings have played some terrific football in 2024, and Mac Jones is going to be up against a team conceding an average of 18.75 points per game. Not just that, Minnesota has real scoring potential due to their array of receiving threats, which now also includes the returning T.J. Hockenson, as well as RB Aaron Jones.
If you are thinking of starting Mac Jones in fantasy football, this is not the game to do it. You should stash him on your bench in case he can change the narrative in Jacksonville, but you shouldn’t bank on him doing it here, especially given his history of turnovers.
Mac Jones’ points range: 6-23; Prediction: 12.5
Mac Jones’ 2023 numbers are a warning sign for fantasy football
In 2023, Mac Jones did not have a good year. After being benched for Bailey Zappe for the latter stages of the season, Jones was traded to Jacksonville for a sixth-round pick.
In 11 starts, Jones put up a stat line of 2,120 yards, 10 TDs and 12 INTs through the air, averaging 10.80 points per game in fantasy football. That puts him in the same bracket as players like Kenny Pickett, Zach Wilson and Tommy Devito in 2023.
Jones’ career numbers include 8,946 yards, 46 TDs and 36 INTs across 44 games, and the QB has gone 18-24 since entering the league in 2021. Yes, Jones is with a new team and the Jaguars arguably have better offensive weapons than he worked with in New England. But that doesn’t mean you should start him in fantasy football. He is very much a ‘wait and see’ QB at this stage.
Also read: Week 10 Defense Rankings, Streamers & Traps ft. Chargers, Giants & Broncos