Since the dawn of time analysts who have never strapped on a helmet or taken a hit have been telling you that tight ends don’t matter in fantasy football. As a former player & proud tight end, I’m tickled to say that this isn’t the case anymore. TEs are important!
Poppycock you say, well dig this. (Continued below…..)
[ranker id=”25″]
Back when TEs had full bar face masks & blocked all the time you could wait to pick your TE & everything would be okay. In the last few seasons we’ve seen a number of of these new fangled hybrid ends who have been putting up decent WR numbers. Guys like Gronk, Hernandez, Gates, & Graham have laid the groundwork for these new TE that I expect to do huge fantasy damage this year.
Fantasy players are forgetting a few things about these guys:
1. They don’t line up in a 3 point stance on the end of the line that much anymore. They are split out or in a slot looking for a mismatch.
2. They’re huge targets both when a QB is in trouble & in the RED ZONE.
3. TEs have great YAC & score more points per touch than WRs.
If you’re in a flex league where you can play a TE you NEED to be looking to get a decent pass catching end. They’re valued lower by your competitors & can be had for rounds less than a WR who has half the point production. One of my leagues allows a wr/te flex. This is a perfect place to put a late round steal. I often start two WRs & two TEs with winning results.
As I’ve mentioned in every other article, I’m calling this the season of change. I expect to see the top TE tier to gain 2-3 more guys & the next tier to have a majority of ends. The passing game has become about matchups & mismatches. Using a quick RB as a WR, you’re trying to force the wrong guy to cover your guy. Whether it’s a slow LB trying to run with your sprinter RB or a short DB looking to out jump a giant, it’s all about the matchup.
Now that I’ve placed a higher value on the TE it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t stream them. I keep 2-3 TEs on my roster at most times. Some teams can cover the tight end better than others. Having an extra back up that you can switch out for an added 5-10 points is a big advantage each week. As a result I now only keep one kicker & one QB. The drop in points is worse for TEs than QBs. A bad day for an end won’t get you negative points where a bad day for a shit QB could be a negative 12 points.
Be bold. Remember when everyone drafted RBs in the first two rounds. That rule has changed with the changes in the NFL. Hybrid TEs are a thing & you need to draft to this new reality.