Laviska Shenault Dynasty Profile

Intro

I’ve been doing this series of free dynasty profiles on 2020 rookies. I love the dynasty profile format, as it provides quick-hitting information in a short and digestible form. My previous work in this series is all found in links at the bottom of the page. Let’s jump straight into my next entry, Laviska Shenault.

College Profile

Shenault had a three-year college career at Colorado, where he produced mixed results. After a quiet freshman season, Shenault broke out as a sophomore, with 86 receptions for 1,011 yards and six touchdowns in only nine games. However, Shenault disappointed as a junior, dropping to 56 receptions for 764 yards and four touchdowns. Shenault also saw usage as a rusher throughout his college career, taking 42 carries for 280 yards and seven touchdowns.

After his 2019 junior season, Shenault declared for the 2020 NFL Draft as an early entrant. The 2020 wide receiver class had many strong players, so Shenault slipped a bit in the draft. He went to the Jaguars with the 42nd overall pick as the ninth receiver off the board. The Jaguars wanted an additional receiver to complement DJ Chark, and Shenault possessed a varied skill set to fit in their offense.

Past Production

Shenault almost immediately became a starter for the Jaguars, starting 12 of 14 games played in his rookie season, missing two games with a hamstring injury. The Jaguars’ offense was a disaster, going through Gardner Minshew, Jake Luton, and Mike Glennon as ineffective quarterback options in a 1-15 season. However, despite that nightmare, Shenault had a decent rookie year. Here are Shenault’s rookie year stats.

In context, Shenault finished third on the Jaguars in targets and yards behind Chark and Keelan Cole, and he led the Jaguars in receptions. Shenault tied for the lead in receiving touchdowns, and he also added 18 carries for 91 yards. Considering that the Jaguars schemed touches for Shenault on the ground and in the receiving game, I was happy with Shenault’s rookie year in general.

Dynasty Analysis

Luckily for Shenault, he will get the most significant possible quarterback upgrade in 2021, as the Jaguars have the first overall pick and, therefore, Trevor Lawrence. Lawrence is the best quarterback prospect since Andrew Luck, and he will immediately revitalize the Jaguars’ struggling offense. I also believe in new Jaguars’ head coach Urban Meyer, who should find creative ways to incorporate Shenault into the offense.

Also, Chark will head into 2021 as a contract-year player. Chark excelled in 2019, with 73 receptions for 1008 yards and eight touchdowns. However, he severely regressed in 2020, dropping to 53 catches for 706 yards and five touchdowns. I’m not sure that the Jaguars plan to pay Chark after his contract expires, especially considering he was a later second-round pick than Shenault.

I believe that the Jaguars will attempt to add another receiver and a tight end in their offense to complement Chark and Shenault, but I see Shenault as their top overall weapon. Against consensus, I currently rank Shenault ahead of Chark in my dynasty rankings, although they’re in the same tier. Many dynasty owners want to buy Chark because of Lawrence, but I would recommend targeting Shenault at a lower price and better value. Right now, Shenault is WR27 in my rankings.

Thanks for reading this article. I love to interact with anyone in the community, so reach out at any time! I take fantasy questions and help with all formats, so keep sending those questions my way.

Previous 2020 Rookie Dynasty Profiles

Justin Jefferson, Jonathan Taylor, Darnell Mooney, Bryan Edwards, Cole Kmet