The Jacksonville Jaguars have slumped in the win column following a solid start to the season, but they hope to buck the trend against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 9. The resurgent play of Evan Engram has been a silver lining for the Jaguars as of late, begging the question of whether he makes the case as a confident starter in fantasy lineups this week.
Fantasy Football analysis: Jaguars TE Evan Engram
Engram is coming off back-to-back double-digit fantasy performances and he has a chance to make it three-straight games against the Raiders. After a slow start with the Jaguars in 2022, the veteran tight end has caught at least four passes and gone for at least 40 receiving yards in each of his past four games. His four-catch, 55-yard performance against the Broncos last week resulted in his highest fantasy total of the season with 15.5 PPR fantasy points produced.
Engram could be riding a hot streak at the right time, as he prepares to face a Raiders defense that is allowing the third-most fantasy points to tight ends. Las Vegas surrenders 11.0 fantasy points per game to the position, and overall they rank just 25th against the pass with 258.1 yards allowed per game through the air. If the Raiders are preoccupied with accounting for Christian Kirk and Travis Etienne, it should make Engram an efficient under-the-radar play for fantasy managers.
Start or sit in Week 9?
With two strong back-to-back fantasy performances, Engram has established himself as a confident every-week starter. Now as he faces a defense that allows the third-most fantasy points to his position, Engram arguably makes the case as a strong TE1 based on matchup alone. Fire up the veteran tight end as a starter this week with a strong upside.