Evan Engram Fantasy Outlook Makes Him a Top Tight End With Daniel Jones at Quarterback for Giants

Through three weeks of the NFL season, Evan Engram is the number one tight end in fantasy football. While the sample size is obviously small, there is a lot to be excited about regarding his rest-of-season value, especially with a new starting quarterback at the helm for the New York Giants.

In his first game with Daniel Jones starting at QB, Engram caught six passes for 113 yards and one touchdown. He now is second among tight ends in yards (277) behind Travis Kelce, second in catches (26) behind Darren Waller and tied for second in touchdowns with two.

Engram is a phenomenal athlete for the TE position, at 6'3" and 240 pounds, and he's even working on making Giants fans forget about Odell Beckham Jr. after pulling in an incredible one-handed grab against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 3. Engram has always been touted as a wide receiver playing out of position, and that receiving prowess gives him the upside to finish right near the top of the tight end position by season's end.

While Engram balled out in Week 1 with Eli Manning under center, it was especially encouraging to see him shine in Jones' first start. Jones targeted Engram eight times, which was second only to Sterling Shepard (nine). Particularly now that Saquon Barkley is expected to miss several weeks, Engram and Shepard will have plenty of opportunity to emerge as the top two options in the Giants' offense. That's looking like an especially valuable role now, after Jones threw for 336 yards and combined for four total touchdowns (two passing) in his first career start.

One of the things that separates Engram from most TD-dependent tight ends in fantasy is his big-play ability. Engram is fourth among tight ends with three catches of 20-plus yards, including a 75-yard TD against Tampa Bay. On the play, Jones faked a handoff to Wayne Gallman before hitting Engram just inside the numbers. The tight end evaded one defender and then took the ball down the sideline, where he turned on the jets for the long score.

It's clear that Engram has all the makings of an elite tight end, and there are only two big obstacles to monitor going forward. The first will be the addition of Golden Tate to the passing attack when he returns from suspension in Week 5. Even with Tate back, though, the Giants' offense won't exactly be loaded with weapons, and there's a chance he cuts more into Shepard's volume than Engram's. Second, Engram will need to stay healthy, as injuries have been an issue so far in his NFL career.

If Engram can stay upright for the long haul, the third-year TE is in store for a major breakout campaign while catching passes from Danny Dimes for the rest of the season.

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