Evan Engram

Week 4 at Philadelphia Eagles

Evan Engram was a footstep away from finishing Week 3 as a top ten tight end in fantasy terms. He caught just one of his three targets, with one of the targets coming in the end zone when Engram just couldn't quite get both feet down, finishing with just nine yards. Engram posted 3.8 Half-PPR points and a TE34 showing for the week. On the season, Engram has a 15.7% target share, with 12 receptions for 83 scoreless yards. He's the TE18 in Half-PPR formats.

Engram should be viewed as a mid-tier TE2 this week against the Eagles. The Eagles have not been as sturdy against tight ends as they have the wide receiver and currently rank 13th in aFPA to tight ends. But it's questionable whether Engram will see enough volume to make him fantasy viable this week, nor is it a safe bet he finds the end zone. He has just one touchdown grab in his last 11 regular season games going back to 2021.

Week 2 vs. Indianapolis Colts

It was the sort of performance we have come to expect from Evan Engram in Week 1 of the 2021 season. His Jaguars debut saw him reel in all four of his targets, although he managed a meager 28 yards and 4.8 fantasy points in Half PPR formats. He finished as the TE25 in Week 1.

On paper, Engram should be in for a better time of it in Week 2 against the Colts. Texans tight ends combined for just four grabs against them last week, but these went for 62 yards and two touchdowns for O.J. Howard. Still, Engram will have to hope some more of Trevor Lawrence's targets come his way for him to make any real fantasy impact in Week 2, in which we project Engram to be a mid-tier TE2 option.

2022 Fantasy Upside
The Jaguars were busy early in free agency and one of the first players they went after was Evan Engram. A 2017 first-round pick by the Giants, Engram signed a one-year, $9 million deal to join wide receivers Christian Kirk and Zay Jones as new additions to the passing game in Jacksonville. Speaking in April, incoming offensive coordinator Press Taylor shared how he envisions using Engram and the focus was on the "ability to create matchups" that stress opposing defenses. "When we put Engram on the field, who's going to cover him?" Taylor said. "Do you need to bring in a lighter body? Do you put a nickel on him? Do you put a safety on him? Do you put a linebacker on him, which we would ask for if you had to pick? Evan kinda brings that with his speed overall." Engram has been a matchup nightmare in theory throughout his NFL career, but his five years with the Giants never quite saw him take advantage of that on the field. If he can put it all together with the Jags, he'll likely score more than a one-year deal next offseason.

2022 Fantasy Downside
Health has been an issue at times. He has missed 15 games in the last four seasons, but has played 15-plus games in three of five seasons. Beyond that, he has struggled with drops and lapses in concentration over time. He dropped 11 passes in 2020 and six in 2021. Additionally, Engram dropped six balls combined in 2017 and 2018.

2022 Bottom Line Engram joins the ranks of viable TE2s and streaming options at the position. Fantasy managers looking to invest shouldn't go overboard.