Fantasy football 2019: 5 bold predictions – tight end edition

4. Trey Burton won’t finish as a fantasy football top-20 TE.

How This is Bold:

Last season, Bears’ TE Trey Burton finished as the overall TE8 in PPR formats, averaging 9.2 fantasy points per game. He comes into Year 2 on what should be an improved Chicago offense under Matt Nagy and is still just 27 years old.

Why This Will Come True:

This pick is a lot less about player performance and more about injury concern. The case and point here is that nobody really knows what’s going on with Burton. On Sunday, it was reported by The Chicago Tribune’s Brad Biggs that Chicago’s starting tight end is unlikely to suit-up against Green Bay this Thursday as he battles yet another groin injury.

However, this appears to be no new injury for Burton. After appearing in each of the Bears’ 16 games in 2018, Burton mysteriously popped-up on the team’s injury report just one day before they were set to play his former team, the Philadelphia Eagles, in the Wild Card round of the playoffs.

What was first reported as a groin injury, Burton underwent sports hernia surgery in the offseason to get his body right.

In July, it was reported that he was “100 percent,” taking part as a full participant in the Chicago’s first week of training camp. However, he’s been held out of practice ever since for “precautionary” reasons. As Bears’ insider Aaron Leming points out on Twitter, something’s a tad fishy about Burton’s situation.

The most recent report from the team is now Burton’s second setback just since camp opened a little over a month ago. This should have owners questioning: is there more to the story? Based off what we currently know, you’ve got to wonder whether or not this is an injury that will plague the emerging end throughout the year. It’s becoming a definite situation to steer clear of.