EvanEngram

News: 2 days agoEngram caught four passes on five targets for 43 yards and a touchdown during the Broncos' 31-10 loss to the Chiefs on Monday.

Spin: It was a miserable performance by the Broncos' offense in Monday's regular-season opener, though Engram helped Denver tie things up at 7-7 late in the first quarter after hauling in a 19-yard touchdown pass from Bo Nix. Engram led the Broncos in receiving yards and finished second in targets behind Pat Bryant (six). Jaylen Waddle and Courtland Sutton were both held in check by the Chiefs' defense, and while Engram isn't considered a centerpiece to the Broncos' offense, the veteran tight end could thrive in games against teams that opt to hone in on Denver's top wideouts. Up next is a Week 2 tilt against the Jaguars, whose defense limited second-year tight end Harold Fannin to a 2-21-0 receiving line on only two targets.

ESPN Fantasy Projection: Engram returns for his second season in Denver after an underwhelming debut campaign with the team. The veteran tight end was limited to a career-low 13% target share and finished 15th or lower among tight ends in routes, targets, catches and yardage, despite appearing in 16 games. Engram worked as a short-area target but still struggled to a poor 68% catch rate and was, as usual, a nonfactor near the goal line (one TD, two end zone targets). Engram hasn't cleared four touchdowns in a season since he scored six as a rookie in 2017. He finished 32nd among tight ends in fantasy PPG and isn't a good bet for a larger role this season, especially with Jaylen Waddle added to the offense. The 32-year-old Engram is a fantasy TE3, at best.