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Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Dan Arnold is so new to his team, we don’t even have any photos of him in Jags gear to use with this story.
The tight end was traded to the Jags from the Carolina Panthers after Week 3 of the 2021 season. So he’s played in just one game for Urban Meyer and company, so it’s tough to tell just how much of a focal point he’ll be in the offense this week when the Tennessee Titans come to town.
But if you’re a fantasy manager with Arnold sitting on your roster and you need some advice, we got you covered. Here’s what you should do this week with the fourth-year vet.
Fantasy Football analysis: Jaguars TE Dan Arnold
Arnold has been a journeyman throughout his short NFL tenure. Since his rookie season in 2018, he’s already played for four NFL teams. He’s been getting more and more productive at each stop along the way, increasing his touchdown and yard total each year. 2020 was explosive for him with close to 500 receiving yards and a career-high four touchdowns.
This year hasn’t been as much of a hot start, with no scores through four weeks. Though he does already have 113 yards and is averaging close to 13 yards per reception. But last week is really the week to look at since he was in a new system with a new QB. In the Jags' loss to the Bengals, he saw just two targets but caught both of them for 29 yards. A long layoff from a Thursday night game, that could give QB Trevor Lawrence more time to develop a connection with him at practice.
Though this week might not be the week to risk finding out. On top of still learning the offense, they face the Titans, which has been the stingiest defense in the league when it comes to allowing fantasy points to tight ends. They’re giving up about 2.1 fantasy points per game and have given up just 35 yards all season to the position.
Fantasy Start/Sit Recommendation
Sit him. Maybe in a few weeks he could become a viable starter, but with just two weeks on the team under his belt and the best TE-defending unit in the league coming to town, don't risk it.