Jesse James

Jesse James

29-Year-Old Tight EndTE
 Free Agent  
Free Agent
2023 Fantasy Outlook
James never recorded a target with the Browns last season before he suffered a season-ending biceps injury Week 2. The 29-year-old tight end recorded 37 receptions for 333 yards over the previous three seasons between Detroit and Chicago. After signing a one-year, $1.65 million deal with New Orleans in May, James could be a longshot for the 53-man roster behind tight ends Juwan Johnson, Foster Moreau, Jimmy Graham and super-utility player Taysom Hill. Read Past Outlooks
$Released by the Saints in August of 2023.
Let go by Las Vegas
TEFree Agent
November 21, 2023
James was cut from the Raiders' practice squad Tuesday.
ANALYSIS
James signed with Las Vegas on Nov. 8, but he will now look for a new opportunity elsewhere. The tight end hasn't appeared in a game this season after playing in two contests with Cleveland last year.
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NFL Stats
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Fantasy/Red Zone Stats
See red zone opportunities inside the 20, 10 and 5-yard lines along with the percentage of time they converted the opportunity into a touchdown.
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2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
2022 NFL Game Log
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2021 NFL Game Log
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2020 NFL Game Log
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2019 NFL Game Log
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2018 NFL Game Log
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2017 NFL Game Log
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Receiving Alignment Breakdown
See where Jesse James lined up on the field and how he performed at each spot.
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2023 Jesse James Split Stats
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Measurables Review View College Player Page
How do Jesse James' measurables compare to other tight ends?
This section compares his draft workout metrics with players at the same position. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that metric and it would be considered average.
Height
6' 7"
 
Weight
261 lbs
 
40-Yard Dash
4.83 sec
 
Shuttle Time
4.50 sec
 
Cone Drill
7.53 sec
 
Vertical Jump
37.5 in
 
Broad Jump
121 in
 
Bench Press
26 reps
 
Hand Length
9.38 in
 
Arm Length
33.00 in
 
Recent RotoWire Articles Featuring Jesse James See More
2023 New Orleans Saints Preview: Roster Moves, Depth Chart, Schedule, Storylines and More
242 days ago
After two years of uneven quarterback play, the Saints are banking on Derek Carr to right the ship on offense. He'll have plenty of talent to work with, namely RB Alvin Kamara and WR Chris Olave, among others.
Past Fantasy Outlooks
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015
Detroit committed a lot of money to James last offseason, and it's tough to say whether the team is pleased with the return on its investment after one year. While James is a competent blocker, he's not viewed as being dynamic in that area, and his limitations as a receiver make him less useful there than other tight ends around the league. Look for T.J. Hockenson to bring in the majority of the Lions' production from the tight end position in 2020.
The four-year, $25 million deal the Lions threw at James is mostly tied to his blocking ability, as he's never been a top-20 fantasy performer at tight end through four NFL seasons. But perhaps the Lions will find more use for James' height at the goal line than the Steelers did. It was interesting to see his yards per target spike last year in a season where his opportunities cratered, but that's probably more of a small-sample anomaly than anything else. If James and Matthew Stafford show rapport in September, you can go to the market with a restrained FAAB bid. Of course, the requisite cold water applies here, too - Detroit used the No. 8 overall draft pick on T.J. Hockenson, who is a vastly superior athlete. Even with increased use of two-TE formations, the Lions will have a tough time finding regular targets for both players.
The Steelers traded for Vance McDonald a week before the regular season started last year, popping whatever fantasy upside James had coming into 2017. But the 6-7 James showed what he had to offer in Week 1 while McDonald got acclimated, catching six of eight targets, including three inside the 10-yard line, for two TDs. That's as good as it got, though. Even in the six games McDonald missed, James didn't do much. He caught 17 of 26 targets in those game but posted only 5.5 YPA and scored just once more. McDonald is back to handle the starting role this season. Even if McDonald, who has missed 22 games in five seasons, were to sustain an injury, James' upside is limited because tight end has been somewhat of an afterthought in the Pittsburgh offense.
The first key point with James is his age -- although he's already played two pro seasons, he didn't turn 23 until early June. To put this in perspective, James is only a few months older than O.J. Howard, the first tight end selected in this year's draft. Benefitting from Ladarius Green's absence for most of last season, James was Pittsburgh's No. 2 red-zone target (13 looks), turning those chances into seven catches, six first downs and three touchdowns. However, he faces new competition in Vance McDonald, whom Pittsburgh acquired in an August trade with San Francisco. It's possible this could turn into a tight-end-by-committee situation before long, leaving both with marginal utility in fantasy.
Catching eight of 11 targets for 56 yards and a touchdown, James made the most of limited playing time in his rookie season. It appeared he was poised to assume the starting tight end job after Heath Miller abruptly retired during the offseason, but the signing of free agent Ladarius Green suggests the Steelers may not believe James is ready to take on that role. Still, James should see an increase in offensive snaps, particularly within the red zone, making him an interesting late-round draft pick with upside in touchdown-only formats.
Recognizing that Heath Miller can’t play forever, the Steelers selected James in the fifth round of the draft. His size (6'7/261) and athleticism suggest he can create mismatches, particularly in the red zone, but his poor blocking skills will likely limit his playing time, and subsequent fantasy value, this season.
More Fantasy News
Joins Raiders' practice squad
TEFree Agent
November 8, 2023
Las Vegas signed James to its practice squad Wednesday.
ANALYSIS
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Set for release
TEFree Agent
August 29, 2023
The Saints are slated to release James (groin) on Tuesday, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports.
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Dealing with groin injury
TENew Orleans Saints
Groin
August 13, 2023
James won't play in Sunday's preseason opener against the Chiefs due to a groin injury, John Hendrix of SI.com reports.
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Joins New Orleans
TENew Orleans Saints
May 31, 2023
The Saints signed James (biceps) to a one-year, $1.65 million deal on Wednesday, Katherine Terrell of ESPN.com reports.
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Goes to IR with biceps injury
TECleveland Browns
Biceps
September 20, 2022
Cleveland placed James (biceps) on IR on Tuesday.
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