Laviska Shenault Jr. Fantasy Outlook Still Lacks Value Following Trade to Panthers

Many in fantasy circles viewed Laviska Shenault Jr. as a potential breakout sleeper candidate prior to his sophomore campaign in 2021. That value fell flat on its face as the second-year pro recorded zero touchdowns en route to a disappointing WR56 finish.

As a result, Shenault holds an ADP of just WR89 and No. 285 overall heading into the season. Not only did fantasy draft boards fall out of favor with the young receiver, but so did the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Ian Rapoport reported on Monday the Jags traded Shenault away to the Carolina Panthers. The question remains, will this move his fantasy needle?

Laviska Shenault Jr. Panthers Trade

Laviska Shenault Jr. Fantasy Outlook

The short answer is, no. Not much has changed for Shenualt, save a new uniform and new quarterback. Baker Mayfield is arguably a step down from Trevor Lawrence, who steps into his second year under center.

He still remains as a clear WR4 or WR5 option (certainly trailing DJ Moore and likely behind at least Robbie Anderson and Terrace Marshall Jr.) in the Panthers passing game — the same place he held in Jacksonville entering the year. One potential upside is the offense under Matt Rhule. Carolina passed the ball at a 43.2% clip a year ago, almost four percentage points higher than the Jaguars. That still doesn't move the needle. much.

Shenault actually surpassed his rookie totals in 2021, tallying 5 more receptions and 19 more yards, but on 21 additional targets. His catch percentage took a nosedive to 63.0% and he failed to haul in any receiving touchdowns despite ranking second on the team in red zone targets.

Unfortunately, there's not much added upside in the red zone for Carolina. DJ Moore and Robbie Anderson held a firm grasp on the Panthers' red zone opportunities, tallying 21 of the team's 49 total red zone targets.

Don't bother looking for Shenault in your fantasy draft. He's only going to be relevant if one of Carolina's leading wideouts goes down with an injury. Perhaps then he's worth a look on the waiver wire.

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Adam Taylor McKillop is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Adam Taylor also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username atmckillop. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.