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New York Jets quarterback Zach Wilson (knee) had arthroscopic knee surgery on August 16th and is expected to be sidelined for four to six weeks.
The 23-year-old suffered a bone bruise and meniscus tear during the Jets' first preseason game versus the Philadelphia Eagles. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Wilson has an "outside chance" to play in Week 1 (September 11th) against the Baltimore Ravens. "If Zach is ready to play, he's going to be the Week 1 starter," Jets head coach Robert Saleh said. "If he's not, Joe (Flacco) will. That's no secret."
The Jets will be cautious with the former No. 2 overall pick as Wilson is not expected to suit up until he's fully recovered from knee surgery. Veteran Joe Flacco, who reportedly has looked sharp in training camp, will be under center while Wilson is sidelined.
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Jets Fantasy Football QB Options With Zach Wilson Sidelined
With Wilson expected to be out multiple weeks, the Jets will turn to Joe Flacco or Mike White as the team's starting quarterback. Flacco is in line to start the regular season opener against his former team, the Baltimore Ravens.
With Zach Wilson’s knee surgery today now considered a success and with the team not willing to bring him back until he’s fully ready, Jets’ QB Joe Flacco is in line to start the regular-season opener vs. his former Ravens team.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 16, 2022
Flacco was held out of Monday's preseason game against the Atlanta Falcons as the team will play it safe with the veteran. The 37-year-old completed 27-of-42 pass attempts for 338 yards and three touchdowns over two games for the Jets in 2021. He agreed to a one-year, $3.5 million contract with New York during the offseason.
Flacco spent most of last season as the backup to Mike White but will get the first crack as the team's starting quarterback with Wilson sidelined. He has had a strong training camp and continues to impress the Jets' coaching staff. "Joe and the offense looked really good, especially down there in the red zone where things are a lot tighter," Jets coach Robert Saleh said. "That's where his experience comes in."
Joe Flacco has looked significantly better against the #Jets defense throughout camp than Marcus Mariota today ??♂️
— Zack Rosenblatt (@ZackBlatt) August 19, 2022
Mike White appeared in four games for the Jets in 2021. He went 88-for-132 with 953 passing yards, five touchdowns, and eight interceptions during those starts last season. The 27-year-old surprised many with his performance against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 8, completing 37- of-45 passes for 405 yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions while rushing five times for minus -1 yard.
He failed to build on his Week 8 performance, posting a 1:4 TD: INT ratio over his next two games. White is currently No. 3 on the depth chart behind Flacco and Wilson.
Where Should Fantasy Football Managers Draft Zach Wilson In 2022?
Zach Wilson has an ADP of 310.17 overall and 32nd in the latest RotoBaller quarterback rankings. He is being selected in the late rounds, with quarterbacks such as Geno Smith, Drew Lock, Jacoby Brissett, and Kenny Pickett being selected right around his ADP.
While the knee injury set Wilson back, he had a talented group of wide receivers to work with in Elijah Moore, Corey Davis, first-round pick Garrett Wilson, and Braxton Berrios. Once Wilson returns to action, he is mainly an option in Superflex or two-QB league formats.
Zach Wilson 2022 Fantasy Football Outlook
Wilson struggled mightily in his rookie season, throwing 2,334 yards, nine touchdowns, and 11 interceptions while rushing for 185 yards on 29 attempts and four scores over 13 games. He is projected to throw for 3,500 yards, 20 touchdowns, and 15 interceptions in 2022. Those projections could fall short if Wilson doesn't return by Week 2 or 3 of the regular season. The Jets won't rush Wilson, and fantasy managers shouldn't expect him to see the field until he's 100 percent.
Fantasy managers can stash Wilson in Superflex and Two-QB league formats until he's ready to return to action. The Brigham Young product will need to improve his rookie campaign to become a borderline QB2 in fantasy.
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