Jacksonville Jaguars DVOA, Stats, & NFL Rankings

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Christian Kirk is back to fantasy relevance in Week 4 against the Houston Texans. Kirk only caught two passes in the first two weeks, but in Week 3 against the Buffalo Bills, he caught eight of 10 targets for 79 yards. Kirk isn't much of a deep threat or red zone threat compared to teammates Gabe Davis and Brian Thomas Jr., but he makes up for it in the short and intermediate areas of the field, making him more of an asset in PPR leagues. While it was tough to trust him going into Week 3 against a good Bills secondary, his bounce-back performance should mean fantasy managers can at least consider Kirk for their starting lineup this week. The Houston secondary has been decent so far this season, but just as against the Bills, someone needs to catch passes for the Jaguars if they are playing catchup for most of the game. Kirk is a fine flex play in Week 4, especially in PPR leagues.

Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Brenton Strange will start in place of the injured Evan Engram for the third straight week against the Houston Texans. He has done solidly since being thrust into the starting role, catching five of 11 targets for 77 yards and a touchdown in two games. While those numbers don't jump off the page, they are solid fantasy numbers for a tight end, a position ravaged with injuries and underperforming players. It would be outlandish to say Strange is a TE1, but fantasy managers can do much worse. So far, the Texans have only allowed three points per game to tight ends, but they've also faced the Vikings, Bears, and Colts, so it's hard to say how good they really are at defending tight ends. While it is hard to trust him, as long as Engram remains out, Strange is a fine play at tight end for desperate fantasy managers.

Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence should be closer to drop consideration than starting consideration for fantasy managers in Week 4 against the Houston Texans. The Houston defense has been solid so far this year, but for the struggling Jaguars offense, that is still a tough matchup. Lawrence has put up around ten fantasy points in each of the first three games, a terrible output for a starting fantasy QB. The former top pick has played far from that level, putting up just two passing touchdowns through three games. After being blown out 47-10 by the Buffalo Bills on Monday Night Football, it is easy to completely write off Lawrence and the Jaguars offense. However, a matchup with a division rival the week after an embarrassing blowout could mean a more motivated and improved version of the Jacksonville offense. For now though, Lawrence at best should be kept on benches, and at worst be dropped by fantasy managers in Week 4.

Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne Jr. should be considered a serviceable RB2 in Week 4 against the Houston Texans. The Houston defense did well against the run in the first two weeks, limiting the Indianapolis Colts and Chicago Bears rushing attacks. In Week 3, they got torched by the Minnesota Vikings, led by Aaron Jones, who put up 148 total yards on 24 touches. The Jaguars offense has struggled, coming off a 47-10 smackdown against the Buffalo Bills last Monday. A matchup with a division rival coming off an embarrassment on Monday Night Football could be the motivation needed for a resurgence. However, expectations should be tempered, as especially with Evan Engram out once again, the offense is more likely to continue being unkind to its fantasy assets. Etienne Jr. is still a good starting option for fantasy managers, but until the offense shows signs of life, Etienne Jr. is capped at an RB2 level against the Texans.

Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Evan Engram (hamstring) is considered doubtful for Sunday's game, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. Engram injured his hamstring during warmups prior to their Week 2 matchup and has been sidelined since. The 30-year-old has not logged a practice yet this week which is not a promising sign for his status this weekend. Fantasy managers should closely monitor Friday's injury report as it should provide clarity on his status heading into the weekend. Engram caught a career-high 114 receptions last season and remains a safe TE1 when he is on the field. If Engram misses his third-straight game on Sunday, fantasy managers should expect Brenton Strange to get the starting nod again. Strange has seen at least five targets in each of the past two games and could be a viable replacement option in deeper formats.