NFL Draft: Fantasy football impact of Laviska Shenault Jr. to the Jacksonville Jaguars
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With the 42nd pick in the NFL Draft, the Jacksonville Jaguars selected wide receiver Laviska Shenault Jr. out of Colorado. Find Shenault's 2020 Fantasy outlook below:
Laviska Shenault Jr. (WR) Colorado
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 227
Age: 21.5
Dynasty Ranking: 2.02 (WR8)
Redraft Ranking: WR47
16-game projection for the 2020 season as a member of the Jacksonville Jaguars:Â
Receiving: 40 catches for 661 yards and 4 touchdowns
Rushing: 12 carries for 98 yards
Fantasy Outlook in Jacksonville:
At 6'2" and 227 pounds, Shenault is a handful for opposing defensive backs when he has the ball in his hands. Some have compared him to A.J. Brown, who we saw pile up yards after catch in his rookie season. PFF's Mike Renner compared Shenault to Saquon Barkley. He's that deadly with the ball in his hands. Shenault is not without a few red flags, though.
For starters, his production dropped off in a big way from his sophomore to junior season. After catching 86 passes for 1,011 yards and six touchdowns in just nine games as a sophomore, Shenault had just 56 catches for 764 yards and four touchdowns in 11 games as a junior. Injuries were also a problem in his time at Colorado.
The positives for Shenault certainly outweigh the negatives, though. In addition to having physical tools that can't be taught, Shenault described himself as an offensive Swiss Army Knife and lined up all over the field in his time at Colorado. The ability to create yards after the catch translates well from college to the pros, and if Shenault can add to his underdeveloped route tree, he could turn into a dangerous weapon for Jacksonville.
Finding the field as a rookie could be difficult for Shenault, as the Jaguars already have three capable receivers in D.J. Chark, Dede Westbrook, and Chris Conley. Like his frequent NFL comparison A.J. Brown, it may take a few weeks before Shenault's talent wins out and the Jags entrust him with a regular role. If he does get the playing time, expect Shenault's YAC ability to translate to the NFL immediately.
So which players are poised for breakouts, which sleepers do you need to jump on, and which busts should you avoid at all costs in your Fantasy football league? Join SportsLine now to get early 2020 Fantasy football rankings, plus see which WR is going to come out of nowhere to crack the top 10, all from the model that out-performed experts big time last season.
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