The saga between Liam Coen and the Jaguars, which ultimately led to his joining the team last offseason, was one of the biggest stories of the 2025 coaching cycle. Any questions over whether or not it was worth it for the Jaguars to bring the now 40-year-old coach on board after a one-year stint as the Buccaneers’ offensive coordinator were immediately laid to rest as Coen and his staff helped lead the Jaguars to a 13-win season, an AFC South title, and a near win over the Bills in the AFC Wild Card Round. There finally appears to be some stability in Duuuval, which should bode well for Trevor Lawrence and company as the Jaguars embark on their second season under Coen.
▶ 2025 Jacksonville Jaguars Stats (Rank)
- Points per game: 27.9 (6th)
- Total yards per game: 337.4 (11th)
- Plays per game: 64.3 (32nd)
- Dropbacks per game: 40.8 (11th)
- Dropback EPA per play: 0.11 (10th)
- Designed rush attempts per game: 27.1 (11th)
- Rush EPA per play: -0.07 (19th)
▶ Liam Coen looks to build on a successful first season
Liam Coen made the Jaguars look like geniuses in his first season with the team, ripping off an astonishing 13 wins while also giving the team a complete overhaul on offense. Coen took over a four-win team whose starting quarterback produced a pedestrian 2,045-11-7 line in 10 games the previous season, and had said quarterback in the MVP discussion less than a year later. That quarterback, of course, is Trevor Lawrence, who had one of his best seasons as a pro in his first season under Coen while leading an offense that finished sixth in scoring and 12th in overall EPA per play (0.04). The Jaguars enter this season with a deep receiver room and a revamped backfield that’s headlined by two players who have never had extended time as starters. Coen set the bar high in his first season, and now looks to tap even further into Lawrence’s upside in a passing game that is poised for another strong season.
▶ Passing Game
QB: Trevor Lawrence, Nick Mullens
WR: Brian Thomas Jr., Travis Hunter
WR: Jakobi Meyers, Josh Cameron
WR: Parker Washington, C.J. Williams
TE: Brenton Strange, Nate Boerkircher, Tanner Koziol
It’s been a difficult start to Trevor Lawrence‘s career. The No. 1 overall pick of the 2021 NFL Draft Class entered 2025 on his third head coach in five seasons and was coming off a season in which he threw for 2,045-11-7 in 10 games while dealing with multiple injuries during the season. Last season, in his first year under head coach and offensive guru Liam Coen, Lawrence appeared to have finally turned a corner. He posted a solid 4,007-29-12 line in 17 games, averaged the second-highest EPA per play of his career (0.064), and helped lead the Jaguars to their second-most wins (13) in franchise history.
Lawrence and his fantasy managers benefited from an aggressive passing game that ranked 11th in dropbacks per game while also ranking near the top in both neutral pass rate (55.9 percent) and pass rate over expected (+2.5 percent). An aggressive passing game has been a staple for Coen, who has led his QBs to top-five fantasy finishes in fantasy points per game in each of the last two seasons and gave Lawrence his best fantasy season (QB5 in FPPG) in his career.
An underrated aspect of Lawrence’s game has been his rushing upside. He posted career-highs in both rushing yards (359) and rushing touchdowns (9) last season, and since entering the league in 2021, he ranks ninth among all QBs in rushing yards (1,442) and third in rushing touchdowns (23), trailing only Jalen Hurts (59) and Josh Allen (54). Another year in Coen’s system, coupled with improved weaponry entering 2026, should position Lawrence nicely for another strong fantasy season.
Despite all the success the Jaguars’ passing game enjoyed in 2025, Brian Thomas Jr.‘s production was disappointing for both himself and fantasy managers. At one point, Thomas’ usage and role in the offense were so underwhelming that he became the subject of trade rumors around last year’s deadline. After breaking out for 87-1,282-10 as a rookie on 133 targets, Thomas underwhelmed to the tune of 48-707-2 in 14 games while seeing just 91 targets. During his rookie campaign, Thomas averaged 11.6 air yards per target compared to the 14.5 AY/TGT he averaged in 2025, as his role seemed to become more centered on his ability to stretch the field.
Thomas’ 25.3 percent deep target rate from last season marked a steep increase from his 21.1 percent deep target rate from his rookie season, and he managed only six catches on his deep attempts last season. As a rookie, Thomas excelled at creating yards after the catch, averaging 6.5 YAC/REC overall, which was good for sixth-most among receivers (min. 80 targets). On passes of 10 air yards or less, Thomas’ 5.9 YAC/REC still ranked in the top-10, while his 77 targets on passes of that distance were good for the 16th most among WRs. Last season, Thomas saw just 38 targets of 10 air yards or less, tying with John Metchie III for 56th at the position. Thomas averaged just 9.9 FPPG last season, finishing as the WR47 on the year. It’s hard to imagine things getting much worse for the third-year wideout, whose early best ball currently sits around the fifth/sixth-round. While it’s possible he could be positioned for a return to glory next season, there’s some belief that the Jaguars could remain committed to him as their primary downfield threat, which could again make him a volatile option in 2026. It’s probably best to think of Thomas as a fringe WR2/WR3 who has top-12 upside if his usage returns to something similar to what we saw in his rookie season.
Parker Washington gives the Jaguars the lead!
— NFL (@NFL) January 11, 2026
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Last year’s breakout receiver, Parker Washington, enters this season on the final year of his rookie deal and is hoping to build on last year’s campaign that saw him 58-847-5 on 95 targets. While not overly impressive totals, Washington set career highs in every major receiving category last season and enjoyed a solid nine-week stretch to close out the season, averaging 6.7 TGTS/gm, 4.6 RECS/gm, and 71.1 reYDS/gm, finishing as a top-24 PPR receiver in 66 percent of his games over that span. His second-half breakout was enough to have fantasy managers hoping for an even more productive season this time around, as his production ramped up when he returned to his familiar slot role following the trade for Jakobi Meyers. Below are Washington’s splits before and after Meyers first played for the Jaguars in Week 10 against the Texans. Washington should bring a solid floor to fantasy lineups this season and has plenty of weekly upside, as he displayed late last season.
| Slot% | TGTS/gm | RECS/gm | reYDS/gm | PPR/gm | |
| Pre-Jakobi Meyers Trade | 34.7% | 5.7 | 3.1 | 37.1 | 8.4 |
| Post Jakobi Meyers Trade | 52.0% | 6.4 | 4.1 | 68.8 | 14.6 |
Speaking of Meyers, the veteran receiver wasted little time before contributing to the Jaguars’ passing game. In nine games with the Jags, Meyers caught 42 passes for 483 yards and three scores, while drawing 6.8 targets per game. Meyers played almost exclusively on the outside after joining the team and led the team in routes (282) and targets (61) from Weeks 10-18. Much like Washington, he profiles as another solid floor option in a passing game that spreads the ball around to all of its pass-catchers.
| Player | Targets per game |
| Jakobi Meyers (w/ Jaguars) | 6.8 |
| Brian Thomas Jr. | 6.5 |
| Travis Hunter | 6.4 |
| Parker Washington | 5.9 |
| Brenton Strange | 5.0 |
Travis Hunter feels like the overlooked receiver in the Jags’ receiver room, and for good reason. The two-way player appears to be on the outside looking in for meaningful offensive snaps as far as the receiver depth chart is concerned, and it’s widely believed that Hunter will spend most of his time on the defensive side of the ball this season. Jaguars GM James Gladstone said he expects Hunter to see more playing time at corner next season while adding he will still “play both sides of the ball.” The question, of course, is whether or not Hunter’s offensive snaps will prove meaningful enough for fantasy. Last season, Hunter averaged 32.1 routes per game, but his only memorable fantasy outing was in a 35-7 blowout loss to the Rams, where he went for 8-101-1 on 14 targets. It’s still early, but it’s quite possible that Denny Carter’s spreadsheets were right when they told him Hunter was not the elite receiver prospect many wanted him to be. Until we get a better sense of his role, Hunter, who is still working his way back from a season-ending knee injury, is little more than a late-round dart throw
Tight end Brenton Strange recently signed a three-year, $36 million contract with the Jaguars that includes $25 million in guaranteed money. Strange posted career-highs in receptions (46), receiving yards (540), and receiving touchdowns (3) last season, and strung together four top-12 PPR finishes from Weeks 12-18 after missing a chunk of time with a hip injury he suffered in Week 5. Strange needed just 12 games under Liam Coen to have a career year and ranked among the top tight ends (min. 50 targets) in YAC/REC (5.4) and YPRR (1.71), making the most of his limited opportunities. His 5.0 TGTS/gm tied for 16th among that same group, and TEs who averaged 5.0 TGTS/gm or less last season averaged a paltry 7.34 FPPG last season. Barring an unexpected breakout, Strange will be best suited as a matchup-based streaming option rather than a guy we can reliably start in our lineups each week.
▶ Running Game
RB: Bhayshul Tuten, Chris Rodriguez, LeQuint Allen Jr.
OL (L-R): Cole Van Lanen, Ezra Cleveland, Robert Hainsey, Patrick Mekari, Anton Harrison
After spending most of his rookie season in a backup role behind the now-departed Travis Etienne, Bhayshul Tuten is expected to step into a more significant role this season. His split with free agent signee Chris Rodriguez is still to be determined, but Tuten brings an element of explosiveness to the Jaguars’ running game that Liam Coen hopes will result in more big plays on the ground after the team finished tied for 22nd in runs of 15-plus yards last year with 16. Tuten will have a lot to prove as a runner. While we only got a glimpse of what he can offer as a runner last season, his 83-307-5 rushing line (3.7 YPC) left a lot to be desired. The 0.48 yards before contact (YBC/ATT) Tuten last season certainly didn’t help matters, as that number would have ranked as the second-lowest marker in the league among running backs with 200 or more carries last season. On the flip side, Tuten’s missed tackles forced rate (MTF%) of 21.7 percent would have ranked seventh-highest in that same group. Tuten boasts blazing speed (4.32 40-yard dash) and has decent size (5'9"/209) at the position. How Tuten factors into the running game will likely determine his fantasy success in 2026, as neither he nor Rodriguez is expected to offer much in the passing game — more on that in a bit. If Coen views him as more of a between-the-20s runner only to turn the ball over to Rodriguez near the goal-line, reliable fantasy production could prove hard to come by for the second-year speedster.
When it comes to Chris Rodriguez, the fourth-year back is working his way back from a foot injury that has sidelined him for much of the offseason, but the hope is he will be ready by training camp. Sports Illustrated’s John Shipley referred to Rodriguez as the team’s “hammer” in June, while adding that he believes Rodriguez will ultimately lead the team in carries.
Rodriguez put together a solid three-year resumé during his time with the Commanders. While he never saw more than 112 carries in a season, his 198-920-10 career line that includes a MTF% of 24.7 percent and an impressive 3.59 YCO/ATT suggests he could have a lot more to offer in a featured role. He’s a big-bodied back that doesn’t shy away from contact, and he’s scored seven times from inside the opponent’s five-yard line. If I’m making a bet today on the touchdown leader in the Jaguars’ backfield for 2026, my money would be on Rodriguez, who could provide the safest fantasy floor of any member of this backfield.
Second-year running back LeQuint Allen is believed to still be the preferred third-down option in the Jaguars’ backfield after he appeared on 66 percent of third downs last season. Despite the high snap rate, Allen didn’t offer any fantasy production. His biggest contribution was arguably limiting the upside of both Etienne and Tuten last season just by simply being on the field. Allen totaled just 33 touches in 17 games while posting 148 scoreless yards from scrimmage. He’s worth a speculative pick in deeper leagues in case he were to see an expanded role as a pass-catcher, but there doesn’t appear to be much standalone value here at the moment.
▶ 2026 Jacksonville Jaguars Win Total
DraftKings Over/Under: 8.5
Pick: Over (-125)
This feels like a deeply disrespectful win total for a team that’s fresh off winning 13 games last season. According to Sharp Football Analysis, the Jaguars have the 15th “easiest” schedule based on projected Vegas win totals this season, and likely benefited from having the sixth-easiest SOS last season. I should start by saying I’m a firm believer in Liam Coen and his ability to elevate his team. Regardless of the schedule he faced last season, it’s not often we see rookie head coaches take over a four-win team from the previous season and turn it into a 13-win team. In addition to the offensive turnaround, the Jaguars’ defense showed up in a big way, finishing eighth in points allowed and 11th in yards allowed while also forcing the second-most turnovers in the league (31). This projected win total doesn’t require the Jaguars to be nearly as good as they were last season to hit the over, and with an SOS that’s still in the upper half of the league for this season, I like them to hit the over here.
