Fantasy: 2019 Projections - Can you trust Bell to bounce back on Jets?

Get ready for your season with theScore's 2019 Fantasy Football Draft Kit and subscribe to push notifications in the NFL Fantasy News section.

With training camps approaching, theScore's Justin Boone is releasing his offensive projections for all 32 teams, including his thoughts on every fantasy-relevant player.

Projections are based on the following point values in PPR leagues:

• Passing Yards: 1 point per 25 yards
• Passing TDs: 4 points
• Interceptions: -2 points
• Rushing Yards: 1 point per 10 yards
• Rushing TDs: 6 points
• Receptions: 1 point
• Receiving Yards: 1 point per 10 yards
• Receiving TDs: 6 points
• Fumbles Lost: -2 points
• Two-point Conversions: 2 points

2019 Fantasy Projections

AFC East
NE | BUF | NYJ | MIA
AFC North
BAL | CIN | PIT | CLE
AFC South
JAX | IND | HOU | TEN
AFC West
DEN | KC | OAK | LAC
NFC East
DAL | PHI | NYG | WAS
NFC North
DET | GB | MIN | CHI
NFC South
ATL | NO | CAR | TB
NFC West
LAR | SF | SEA | ARI

New York Jets

Sam Darnold, QB

In an era when fantasy managers are more prepared than ever before and legitimate sleepers are harder to identify, it's surprising to see Darnold getting so little fanfare heading into his sophomore season. Perhaps it's the depth of the quarterback position that's preventing people from getting overly excited. For example, I recognize Darnold's upside and still have him ranked as my QB23 in redraft leagues. However, the improvement he showed over the final month of his rookie campaign coupled with the infusion of talent around him is enough to propel him into the top 15 if everything clicks under new head coach Adam Gase. Keep Darnold on your list of high-ceiling, late-round quarterbacks.

Quarterback depth: Trevor Siemian, Davis Webb, and Luke Falk. Nothing to see here. If Darnold gets hurt, our best hope is that Siemian can keep Le'Veon Bell and Robby Anderson fantasy viable, and even that could be asking a lot.

Le'Veon Bell, RB

Bell's year away from the game adds a ton of risk to his fantasy outlook. It also doesn't help that he left a Steelers rushing attack that generated RB1 fantasy numbers regardless of who was starting in the backfield. Bell has a lot to prove in New York, and, thanks to a serious lack of competition, he should see plenty of touches as a runner and a pass-catcher. Volume will be key since his efficiency is likely to decline away from Pittsburgh's system and behind a less talented offensive line. Because of that, you should anticipate Bell being more of a low-end RB1 rather than the elite fantasy option we knew him as in past seasons.

Running back depth: Ty Montgomery has impressed the Jets' coaching staff and is expected to make the team. That leaves Bilal Powell, Elijah McGuire, Trenton Cannon, and De'Angelo Henderson to battle it out for the remaining roster spots. Powell has done well in spot duty, but he's on the wrong side of 30. McGuire's impact has been limited and he seems to be losing favor with the coaching staff. Meanwhile, Cannon and Henderson are long shots to earn any meaningful snaps. If Bell suffers an injury, which is common for players coming off extended absences, this backfield will struggle to produce fantasy stats.

Robby Anderson, WR

We know Anderson can be a fantasy star. He finished as a top-20 receiver in 2017 and recaptured that form during the 2018 fantasy playoffs by posting more points than any other wideout over those three weeks. More importantly, Anderson displayed a connection with Darnold, something we all want to see continue in September. Anderson has a WR1 ceiling but should settle in as a regular WR2 in fantasy moving forward. That's great value to secure in the seventh round.

Jamison Crowder, WR

Crowder received a nice boost recently, as Brian Costello of the New York Post said the receiver stood out for all of the right reasons at OTAs and looked healthy. Prior to his injury-shortened campaign in 2018, Crowder had missed only one game during his first three NFL seasons, so it's good to hear he's back to full strength. As a volume-dependent slot receiver, Crowder should provide Darnold with another weapon underneath, but don't expect consistent output from a fantasy perspective.

Quincy Enunwa, WR

Enuwa was Darnold's favorite target during the first month of the season. The wideout had stat lines of 6-63-1, 7-92-0, 4-57-0, and 4-66-0 before injuries derailed his year. With Crowder taking over the slot work, Enunwa will be miscast on the outside. Simply, there are better investments to make with your late-round picks.

Receiver depth: The Jets are fairly top-heavy at receiver with veteran Josh Bellamy and rookie Greg Dortch being the most likely candidates to see increased snaps if a starter misses time. Even in that scenario, they wouldn't warrant a spot on your fantasy bench.

Chris Herndon, TE

With a four-game suspension to start the season, Herndon is borderline undraftable in most leagues. It's a disappointing scenario for a promising young player who was a top-seven tight end in all fantasy formats from Week 6 to 16 last year. You could consider pairing Herndon with another late-round option like Jordan Reed, assuming Reed will eventually get hurt and Herndon can take over as your starter. But you're better off grabbing a tight end earlier and avoiding the headache.

Tight end depth: The Jets drafted Trevon Wesco in the fourth round and signed Daniel Brown to help bolster their depth chart. But with Herndon missing time, the most likely result will be an increase in targets for Crowder and Enunwa.

2019 Fantasy Projections

AFC East
NE | BUF | NYJ | MIA
AFC North
BAL | CIN | PIT | CLE
AFC South
JAX | IND | HOU | TEN
AFC West
DEN | KC | OAK | LAC
NFC East
DAL | PHI | NYG | WAS
NFC North
DET | GB | MIN | CHI
NFC South
ATL | NO | CAR | TB
NFC West
LAR | SF | SEA | ARI