Fantasy football owners — and the Tennessee Titans — can say the 2020 season is likely one Julio Jones can refer to as “the past.”

In what was his final year with the Atlanta Falcons before being swept up in a lauded trade by the Tennessee Titans, the former Alabama wide receiver near his career lows in catches (51), yards (771), touchdowns (three) and games played (nine) — as injuries completely derailed his 10th anniversary in the NFL.

Julio Jones has already put together a Hall of Fame career. Because after posting 12,896 yards receiving and 60 touchdowns on 848 career catches, he's 20th in NFL history in total yardage — and another 1,000 yards would move him into 13th all-time and still just 32 years old. Every single ahead of him played no less than 11 years, and Jones is reportedly bounding healthily into Year No. 11.

The ultimate question ahead for Julio Jones and the second half of his career is this: will he return to his consistent form, all but guaranteeing 80-catch, 1,000-yard, six-touchdown stat lines? Or is he moving to a more tertiary role in the Titans offense, limiting his touches and his chances at the deep ball?

Julio Jones 2020 Fantasy Statistics

Despite his abbreviated season due to injury, Jones still had a penchant for the “big play.” Of his 51 catches, 16 of them went for 20 yards or more — nearly a third of his hauls. He's always been one of the league's best yard-after-catch guys, and that didn't change in 2020.

Of the nine games he did suit up for, only three were true duds: Week 2 @ Dallas (two catches, 24 yards), Week 4 @ Green Bay (four catches, 32 yards), and Week 11 @ New Orleans (two catches, 39 yards). His other six weeks, he popped in PPR leagues, particularly in Week 1 (Seattle: nine catches, 157 yards), Week 6 (@ Minnesota: eight catches, 137 yards, two TDs), and Week 8 (@ Carolina: seven catches, 137 yards).

At 6-3 and 220 pounds, Julio Jones really doesn't need much of an introduction to the league, either. He consistently gets open, doesn't drop passes, and sincerely fits in most any offensive scheme. And in 2020, he was still explosive in the open field and outside of the red zone. All three of his touchdowns came within the 20-49 yard line, his longest reception was 44 yards, and in the second half of games he averaged 17.8 yards per catch (as opposed to just 13.1 yards per catch in the first half).

2021 Fantasy Projections

According to ESPN Fantasy, Julio Jones is projected to finish the 2021 campaign in Titan blue with 78 catches, 1,095 yards and seven touchdowns. His ADP (average draft position) is 49.6 — which puts him mostly available early in the seventh round of stacked eight-team leagues, late in the fifth round of 10-team leagues, early in the fifth round of 12-team leagues, and early in the fourth round of those brutish 16-team leagues.

It puts him just inside the expected top 20 wide receivers for 2021, which would be an absolute draft steal for anyone grabbing him late.

How many catches are going to be available for Julio Jones? That's the trick here.

In 2020, the Falcons finished seventh in completions (408) and fifth in passing yards (4,620 yards), thought often played from behind in a rough year. Matt Ryan kept throwing, and throwing, and throwing, particularly with little consistent run game of which to speak.

The Titans, meanwhile, naturally ground things out with elite running back Derrick Henry and maintained a balanced passing attack between quarterback Ryan Tannehill, wideouts A.J. Brown and Corey Davis, and tight ends Jonnu Smith and Anthony Firkser. And, so, Tennessee finished 23rd in passing yards (3,826) and 28th in passing attempts (316), and second in team rushing (2,690).

Oddly enough, the Falcons now have former Titans offensive coordinator Arthur Smith at the helm, while Tennessee skipper Mike Vrabel promoted Todd Downing to the helm.

Henry has led the league in both carries and yards the past two seasons, and it's extremely difficult to see that changing. The Titans have been terrific in play-action since Tannehill took the helm, and if it ain't broke, why fix it?

But the amount of single coverage Julio Jones might see this year is frightening to think about.

After posting a Pro Bowl year with 70 catches, 1,075 yards and 11 touchdowns, Brown is considered a top-10 fantasy wideout coming into 2021. He's very likely going to be the “alpha,” but has already gone on the record saying he could “care less” who gets more catches this year…and beyond. Henry will command the entire box, and should, after hammering out more than 2,000 yards rushing and 17 touchdowns on the ground last year. Tannehill continues to showcase his wheels out of the pocket, and Firkser is on the precipice of a top-25 tight end season because he doesn't drop passes.

Throw in slot receiver and former Los Angeles Rams deep threat Josh Reynolds alongside the continued sharpening of former Louisville star and rookie wideout Dez Fitzpatrick, and opposing defenses will have little choice but to double-up somewhere and just hope for the best. It's going to give Julio Jones a ton of looks in either zone or bracket coverage, which he typically shreds.

And it's not like he's slowing down just yet. Simply ask FiveThirtyEight's Josh Hermsmeyer:

The hamstring injury that plagued him in 2020 did sap some of Jones’s long speed, but his best games were quite competitive with his largely healthy 2017 and 2018 campaigns. Last year, Julio was still able to reach top speeds in excess of 20 mph, well above the median NFL receiver on similar route types. Injury risk is real in football, particularly for players over 30, but there’s no clear evidence that Julio has lost a step.

It's good news for Titans fans, good news for fantasy owners, and bad news for opposing defenses. Julio Jones was nothing but healthy in personal workouts this offseason, and is watching his hamstring with a bit of TLC, knowing full well the grass could be wide open alongside his new teammates.

Rank at Position

It's hard to imagine there are 15 or so statistically-better fantasy wide receivers for the 2021 campaign for several reasons. No. 1: Julio Jones has been the league's top wideout for nearly a decade, creating one of the most feared and successful tandems in league history with Matty Ice.

But maybe there should be a shade of tempered expectation.

Going back to the concept that the Titans just don't pass the ball that often, it's realistic to think Julio Jones simply absorbs the workload Corey Davis had for Tennessee last year, putting him at the 60-catch, 900-yard plateau. Which would be swell, and it would make sense to snag him later and perhaps target guys like Davante Adams, Tyreek Hill, D.K. Metcalf, DeAndre Hopkins, Justin Jefferson, his former teammate in Calvin Ridley, Keenan Allen, Terry McLaurin, CeeDee Lamb…and even his new teammate, Brown…who are more desirable early. Not only are they guys who are undisputed No. 1's on their respective squads, but they're younger and command the targets.

There's such a terrific chance, however, for Jones to exceed these expectations. Tannehill has been the most efficient quarterback in the NFL not named Patrick Mahomes since taking over the reins in Nashville, and it's likely opposing defensive coordinators — at least early on — aren't going to put top corners and linebackers on Julio Jones, because they'll be forced to turn attention to Brown and Henry.

Suggestion: buy, buy, buy on Julio Jones if he's there. And drafting him ahead of some of the younger guys wouldn't be the worst decision, either.