Similar to Nickleback’s music or pretty much everything having to do with Miley Cyrus, Blaine Gabbert’s “skills” as an NFL quarterback have almost become a running joke. The Jacksonville Jaguars have only won five of the 26 games that Gabbert has started and the last time he led them to a win was more than a year ago. There’s no question that he’s bad and that hurts his receivers’ fantasy value (Cecil Shorts, Justin Blackmon), but it’s unclear if there really is a better option in Jacksonville.
It’s not uncommon to hear people discussing fantasy to bemoan the Jags’ decision to stick with Gabbert over backup Chad Henne, but is there really a difference?
Gabbert’s career Quarterback Rating in 27 games with the Jaguars is an anemic 66.7; Henne’s isn’t much better at 70.5 in 13 games for the Jags.
Now that Blackmon is back from his four-game suspension, fantasy owners need to start thinking about whether he is worthy of a roster spot and how they want to proceed with Shorts. Here’s a quick look at the receiving numbers that Shorts and Blackmon put up in the first eight weeks (when Gabbert was the primary QB) and the final eight weeks (when Henne was the primary QB) of last season.
Games 1-8 (with Gabbert primarily throwing the pill)
Shorts: 23 receptions, 45 targets, 456 receiving yards, 57 yards-per-game, three TDs.
Blackmon: 23 receptions, 54 targets, 225 receiving yards, 28 yards-per-game, one TD.
Games 9-16 (with Henne primarily dishing the rock)
Shorts: 32 receptions, 60 targets, 523 receiving yards, 87.2 yards-per-game, four TDs.
Blackmon: 41 receptions, 78 targets, 640 receiving yards, 80 yards-per-game, four TDs.
Since Blackmon hasn’t played yet this season, comparing the 2013 numbers doesn’t quite work, but it’s worth noting that Shorts has 16 catches for 236 yards in Henne’s two starts and only 10 catches for 101 yards when Gabbert has gotten the nod this year.
Based on last year’s numbers and the small sample size from this season, it’s obvious that Henne is a better option than Gabbert, but his presence clearly affects Blackmon’s numbers in a much greater way. Even with Gabbert as the primary passer, Shorts is still a somewhat viable fantasy option; Blackmon, at least up to this point, really is not. Both receivers are probably worth rostering, but don’t be afraid to cut bait on Blackmon if the Blaine Gabbert Experience doesn’t go on hiatus in the near future. (Note: Definitely see how Blackmon does this week though before cutting him; in the event of a good game, SELL HIGH!)
Evan Bleier is a contributor for CraveOnline Sports.
Photo Credit: Getty
