Frank Reich Wants Garrett Wilson Isolated — And the Tape Backs It Up
A preseason wrinkle has Wilson alone on third down in four of five snaps. It could be the WR2 usage bump fantasy managers have been waiting for.
New OC's third-down isolation plan points to a target-share spike.
- Wilson isolated on 4 of 5 third-down snaps in preseason
- Jets used 3x1 sets to leave him one-on-one
- Our rank: WR #60, #196 overall
- 2025: 36 rec, 395 yds, 4 TD in 7 games (100 PPR)
- Jets starters have played just two offensive series
New Jets offensive coordinator Frank Reich hasn't shown much this preseason — the first-team offense has run all of two series — but the sliver of tape that exists points at one deliberate design for Garrett Wilson. On five third-down passing plays, the Jets lined up in a 3x1 formation four times, and every single time Wilson was the lone isolated receiver on his own side.
That's not an accident. Isolating your best route runner on the most important down gives him room to work, a cleaner one-on-one look, and less chance of getting swallowed up in traffic over the middle. It's a small sample, but the intent is obvious: put the ball in Wilson's hands when drives live or die.
Reich's Old-School Pitch
Wilson has bought in. He's said modern offenses have gotten overcomplicated, with coordinators trying to prove how clever they are instead of just getting the ball to their best player. He pointed to the Terrell Owens era — coaches who knew they had a star and simply threw him a fade — and said Reich's approach feels like a return to that. Wilson noted that from their first conversation, Reich had already studied his game and knew which routes fit him.
The skeptic's counterpoint writes itself. Wilson has posted 1,000-yard seasons catching passes from offenses run by Mike LaFleur, Nathaniel Hackett and Todd Downing — none of whom anyone confused with a schematic genius. So it's fair to ask whether Reich actually unlocks another gear, or whether Wilson produces regardless of who's calling plays. Training camp is peak optimism season across the league; every first-year coordinator gets a glowing profile.
The Fantasy Angle
Here's why it matters anyway. Wilson only played seven games in 2025, finishing with 36 catches, 395 yards and 4 TDs — 100 PPR points across that shortened run. He currently sits at WR #60 and #196 overall in our rankings, a depressed number that reflects last year's missed time far more than his ceiling. A scheme built to feed him on high-leverage downs is exactly the kind of usage catalyst that moves the needle.
The move is to buy low now, before the market reprices him. If the third-down isolation carries into the regular season — and there's clear logic in making it a staple — Wilson's target share should climb well past where his current rank suggests. Grab him at a discount in redraft, and if a manager in your league is scared off by the seven-game 2025, offer a deal in dynasty. This is a bet on volume, and the tape is pointing the right way.
