Fantasy Football Dynasty League Sleepers For 2018: Tight End

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Fantasy Football Dynasty League Sleepers For 2018: TE

Have you ever lost your keys in between car seats and proceeded to stick your hand through and pat down the whole floor, hoping to feel them? That’s basically how predicting the tight end position has gone in fantasy football the last few seasons. Once you’re past the Gronk/Kelce tier, it’s been a whirlwind of touchdown specific players who were chosen based on matchups. Zach Ertz exploded last season which gave us all hope. Someone with volume finally paid off in a big way.

Every article out there seems to advertise finding ‘This Year’s Kareem Hunt‘ or ‘The Next Alvin Kamara‘. I want to help you find the next Zach Ertz. It’s not as sexy, and it’s definitely not as fun, but it’s potentially just as valuable. Let’s continue the deep dive into dynasty formats and be realistic about the tight end role in today’s landscape. As usual, ADP data comes from MFL and sleepers are found in the fourth round and later. This means nearly everyone is a sleeper. My apologies to all the tight ends out there, sometimes the truth…….Ertz.

5. George Kittle – 49ers

Current ADP: #116 (TE13)

Age: 24

Potential Upside: B

Kittle has been on the hype train throughout most of the offseason, along with the entire Niners roster. The most obvious reason is the elite level of play we saw from Jimmy Garoppolo at the end of last year. I have Kittle at the back of this list simply because he was solid when Jimmy G was behind center, but didn’t win anybody their league. He was the TE10 during those games, and ranked fifteenth in targets.

Tight end performance is predominantly target driven, so it’s crucial for a sleeper to be in a position to be a relevant part of the offense. Although Kittle shared targets with Garrett Celek late in the season, the two of them combined to see more than any TE combo in the league over that span.

If Kittle can prove himself as a pass catcher in camp and cement his position atop the depth chart, he could easily explode as a fantasy starter. Kittle is six years younger and a much better athlete than Celek, which aligns well with the modern NFL. At his current draft price he could be a steal as someone who could crack the top seven at his position under the right conditions.

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Fantasy Football Dynasty League Sleepers For 2018: TE

4. Jordan Reed – Redskins

Current ADP: #121 (TE15)

Age: 27

Potential Upside: B+

One of the most overused phrases in the fantasy industry is “if he remains healthy”. Predicting injuries is impossible, but certain players have such an overwhelming rap sheet that it becomes expected for them to miss time….. and Reed is one of them.

I completely understand the concern, but the frustration has gone way too far and his draft price is out of control. There’s few players in the league with high end upside for a bench stash price….. and Reed is one of them.

Reed finished as the TE2 in 2015 playing in fourteen games, and the TE7 in 2016 playing in twelve games. Over the course of those two seasons, he averaged nearly sixteen PPR points per game. This means if you squeeze nine games out of Reed this year, you’ll have yourself a top ten tight end. Since he came into the league, he’s only missed that mark one time, and it was 2017. Don’t let the frustration you felt last season lead you to ignoring a potential top five guy…..Reed is one of them.

3. Cameron Brate – Buccaneers

Current ADP: #171 (TE22)

Age: 26

Potential Upside: C

Similar to the quarterback throwing him the ball, the world has completely forgotten about Cameron Brate. He played in every game last year and finished as the TE10, even with Howard looming over his shoulder. The concern that Howard will eat into his workload is legitimate and limits his upside in dynasty formats, but not so much that he should be off the radar. Jameis has shown how much he loves targeting Brate, and Howard isn’t the type of player to be on the field every snap.

The tight end position is very watered down after the top-tier, so an obvious value like this should be taken advantage of. I’m not suggesting he be the only guy on your roster, but pairing him with a rookie talent like Mike Gesicki or either of these next sleepers will pay off in dynasty.

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Fantasy Football Dynasty League Sleepers For 2018: TE

2. David Njoku – Browns

Current ADP: #95 (TE8)

Age: 21

Potential Upside: A+

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Njoku’s draft price is nearly where it should be. He’s in a new look Browns offense, and he’s only 21 years old. There’s more question marks surrounding him than data, but those question marks are ones that could have damn exciting answers. All it will take is some chemistry between Njoku and Mayfield for him to be a top five player at his position for the next few seasons. He’s a phenomenal athlete and has his entire career ahead of him with no competition on the depth chart. You will have to pay the price to take the chance on him, but he could very easily pay off.

1. Trey Burton – Bears

Current ADP: #100 (TE10)

Age: 26

Potential Upside: A

Trey Burton is my top sleeper pick in literally any format. He’s in his prime from an athletic standpoint, and the Bears made a big statement signing him to a four-year deal. I’m following my mother’s advice when she told me you shouldn’t pay for something you won’t use. Bears Head Coach Matt Nagy has a history of utilizing tight ends in pass catching roles (see: Travis Kelce), and comes from the Andy Reid coaching tree which maintains a similar philosophy.

Burton excelled when given the chance, and was only buried on the depth chart in Philly because of Zach Ertz. He also played under Nagy in Philadelphia, which means he already has a grasp on the playbook. A talented athlete in a brand new offense, with a head coach who opened his wallet to get him there? Sign me up.

Next: The Ten Commandments of Fantasy Champs

Best of luck in your Fantasy Football drafts and stay tuned to Fantasy CPR for all your draft prep as we head towards the start of the NFL season.

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