Taking a look at the Jacksonville Jaguars’ WR Laviska Shenault, and his dynasty value in fantasy football.
The Jaguars had a horrible 2020, as their 1-15 finish would dictate. The coaching was horrific and the defense was bad, but the offense gave plenty of reasons for optimism.
Most people know of the big name wide receivers who were selected in the first round of the NFL draft this past year. One of the more under-appreciated players who’s slowly gaining traction is Laviska Shenault, and there’s a reason for that.
Shenault had an interesting rookie season. Per PFF, his 10.3 yards per reception was tied for the 8th lowest in the NFL among all players with 50 targets, while his 16 AVT (tackles avoided after the catch) was good for 8th best. His 5.2 YAC per reception was good for 21st, which was better than elite players such as Tyreek Hill, Davante Adams, and Justin Jefferson.
He also had an elite catch percentage ranking 13th in the NFL, showing that he was efficient when given the opportunity.
Great concentration by rookie Laviska Shenault Jr. on the touchdown catch 👏 @Viska2live #DUUUVAL
📺: #CHIvsJAX on CBS
📱: NFL app // Yahoo Sports app: https://t.co/IFHvVPw7XT pic.twitter.com/fdGaHA7KQW— NFL (@NFL) December 27, 2020
Lining up in the backfield, inline, in the slot, out wide, and even at quarterback, Shenault was garnering touches in ways that few other players were. He was a do-it-all playmaker for the Jaguars, similar to how Curtis Samuel was being used on the Panthers.
His production in the backfield shouldn’t go unnoticed either, as he held a promising 5.1 yards per rush and looked like a natural runner when given the opportunity.
Heading into 2021 the Jaguars will have a new head coach, college legend Urban Meyer. Meyer is famously known for running an ‘attack spread’ offense. His philosophy utilizes a lot of zone-read options and involves players who are capable of doing multiple things; which Shenault fits the bill for.
In essence, there essentially isn’t another head coach who could have been better for the career trajectory of Laviska Shenault than Urban Meyer.
So what’s Shenault’s value going forward?
As of right now, Laviska Shenault is the WR42 in dynasty formats, but he should be ranked much higher than that. When targeted, Shenault has put up nearly 2 points per target, good for 26th among wide receivers. With a contested catch rate good for 30th among WR’s, his ability to be relied upon and excel is something that should lead to production going forward.
Ranking 11th in passer rating when targeted with an astounding 116 (minimum 70 targets among all players), it’s just an added reason to believe that Shenault will be able to take the next step going forward.
As of right now his ADP in dynasty leagues is 10.04, which is a steal if you’re paying attention to not only the situation he will find himself in Jacksonville this season, but the skill set of Shenault himself.
Currently his trade value puts him at a late-1st, early-2nd rounder. Personally though, I wouldn’t move him for anything less than a mid-1st. It’s easy to get sucked into the hype of draft picks. But, for a player who’s only 22, it doesn’t make sense to move off of him for what will presumably be a player at his caliber, or perhaps even worse.
With Urban Meyer as head coach and Trevor Lawrence now at quarterback, I believe that Laviska Shenault will greatly benefit; both in real life and for fantasy football purposes. I believe he can crack the Top-30 for WRs this season and I’ll be buying him in every league this off-season.
