Fantasy Football Rookie Dynasty Rankings 2017: Top Five Tight Ends

In the third edition of our Fantasy Football Rookie Dynasty review series, we’re going to take a look at tight ends.  Again, if you’re in a Fantasy Football Dynasty league like I am, the Fantasy Football Rookie Dynasty list by position is a vital tool to have during your draft.

The right picks can set you up for several winning seasons or arm you with the best trade options to build Fantasy Football championship teams.  This article will focus on the top five rookie tight ends for Dynasty consideration.

Last season, picks like Ezekiel Elliott and Michael Thomas quickly became incredible value for fantasy football dynasty leagues.  Elliott had a lot of hype heading into most fantasy football drafts and was taken early.  Thomas was a steal later on in most drafts.  But Hunter Henry was a bargain as a common free agent pick up.

Henry was one of the better tight ends entering the NFL last season, an Arkansas product chosen 4th in the second round of the 2016 NFL draft by the San Diego Chargers.  But it wasn’t well known how much of an impact Henry would have in his rookie season.

Hunter’s fantasy impact became obvious quickly.  Henry was targeted 53 times last year, with 36 receptions.  Henry had almost 480 receiving yards with eight touchdowns.  The touchdown category makes Henry a great asset, one every other game.  If you have Hunter on you roster from last season, consider keeping him in your dynasty leagues.

Fantasy Football Rookie Dynasty TE Pick: No 5

As you’ll see later on, there’s quite a drop in fantasy football value after the top three rookie dynasty tight ends.  But Jonnu Smith has some intriguing long-term potential. The 6′ 3”, almost 250 pound, tight end from Florida International University (FIU) was selected with the 100th pick of the 2017 NFL draft, in the third round, by the Tennessee Titans.

Smith arguably would’ve been lesser known heading into this year’s draft if it weren’t for a personal incident that blew up in social media late last fall.  Jonnu’s girlfriend, five months pregnant at the time, had thrown boiling water on Smith during a heated argument.  The boiling water caused severe burns over much of Smith body, and at one point he was expected to be out for the season.

At the beginning of last year’s college football season, most NFL scouts had Smith on the DFA list. But as Smith’s college football career continued to progress, more teams took notice, and he quickly jumped up into the expected fourth or fifth round.  But the way Jonnu handled the boiling water attack impressed NFL teams, and by the late third round, the Titans grabbed Smith.

Mariota already has top Fantasy Football Rookie Dynasty pick Corey Davis to target.  And Delanie Walker is currently the Titans top fantasy option at tight end.  But Walker is 32-years-old, and we should expect to see Smith on the field more as the season progresses.  The Titans are trying to develop a core of young talent at key offensive positions, and Smith is one of those pieces.  Within the next two seasons, Jonnu could be one of the top ten best tight ends in the NFL for fantasy football teams.

Fantasy Football Rookie Dynasty TE Pick: No 4

The Rams offense is in disarray.  Which is why the Rams welcomed Sean McVay to L.A. attempting to turn the program around, with a specific focus on offense.  McVay was able to improve the Redskins offense, which had been in a similar situation a few years ago.  Now, he’s back to square one in Los Angeles.

The Rams need to figure out who’s going to lead at quarterback soon.  They invested heavily in Jared Goff, picking Jared with the first overall pick of the 2016 NFL draft.  But Goff showed clear need for massive development, and Carson Wentz, chosen second overall by the Philadelphia Eagles, already looks like the better option.  

In the meantime, the Rams are focused on rebuilding around Goff (they hope).  With the 12th pick of the second round, the Rams chose South Alabama tight end Gerald Everett.  Everett is an allusive 6’3” 227 pound tight end who can make people miss easier than most who play the position.  Gerald led all tight ends in the nation last year in forced missed tackles, 24.

Everett is often compared to Antonio Gates.  That’s an incredible comparison, but also sets a high bar for Gerald.  But that tells you how much upside NFL scouts see in Everett.  We may not see immediate production from Gerald in the 2017 season.  He’s likely to start the season playing minimal time on the field.  But as the Rams develop under McVay’s tutelage, we will see Everett emerge on the field.  And McVay has a history of developing young athletic tight ends, just like Everett.

Fantasy Football Rookie Dynasty TE Pick: No 3

With the top three Fantasy Football Rookie Dynasty tight ends left, we’re entering the portion of our list where our picks are likely to start the season on the field.  These picks will have the greatest fantasy impact, and you should target them in the later rounds of your draft.

In the first round, and 23rd overall pick of the 2017 NFL Draft, the New York Giants grabbed tight end Evan Engram from Ole Miss.  With 65 receptions, 926 receiving yards, and eight touchdowns, Engram had the ability to play tight end or wide receiver during his collegiate career at Mississippi. Evan played four seasons at Ole Miss, but his athletic talent exploded on the field in 2016.

With superstar OBJ at wide-out, veteran Marshall working with the talented young Shepard, and now Engram, it’s debatable if Manning even needs a better offensive line with so many weapons to target in the air.  The O-line is still a concern for the Giants, but it’s likely Manning will have an opportunity to increase his passing yards and touchdowns, with bigger targets in the red zone. Engram is going to be one of those targets.

The Giants likely will mix Evan at wide receiver giving Marshal, OBJ, or Shepard a break.  The long list of options could hurt some of the fantasy football productivity from each player, but it could also improve production if executed properly.  Engram has the ability to be a top three tight end, not only among rookies, but in the NFL for years to come.  Grab him in late rounds and keep him on your team if the next two aren’t available.

Fantasy Football Rookie Dynasty TE Pick: No 2

The immediate impact David Njoku will have for fantasy football owners will be determined by how quickly, and how well, Hue Jackson is able to develop Cody Kessler at quarterback.  There were moments in 2016 where Kessler looked like the real deal at the position for the Browns.  But the Browns have many holes to fill around Kessler, and Njoku should help.

After an already impressive and very active first round for the Browns in the 2017 NFL draft, Cleveland selected the young Miami Hurricanes tight end with the 29th overall pick of the draft. Compared to other tight ends on our list, Njoku isn’t as allusive, but he’s able to use his 6’4″ 247 pound body frame to break tackles.  David is also great at position himself well for the ball as it approaches, making it very difficult for defense backs to defend passes coming Njoku’s way.

The Browns sum up Njoku’s body and athleticism with a tweet on May 21st, ‘he’s a freak.’  Scouts often compared David to Washington Redskins 26-year-old standout TE Jordan Reed.  If Reed could stay healthy, he could be one of the top three tight ends in the NFL.  If David stays healthy, he will be a top three tight end in the NFL.  Also, Njoku is only 20 years old.  He could actually get bigger!

Grabbing Njoku for the 2017 season is a bit of a gamble with so many unanswered questions on the Browns offense.  But Njoku will be the Browns top receiving tight end this season.  And if you’re in a Dynasty league and you’re looking for one of the top tight ends for your team’s future, and our top guy is gone, grab Njoku before you snag anyone else. With the next two years, Njoku will be one of the top tight end options each draft, and could be a near future early round ADP.

Fantasy Football Rookie Dynasty TE Pick: No 1

Each of our top two through five rookie tight ends has an opportunity to make an impact either immediately this season or next season for you fantasy football team.  They’re each great receiving options for their chosen team.  But no tight end on our list is as complete than O.J. Howard.

Howard is not only a great route-runner and pass catcher, but he’s one of the best blocking tight ends in the 2017 class.  So why is that important for fantasy football?  He’s going to be on the field more!  The 6’6” 250 pound tight end from Alabama was drafted 19th overall in the 2017 NFL draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The Bucs are now loaded with young talent for Dirk Koetter’s offense.  Follow FanSided writer Michael Horan discusses the impact his How O.J. Howard Changes Bucs Offense article.  In summary, the Bucs already have great receiving talent and Winston is developing well as their quarterback.  With Bate and Howard at tight end, they have two great blocking ends allowing them to run or pass each down without much change to the line, and each tight end is capable of scrambling down the field for a pass beating a linebacker or defense back.

Admittedly there is a lot of hype surrounding O.J. and he has very high expectations to overcome. But after the surprisingly fall down the draft board,  Howard may actually be in the best position to succeed immediately, and well into the next several years for your fantasy football dynasty team.

Next: Rookie Dynasty Top Five WR's

Now that we’ve reviewed the top five Fantasy Football Rookie Dynasty players at the running back, wide receiver, and tight end positions, we’ll move to the top sophomore options.  Look for the sophomore articles soon.  In the meantime, follow us on twitter, @fantasycpr, for updates.