The Jacksonville Jaguars and New Orleans Saints will kick off Week 7 with a Thursday Night Football primetime matchup. For tight end Evan Engram, it offers an opportunity to capitalize on what has largely been a consistent start to his 2023 season.
We break down whether Evan should be considered as a lock-in starter among Week 7 lineups for fantasy managers.
Fantasy Football analysis: Jaguars TE Evan Engram
Heading into Week 7, Engram ranks as TE6 in PPR scoring with an average of 11.0 fantasy points per game this season. The Jaguars tight end has logged 304 receiving yards with an average of 8.4 yards per reception, while his 44 targets are tied for second-most on the team.
Start or sit in Week 7 PPR leagues?
Start. Evan is averaging a healthy 7.3 targets per game this season, and aside from his Week 5 game against the Bills, he’s averaged close to or more than double-digit fantasy points in every contest. Fellow tight end Brenton Strange caught the touchdown, but it could be a one-week anomaly that fantasy managers hope to put in the rearview mirror. The matchup against the Saints isn’t ideal, but there aren’t many better options available on the waiver wire compared to Engram.
Treat Engram as low-end TE1 in both smaller and larger fantasy leagues, though his upside increases tremendously if he can find the end zone.
Start or sit in Week 7 standard leagues?
Start. The Saints are allowing just 4.9 fantasy points per game to tight ends this season, but oddly enough, the short turnaround could play in Evan’s favor. Thursday Night Football matchups tend to be sluggish, and with Trevor Lawrence playing through a knee injury, it could mean he opts to play it safe and find his security net underneath the opposing coverage. Evan fits the bill in that scenario, so this could be a week where he takes advantage.
Like many tight ends, he’ll be touchdown-dependent, but he still profiles as a TE1 in both smaller and larger fantasy leagues.
Player(s) you would start ahead of Evan Engram
Logan Thomas is an intriguing name to consider this week, and he has a plus matchup against a porous New York Giants defense. In spite of their inspired effort on Sunday night, they’re still giving up a decent 47.3 yards per game to opposing tight ends, and roughly 5.7 fantasy points per game to the position.
New York ranks near the bottom of the league in tackle rate and blitz rate, so Sam Howell could format nice rapport with Thomas in Week 7.