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Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Evan Engram had a stellar season in 2023 for fantasy managers. He finished as the TE2 overall in full-PPR scoring, and consistently put up respectable numbers on a week-by-week basis, providing a steady source of points at a volatile position where the floor is usually astronomically low.
Engram was targeted a ridiculous 143 times on the season, 16 more than the next-highest tight end and the most of any player in the entire league. Even Dallas Cowboys WR CeeDee Lamb, the most targeted receiver last season, was only targeted 135 times. Engram was such a priority in 2023 that fantasy managers were excited to draft him in 2024.
Unfortunately, Engram caught just one pass for five yards in Week 1, then injured his hamstring during pregame warmups before the Jaguars' Week 2 matchup with the Cleveland Browns. Engram has not returned to play a game since. When is Evan Engram coming back for the 2024 season, if at all? Let's dive in.
Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2024:- Quarterback fantasy football rankings
- Running back fantasy football rankings
- Wide receiver fantasy football rankings
- Tight end fantasy football rankings
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Evan Engram Injury Update for Fantasy Football
Engram hasn't reportedly suffered any re-aggravations to his hamstring injury, but there's no official word about his status for the Jaguars' Week 5 game against the Indianapolis Colts. However, the consensus is that he was close to returning for Week 4, so he's likely to be available in Week 5.
Jaguars HC Doug Pederson told reporters that TE Evan Engram is doubtful to play Sunday due to his hamstring injury, but that Engram could return in Week 5. pic.twitter.com/NDr6J5hmVa
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 27, 2024
Hamstring injuries are annoyingly recurrent, though, so it's likely the team will advise caution. Engram's fantasy managers will want to exercise caution and continue to have a backup plan in place if he doesn't play though, until it's confirmed that he will return.
Engram has now missed three games, and if the team was confident he'd miss four or more, it'd likely have quickly placed him on injured reserve. The fact it didn't is a good sign and bodes well for his prompt return.
Evan Engram Fantasy Football Outlook
The tight-end situation is horrible, and Engram is a must-start when he returns. However, fantasy managers shouldn't expect much considering the way the league is utilizing tight ends this year.
How ugly has tight end been for fantasy?
After four weeks last season, 11 players had at least two games with 10+ PPR points scored.
This season, there are only 5 such players.#FantasyFootball pic.twitter.com/YmVUTzIemj
— Michael Hauff (@TheFFRealist) October 1, 2024
Tight-end scoring is abysmally low in 2024. There are very few difference-makers at the position, and every "elite" tight-end option has been a huge bust. None have been worth drafting anywhere near their ADPs up to this point. For Engram, the addition of rookie receiver Brian Thomas Jr. and his already large role in the offense aren't good signs.
Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence loves throwing the deep ball, and Thomas is perfect for that. Likely, he didn't want to run the offense the Jags ran in 2024, but former WR Calvin Ridley's drop issues and overall inconsistency could've forced him to. Engram managers should start him but temper their expectations.
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