Fantasy Football 2017 - Top 12 Tight Ends + Sleepers

I believe. Yeah, Andy, Andy did. Andy liked Jimmy Graham more than myself or Mike last year. Jimmy Graham showed that it is, you know, he is.

to be credited for his success more than just the system and more than just Drew Breeze. He's an exceptionally talented tight end. We saw him trail off last year when he did not, you know, it looked like his gas tank ran out. He is one of the guys I alluded to earlier that I think, you know, if you're in a PPR league and he's back in the sixth round, then I can start considering a super high. If Jimmy Grant finished the year as the number one tight end, I wouldn't be shocked.

He has that type of potential and very few other, you know, Greg Olson, I don't think we'll do that. Seven and eight on our ranking. Seven and eight are Zach Ertz and Kyle Rudolph. We talked a lot about Zach Ertz earlier this week. I really like the fact that with Jordan Matthews out, Ertz, I think the volume will be there. He has been a dominant force in fantasy football at the back half of the last two years, ended last year with performances of number four.

number two, 10, then he was 34th against the Giants, but then came back in the last week, the often forgotten week of fantasy football, and was the number one tied in that week. And over the course of the last, what is that, nine weeks, he had seven top 12 performances. So we can't forget Zach Ertz and what he did over the last half of the year. Last five games, 40 receptions for 443 yards and three touchdowns that tied in one. Ertz is...

a very difficult man to get a grasp on what is what is he going to do because this is now two years in a row where he has given you nothing but you had a reason last year in the beginning half in the first half so let's let's rewrite the narrative here i'm going to write it for you tell me if you buy in okay he ended 2015 with on fire yes i love michael keat

San Bradford left. Was that the problem because he was physically endowsed in flames and been very injured? I'm not going that direction. That would be tough. At the beginning of last year, everybody's optimistic about him with Sam Bradford. The rookie takes over just before the season and you have a slow acclamation period through the first seven weeks with Carson wins.

Then he's back to normal over the back half. So you could argue that that little outlier six-game stretch, mind you, week one, he was number 10. And then he missed a couple weeks. So he really only had four weeks of mediocrity with Carson wins before being on fire for the rest of the year. I'm just saying that in 2015, his first 11 games, he had 403 yards in those 11 games. And then the final four games, he had 450 total yards in four games.

Then last year, the exact same thing happened where he, he, in the first nine games, 373 yards, and over the last five. He missed games, though. He missed two full games. These are games played. He played 14 games. In his first nine games that he played, he had 373 yards. And then the last five, 443. I'm just saying, like, a jump of, of that proportion is, that's outlier.

To me. So that's why I like him. No, I don't, I can't buy in. I disagree completely because I think I think you had a brand new quarterback and you basically had four weeks of mediocrity spanning a two season period of time. Yeah. Back half of 2015 all the way through to this year.

I buy into Kurtz. He's seven on my rank. I totally get the argument. I mean, he should be a polarizing player. When you look at what he's done, you can write the narrative either way. I tend to lean towards Andy's side, especially since the departure of Jordan Matthews. With Jordan Matthews out of the way. Yes, that helps. And what I've seen, you know, the rapport between Wince and Ertz, I am now a believer. I have.

been a strong supporter of Kyle Rudolph. And in this aforementioned Sleeperbot League, I chose to take Zach Ertz over Rudolph. I'm a believer. I am a believer in Zach. What about Rudolph? Rudolph seems very boring to me. Rudolph! But he was the number two tied in. I'm going to make that point. So that's not boring. Yeah, 83 for 840. So you're talking about 10? I mean, that's half the yard per reception of Rob Grunkowski.

Let me tell you why Rudolph is a great fantasy football pick this year, better than most of the guys we've talked about. Okay, his average draft position is going to be lower than almost everybody we've been talking about. Nobody loves Kyle Rudolph because, like you said, he's boring. You don't want him. Last year was an outlier. The thought is, oh, we've already seen him for a long time. Kyle Rudolph is Greg Olson.

in the sense that he was a highly drafted, talented player in college, very, you know, a great physical specimen, but in the beginning part of his career, he was not utilized, just like Greg Olson was not utilized when he was in Chicago. Then all of a sudden, he gets more involved in the team. You've got a quarterback that comes and throws the ball a lot. I mean, do you remember your love early on in Kyle Rudolph's...

career for him because of his talent. Do you remember that? I do remember that, but I think the only comparison with Greg Olson that you can count on is under utilization to utilization. That's all I'm counting on. They're not similar players. You know what the physical comparison for Kyle Rudolph is? It's Heath Miller. That's why he's boring. He's a guy that averages low yards per carry. He's not a streaker down the middle of the field. You're not talking about the upper echelon guys here. You're talking about a Stefan Diggs is hurt again. Chad.

Who am I thinking of? Charles Johnson is nothing last year. And, okay, we've got one guy left to throw the ball to, and San Bradford has a 79% completion percentage. So we're going to throw it to Kyle Rudolph. So if you buy into Thielen and you buy into Floyd and Diggs and inclusion of these healthier aspects, Dalvin Cook in the passing game, I just don't want Kyle Ruto. If you told me it was 13th round, sure, he's my tight end. But he's a ninth round, eighth round pick. And a PPR league, he's an eighth round pick.

He's too boring for me. He has the potential and the talent physically to catch touchdowns. He's done it before. It used to be called the Red Zone Reindeer. The Red Zone Reindeer. Now last year you saw the volume and the efficiency. I think he's got the whole package to me to wear late in drafts. I mean, ninth round, you can get a guy who last year finishes the number two tight end and was tied for Greg Olson with his consistency at that. Do you see yourself drafting him in the ninth round? Yes, I really do.

That's a good point. Yeah, Kyle Rudolph is one of my main tight-end targets. There you go. We've got some tight-end division on the show. Might need to get a little Judge Diamati action going on later. Later on. All right, 9 and 10. Eric Ebron, Hunter Henry. Eric Ebron and Hunter Henry, question marks a plenty. I think people surprised to see Ebron up there. He'll probably drop in my rankings if he cannot get himself healthy this preseason.

Jason is sighing with frustration because we don't get to see what this guy is. He had weeks last year where, you know, number four tied in against Dallas, number two against Jacksonville. But there's been no consistency there and certainly no touchdowns. Yeah, when it comes to the touchdowns last year. Well, there was one. He had. Yeah, that's a plural. Touchdowns is plural. And so I stand. There was a touchdown. Correct. Well, here's a deal.

In his sophomore year, he had five touchdowns as a second year tight-in. I don't think that Eric Ebron can't score touchdowns the way that some of these other guys have showed. Against the law. That's just not what they do. That's not their forte. I think Eric Ebron could last year.

They went to Anquan Bolden when you were down near the goal line. Anquan Bolden is gone. These are the reasons why Eric Ebron, who is still super young. This is a 24-year-old at the tight-in position, which has the longest learning curve for getting involved. Every stat other than his touchdowns. Old busted. Every stat other than his touchdowns have gone up every year that he's been there. And his involvement, his opportunity, everything.

To me, I would have him as my absolute my guy this year if it wasn't for the fact that I'm starting to not believe he can stay healthy and get on the field. Right now, you miss practice with an undisclosed injury. Yeah, Ebron in the 12th is still a great value. I will do that. Yeah, I can see the argument for that. I just, with Ebron, you have to, you have to wonder whether or not you're going to get.

13 games out of them. Let's shed some light on number 10, Hunter Henry. People don't know what to do with Hunter Henry. I think they love being excited about Hunter Henry because he's a very talented player. But let's shed some light on how people should think about him because he's still going in the eighth round right now. And so you're talking about taking him ahead of a guy like Kyle Rudolph, according to draft position. Shed some light on how people should think about Hunter Henry this year. What's nice about Hunter Henry is that the ADP has actually

gone back to where it should be. Early in the off season. He was like the fifth title. Yeah, everyone had the fever. They had Hunter Henry fever. He was being traded for ridiculous things in Dynasty leagues in an ADP was like a six round pick. It was it was absolutely outrageous, especially when you factor in that Antonio Gates is coming back. And preseason game one, lo and behold, who's catching touchdowns? That's Antonio Gates.

It's what he does. Yeah, but I believe in Hunter Henry's talent. He was eight touchdowns as a rookie. That's the second most by a rookie tight end since the year 2000. Gronk had had 10 his rookie year, but Gronk is, Gronk's Hall of Fame level tied in. You can't compare people to Gronk. But I think Hunter Henry will emerge and there was talk out of San Diego. They, the coaching staff and people whispered from the bushes. They admitted.

They were force-feeding Antonio Gates the ball towards the end. They wanted him to get that touchdown record to sit alone at the top as a tight end with the most touchdowns in NFL history. And that Hunter Henry could have had like four more. And that would have been just absolutely outrageous. So I am buying into Hunter Henry taking a step forward. The Mike Williams injury certainly keeps his value more stable.

that they don't have another elite pass catcher to siphon off more targets. So I am more than willing to take Hunter Henry as my tight end in the ninth round. I think that's good value. Would you be happy in a redraft league, you leave the draft, you spent a ninth round pick on Hunter Henry, and he is your only tight end on your roster?

You feel confident with that? Yes, I would feel comfortable with that. And I get, I love Gates too. If you want to completely punt the tight end and it only go with Gates. I just think that that Henry's ceiling is higher. Philip Rivers is known for throwing touchdowns to the tight end. We saw it again last year. We saw it the year before. Yeah, he will. That's a connection that Philip Rivers looks to. He looks for that, that huge dude. I mean.

Who wouldn't want to throw to the big guy in the end zone? That's what Philip Rivers says. He will throw touchdowns to the tight end for sure. The question and the worry is Antonio Gates. How many will he siphon off? And also, to be honest, you know, coming out last year, Hunter Henry was great. So was Austin Hooper. Those two guys were pretty much about the same. I mean, as far as, you know, draft capital and draft pedigree coming into the league. And Hunter Henry only caught 36 receptions last year. It just so happened. It's a little.

He caught a reception again. That's good. He only had 36 receptions. Yeah, there you go. So the thing is. Since I can correct you. He was so touchdown dependent that I just worried. I agree. His upside is there. It's tremendous. But I think he's being overdrafted still. If you get to a certain point, though, in your tight ends and who you're picking.

You're looking for a guy to score touchdowns. If he was 11th, 12th round, then I would take the shot at him. Mike, do you want Hunter Henry or Kyle Rudolph in the ninth round? I want Kyle Rudolph. If his ADP is exactly the same, I'll take Carl Rudolph. Okay, Martellus Bennett and Jack Doyle round out our top 12. I easily take Hunter Henry over Martellus Bennett. There you go. We all have Martellus Bennett 10, 12, and 13. I think we've talked quite a bit about the fact that it hasn't.