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USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
David Dorey

Sleepers and Value Picks: Tight Ends

The Average Draft order shows a general picture of how your draft will unfold and where values/sleepers and bad values/busts likely exist. Any green highlight means the player is a good value that could be taken earlier. A red highlight signifies an overvalued player that is a bad value or just too high of a risk for that spot. No color means the pick is a reasonable value at that spot.

See also:

Average Draft order – Value picks

ADP Tm Tight End
1 KC Travis Kelce GOAT tight end. Period.
2 BAL Mark Andrews Lock for Top-5 and all that passing in 2021 propped him up to No 1. BAL intends less passing this year but Andrews still rock solid.
3 SF George Kittle Another lock for Top-5 when healthy. Change in QB could impact, but Kittle will remain heavily involved.
4 ATL Kyle Pitts Set rookie records and already broke 1,000 yards. Change in QB could hurt but Pitts will eventually be the next Travis Kelce.
5 LVR Darren Waller After two monster seasons, Waller regressed and missed five games. He’ll remain a factor, but addition of Davante Adams will knock down everyone’s targets.
6 DET T.J. Hockenson Was No. 5 in 2020 when healthy but finished 2021 on IR with the thumb injury. Influx of new receivers for Lions means Hockenson has to share more, but he’s a solid pick in a position that offers so few difference-makers.
7 DAL Dalton Schultz Ended as the No. 3 fantasy TE last year. Playing under franchise tag so everything to win with a big year. DAL running short of receivers to start the season.
8 PHI Dallas Goedert Has been a Top-8 TE for a few seasons, but should lose a few targets to A.J. Brown as the new possession guy. In a thin position, he won’t kill you but won’t be a difference-maker.
9 BUF Dawson Knox This is likely his ceiling, but scored nine times last year. If you waited on a TE1, Knox is a reasonable fall back.
10 ARI Zach Ertz Bounced back from a bad 2020 when he went to ARI and helped out when DeAndre Hopkins was out. This isn’t a bad pick but Cards added receivers and Ertz turns 32.
11 PIT Pat Freiermuth As a rookie, logged the No. 13 spot last year with 60 catches for 497 yards. Should be at least incrementally better with upside.
12 MIA Mike Gesicki MIA added Tyreek Hill and the offense has more weapons. This is about where Gesicki has been for three years.
13 NE Hunter Henry Went to NE where he still had his normal 600 yards but added a career-best nine touchdowns. Solid TE2 that can become a starter if needed.
14 CHI Cole Kmet The  touchdowns are lacking to be sure, but while the Bears struggled to pass in   2021, Kmet logged 60 catches for 612 yards. Only Darnell Mooney had more receptions for the Bears.
15 WAS Logan Thomas Tore his ACL, MCL and meniscus in December. Started camp on PUP. Not remotely interested.

Sleepers and overvalued players

ADP Tm Tight End
16 GB Robert Tonyan Jr. Tore his ACL in Week 8 last year and it was said to “remain unclear” if he’d be ready for Week 1. What is very clear is that he won’t be on my team.
17 IND Mo Alie-Cox Yeah, has never been better than the No. 26 in a position where only a dozen matter. I want at least the chance that my players can offer a fantasy start.
18 TEN Austin Hooper Had a couple of Top-10 seasons with the Falcons and now becomes the TE1 for the Titans. Solid backup with upside.
19 MIN Irv Smith Jr. He was touted as being a big part of the passing plans for Vikes. This deep is a great hold-and-see. Had thumb injury this month but is expected to be good for Week 1.
20 CIN Hayden Hurst Moves to CIN after stints in BAL and ATL. Becomes the TE1 and offers a bye week filler.
21 SEA Noah Fant Landed in Seattle as part of the Russell Wilson trade. Was solid with 60 catches for 650 yards in Denver for three years. Turnover at QB for Seahawks means there could be more upside in an offense re-establishing passing trends.
22 JAC Evan Engram He hasn’t looked great in camp for his new team, but this deep means he’s a hold to see if he catches any spark with the Jags.
23 LAR Tyler Higbee Bye week filler as another 500-yard TE.
24 TB Kyle Rudolph Signed a one-year deal to help replace Rob Gronkowski. But he’s turning 33 years old and hasn’t been better than No. 38 since 2019.

Best of the Rest

David Njoku (CLE) – Worth watching if not draft and hold for whatever happens when DeShaun Watson finally shows up. Previous peak was 56-639- 4 back in 2018.

Brevin Jordan (HOU) – Quiet rookie year but enters 2022 as the TE1 in Houston.  Worth a watch for any second-year progress.

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