Jermaine Kearse has been one of the most surprising players in the first two weeks. I thought the Seahawks would just cut him; he’s been that bad for them. But the Jets wanted him in a trade, and he’s turned out to be better than I ever would have expected.

They’re using him more, mostly.

Kearse opened the season with a 7-catch game at Buffalo, and he followed that up with 4 catches and 2 TDs at Oakland. In the last four years at Seattle, Kearse had back-to-back games with 4-plus catches only once.

Kearse also caught only 11 touchdowns in the last four years in Seattle. That’s 11 TDs in 62 games, with just one game with 2 TDs. He’s already done that in the Jets. They have a bunch of other wide receivers, but they seem to like him more than those guys.

Not that Kearse will lead fantasy teams to fantasy championships, but he makes sense as a depth pickup, particularly in PPR formats.

New York’s other starting wide receiver, Robby Anderson, has more deep-strike ability – more potential to hit on a 50-yard touchdown – but Kearse is a veteran who has a better overall understanding of the game and the league in general right now.

Here, per the stat counters at Pro Football Reference (an outstanding site) are Kearse’s game-by-game numbers since 2013.

JERMAINE KEARSE, GAME BY GAME
YearOppResultTgtRecYdsAvgTD
2013at CARW 12-7224924.51
2013SFOW 29-3000--0
2013JAXW 45-17111717.00
2013at HOUW 23-20100--0
2013at INDL 28-34112828.01
2013TENW 20-1333175.70
2013at ARIW 34-22311717.00
2013at STLW 14-9200--0
2013TAMW 27-24224321.51
2013at ATLW 33-10437525.01
2013MINW 41-20100--0
2013NORW 34-7322613.00
2013at SFOL 17-1952157.50
2013at NYGW 23-0322110.50
2013ARIL 10-17733812.70
2014GNBW 36-163188.00
2014at SDGL 21-30546115.30
2014DENW 26-20222211.00
2014at WASW 27-17211515.01
2014DALL 23-30736220.70
2014at STLL 26-28735016.70
2014at CARW 13-922157.50
2014OAKW 30-247144.00
2014NYGW 38-17437023.30
2014at KANL 20-24955410.80
2014ARIW 19-3211919.00
2014at SFOW 19-3533411.30
2014at PHIW 24-14733712.30
2014SFOW 17-7657815.60
2014at ARIW 35-61188.00
2015at STLL 31-34108769.50
2015at GNBL 17-27200--0
2015CHIW 26-0667612.70
2015DETW 13-10228442.00
2015at CINL 24-27323819.01
2015CARL 23-27300--0
2015at SFOW 20-3436421.30
2015at DALW 13-12100--0
2015ARIL 32-39211010.00
2015SFOW 29-13533411.30
2015PITW 39-30544711.82
2015at MINW 38-7100--0
2015at BALW 35-6877410.60
2015CLEW 30-138711015.70
2015STLL 17-23533812.71
2015at ARIW 36-6333411.31
2016MIAW 12-10755711.40
2016at LARL 3-962115.50
2016SFOW 37-1822115.50
2016at NYJW 27-1733237.70
2016ATLW 26-24533511.70
2016at ARIT 6-6435117.00
2016at NORL 20-25745714.30
2016BUFW 31-25423618.00
2016at NWEW 31-24722613.00
2016PHIW 26-15622914.50
2016at TAML 5-14511818.00
2016CARW 40-7956813.60
2016at GNBL 10-386177.00
2016LARW 24-3200--0
2016ARIL 31-3494379.31
2016at SFOW 25-23724422.00
2017at BUFL 12-2197598.40
2017at OAKL 20-45546416.02

—Ian Allan