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If you were unable to catch DraftKings’ “The Sweat” earlier in the week (if you didn’t, check us out), you may not know how big a fan of Gardner Minshew II I am. “A vote against Gardner Minshew is a vote against America” was the phrase I echoed on the fateful show Monday night. Most of this is spawned from Minshew’s pre-game ritual (look it up) and the fact that he nearly brought Jacksonville to 1-1 had it not been for poor play-calling on a 2-point conversion to win the game. But I digress. Minshew didn’t “Wow” anyone in Week 2, but he was efficient, completing 23-of-33 passes for 213 yards and a touchdown while adding 56 yards on six carries (17.2 fantasy points).
Fantasy Impact: So that’s back-to-back performances of 15-plus fantasy points from the no-name Minshew — who is slowly making a name for himself. The Jaguars are in a must-win spot against a divison opponent at home, and I think Minshew will only improve as he gets more reps. The issue is the Titans’ defense ranks 5th in Pass DVOA early in the season and there isn’t a high projected point total for the game. Plus, we can expect Tennessee to try and control the clock with RB Derrick Henry quite a bit. So Minshew’s upside is capped, though his ability to extend the play with his legs is intriguing.
If you’re desperate in a deep league and have no choice, go with Minshew, he may surprise you. Otherwise, I wouldn’t risk playing him on Thursday and hamstringing yourself early in your matchup. Play it safe.
Recommendation: Sit
All views expressed are my own. I am an employee of DraftKings and am ineligible to play in public DFS contests.