Liam Coen's Fantasy Football Impact on Jags Should Be Positive for Trevor Lawrence, Brian Thomas Jr.

Michael Fabiano | Jan 24, 2025

Liam Coen's presence in Jacksonville should be seen as a positive from a fantasy perspective. / Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

The Jacksonville Jaguars have a new head coach, as reports suggest Buccaneers offensive coordinator Liam Coen will be leaving Tampa Bay to take over the reins in Duval County. Coen’s offense was among the best in the league last season, as it ranked third in total net yards and fourth in points scored. It was also amazing from a fantasy football perspective.

Baker Mayfield finished fourth in points among quarterbacks, throwing for career-bests in yardage and touchdowns. Bucky Irving emerged into a superstar in Tampa Bay’s backfield, finishing as the RB13 for the season but sixth at the position in the final nine weeks. Chris Godwin was second in points scored per game among wideouts before getting hurt. Mike Evans scored 11 touchdowns and finished 14th in fantasy points at the position.

Now in Jacksonville, Coen will look to improve a Jaguars offense that was 25th in total net yards and 26th in points scored last season. He certainly has the talent to do it, too. The Jags will get Trevor Lawrence back (he missed the end of the year with an injured shoulder), and he has one of the best young wideouts in the league in Brian Thomas Jr. The Jags will also get Christian Kirk and Gabe Davis back, and Evan Engram still has one year left on his contract (although the team has a potential out and could move on from him).

The Jaguars offense line was better than what Coen had in Tampa Bay, too. It gave up just 32 sacks of its quarterbacks, compared to the Bucs allowing 40 sacks. What’s more, no line in the entire league allowed fewer player pressures last season than Jacksonville’s.

Coen’s presence in Jacksonville is good for all involved, but it won’t result in a huge upward bump in the rankings for anyone. Lawrence will remain a fantasy QB2, but he’ll be a bit more attractive with Coen calling the shots. I already had Thomas Jr. ranked in the top 10 among wideouts, though Kirk could turn into a decent draft bargain in 2025.

It remains to be seen how Coen handles a backfield that was tough to gauge between Travis Etienne Jr. and Tank Bigsby this past season. The good news is he used Irving in more of a featured role during the second half of last season, despite Rachaad White still being on the roster. Etienne Jr. is entering a contract year, which could motivate him to improve.

In Tampa Bay, fantasy managers could have come concerns for next season.

Mayfield, who knew Coen’s system from their short time together in Los Angeles (2022), will have a new coordinator calling the shots. And while I can’t see the offense changing much (if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it), Coen’s absence could have a negative effect.

Godwin, coming off a gruesome ankle injury and set to become a free agent, might not even be back with the team next season. And while Evans has shown no signs of slowing down, he will be entering his age-32 season. We won’t get a clear picture of what the Bucs offense will look like until a new coordinator is hired, but for now, there’s at least some cause for questioning whether the team’s fantasy stars will shine without Coen.