Jay Ajayi

Jay Ajayi

31-Year-Old Running BackRB
 Free Agent  
2024 Fantasy Outlook
There was no outlook written for Jay Ajayi in 2024. Check out the latest news below for more on his current fantasy value.
$Released by the Eagles in December of 2019.
Will be let go by Eagles
RBFree Agent
December 23, 2019
The Eagles will waive Ajayi, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
ANALYSIS
The move signals that the Eagles are poised to welcome Jordan Howard (shoulder) back to the field this week. Ajayi will now look to catch on with a team looking to add running back depth, such as the Seahawks.
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2019
2018
2017
2016
2019 NFL Game Log
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2018 NFL Game Log
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2017 NFL Game Log
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2016 NFL Game Log
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Receiving Alignment Breakdown
See where Jay Ajayi lined up on the field and how he performed at each spot.
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2024 Jay Ajayi Split Stats
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Measurables Review View College Player Page
How do Jay Ajayi's measurables compare to other running backs?
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' 0"
 
Weight
223 lbs
 
40-Yard Dash
4.57 sec
 
Shuttle Time
4.10 sec
 
Cone Drill
7.10 sec
 
Vertical Jump
39.0 in
 
Broad Jump
121 in
 
Bench Press
19 reps
 
Hand Length
10.00 in
 
Arm Length
32.00 in
 
Recent RotoWire Articles Featuring Jay Ajayi See More
Training Camp Notes: August 19
August 19, 2020
Breshad Perriman has done well early with the Jets, and the spotlight is all his with injured prospects Denzel Mims and Vyncint Smith currently out.
NFL: Interpreting Best Ball Data
August 5, 2020
Chris Liss looks at the Fanball/NFFC Best Ball data from 2018-2019. Unsurprisingly, Christian McCaffrey was the biggest impact player both years.
Training Camp Notes: July 29
July 29, 2020
With Damien Williams opting out of the 2020 season, the already high expectations for rookie first-round pick Clyde Edwards-Helaire have risen to more urgent levels yet.
Week 17 Observations
Week 17 Observations
December 30, 2019
December 30, 2019
Ryan Fitzpatrick and the Dolphins' shocking upset win at New England is the story of the week.
Weekly Rankings: Week 17 Value Meter
December 25, 2019
Texans coach Bill O'Brien said that he's playing the starters this week and playing to win, in order to get the 3-seed. Do you trust him? See Deshaun Watson's ranking among others in this tricky Week 17.
Past Fantasy Outlooks
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015
A torn ACL in Week 5 last year ended Ajayi's season early, and heading into summer the 26-year-old had yet to find a new team in free agency. When healthy, he has shown flashes of three-down potential, with acceleration being his standout trait. But since his 2016 breakout with the Dolphins, Ajayi has had trouble establishing himself as a reliable member of a backfield - both in terms of his production and when it comes to earning the trust of his coaches. His history of knee trouble dating to his Boise State days likely isn't helping the job search. His agent, Drew Rosenhaus, said in March that while Ajayi should be ready for Week 1 - 11 months removed from his injury - he probably won't be ready much before that. Assuming he can prove to teams that he is on the right track, Ajayi should latch on somewhere once depth charts get thinned by training camp injuries. He is unlikely to fall into a starting role, but he probably isn't totally washed up yet.
Entering last season, Ajayi's career seemed to be on the upswing after he seized control of the starting job in the Miami backfield the year before. He offered game-breaking potential with excellent speed for a 223-pound back and improving skills as a receiver, and Ryan Tannehill's preseason knee injury left Ajayi as the clear focal point of Miami's offense. Instead, he seemed to rest on his laurels, drawing the ire of coach Adam Gase for his lackadaisical pass protection, and after seven games with 3.4 YPC he was sent to Philadelphia at the trade deadline. Joining a team with a much more crowded backfield cut into his workload, but playing for the eventual Super Bowl champs also seemed to re-focus Ajayi, and his 5.8 YPC in seven games for Philadelphia made up for his lost touches. His role heading into 2018 remains something of a mystery. He's the most obvious fit for a lead role on the roster, but the team has plenty of depth behind him if he runs afoul of another coaching staff, and he isn't likely to see much work on passing downs if Darren Sproles comes back healthy from major knee and arm injuries. Ajayi could return to the level of production he showed in 2016 if he gets a full workload behind the Eagles' excellent offensive line, but a committee role alongside Sproles and Corey Clement is more likely.
If Miami's signing of Arian Foster last year was intended to motivate Ajayi, mission accomplished. The second-year back did his time in a backup role, and when Foster inevitably broke down Ajayi was ready to seize the lead role for good, immediately reeling off back-to-back games with more than 200 rushing yards. Those huge performances were no fluke, as he possesses the outstanding elusiveness and balance to leave would-be tacklers flailing in the open field, along with a physical edge to his game that allows him to plow through the initial hit. Ajayi's 484 total yards after contact placed him third in the NFL behind Le'Veon Bell and David Johnson and just ahead of Ezekiel Elliott. While the fact that nearly half his production came in just three games -- he torched the Bills defense a second time for over 200 yards in Week 16, becoming the fourth back in NFL history after O.J. Simpson, Earl Campbell and Tiki Barber to top 200 yards three times in a season -- may worry some, that volatility from week to week just leaves plenty of room for growth if he becomes more consistent. He also saw only 35 targets in the passing game, after catching 50 passes in his final season at Boise State -- another area in which Ajayi could improve on his 2016 numbers. Last year's breakout was impressive, but he may just be scratching the surface.
We don't blame anyone who wasn't impressed by Ajayi's first season. His YPC was ordinary and he only caught seven passes. Initially, the Dolphins appeared to make an investment in Ajayi in the offseason, even if it was more indirect than anything. They let Lamar Miller go and they didn't make running back a priority in the draft, though they did add Kenyan Drake from Alabama (third round). The team's addition of Arian Foster, however, gives Ajayi some serious competition, though Foster's health is a concern since he is coming off an Achilles' injury. Thus, both Drake, who had been a contender to get third-down and pass-catching work immediately, and Ajayi -- who was in line to see the bulk of the work on first and second down -- could both lose touches (and fantasy value) thanks to the presence of Foster. Coach Adam Gase went out of his way to praise Ajayi during May's minicamp, saying Ajayi had "separated himself" from the other backs, but the Foster signing suggests otherwise. While it's not uncommon to see a runner take a leap in his second season, and Ajayi has that look to him, he now faces a training camp battle with a big name running back, who has proven productive when healthy.
Ajayi had a legitimate case for being the third back taken in this year's draft after Todd Gurley and Melvin Gordon, but concerns about a degenerative knee condition arose at the Combine, dropping him all the way to the fifth round. Ajayi has good size and adequate speed, but it's his impressive elusiveness and agility that really stood out at Boise State, allowing him to work his way through traffic and make people miss in the open field. He also possesses a strong burst through the hole and keeps his pad level low, allowing him to regularly pick up extra yards after contact. Combined with his pass-catching ability, Ajayi profiles as a three-down back, but his regular season NFL debut won't come until midseason, given that the rookie landed on the Dolphins' short-term IR list.
More Fantasy News
DNP in Week 15
RBPhiladelphia Eagles
December 16, 2019
Ajayi did not play in Sunday's win over Washington.
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Plays just five snaps in win
RBPhiladelphia Eagles
December 10, 2019
Ajayi rushed twice for five yards and couldn't haul in his only target in Monday night's 23-17 win over the Giants.
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Sees just two touches in loss
RBPhiladelphia Eagles
December 2, 2019
Ajayi carried twice for nine yards in Sunday's 37-31 loss to the Dolphins.
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Gets six carries
RBPhiladelphia Eagles
November 24, 2019
Ajayi carried the ball six times for 16 yards in the team's Week 12 loss to the Seahawks.
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Should see action in Week 12
RBPhiladelphia Eagles
November 22, 2019
Head coach Doug Pederson said Friday morning he expects Ajayi to see action in Sunday's game against the Seahawks, Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News reports.
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Latest Fantasy Rumors
Heads to professional gaming arena
RBFree Agent
January 7, 2020
Ajayi signed a contract with Major League Soccer's Philadelphia Union's e-sports team Tuesday, Adam Maya of NFL.com reports.
ANALYSIS
Ajayi is only 26 and presumably still has an NFL future that's nevertheless murky for the time being, considering he's logged just 55 carries since the 2017 season due to an ACL injury and subsequent lack of interest in him around the league. Under his contract with the Union, the veteran running back will represent the team at eMLS e-sports events in the coming season, becoming one of the first professional athletes to cross into professional gaming.
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