5 breakout fantasy football stars to pick up for Week 1

CHARLOTTE, NC - AUGUST 21: Gus Edwards #35 of the Baltimore Ravens runs the ball against the Carolina Panthers during the first half of a NFL preseason game at Bank of America Stadium on August 21, 2021 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Chris Keane/Getty Images) /

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JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA – AUGUST 14: Laviska Shenault Jr. #10 of the Jacksonville Jaguars carries the ball after a reception in the first quarter against the Cleveland Browns during a preseason game at TIAA Bank Field on August 14, 2021, in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images) /

4. Week 1 Fantasy Football Pickups – Jaguars WR Laviska Shenault Jr.

The loss of Travis Etienne to a foot injury has certainly put a dent into the offensive plans of new Jaguars’ head coach Urban Meyer. Even though he was drafted as a running back, Jacksonville had plans for Etienne to work all over the field, including as a slot receiver and a pass-catcher out of the backfield.

It seems unlikely that Meyer’s gameplan will get tossed in the trash because Etienne got hurt so the next man up in that role could be second-year wideout Laviska Shenault Jr. A shifty player with terrific speed, Shenault had a solid rookie year, catching 58 passes for 600 yards and five touchdowns while racking up 18 carries for 91 yards as well.

The upgrade at quarterback from Gardner Minshew to Trevor Lawrence should also benefit Shenault, who can be used in a variety of creative ways to help Jacksonville’s offense. The Jaguars should also be trailing in plenty of games this season, which means plenty of garbage time stats will be available for Shenault to accumulate over the course of the year.

There are target share concerns for Shenault, who will have to compete with DJ Chark and Marvin Jones for the attention of Lawrence. This could create value opportunities in fantasy drafts and make Shenault a priority target to stash on rosters prior to Week 1.

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