Top 10 Tight Ends + Draft Strategy & TE Sleepers

is Zach Ertz. Now, Zachertz was an absolute boss for the first eight games last year. Never finished outside the top eight at the tight-in position, as consistent as they come. Really impressive first half of the year. Now, in the second half, it was a little shaky, but he took care of you in weeks 15 and 16 in the fantasy playoffs, even though he only had one nice finish from weeks 9 through 14. Zach Ertz right now.

Looks like the most reliable, healthy target on a Philadelphia Eagles offense that should be very good. There's really nothing to complain about with Zach Ertz. I mean, 110 targets last year, eight touchdowns. That's the number that, you know, you look at and you say, hey, is he going to be able to get in the end zone as many times again? But the injuries and the concerns around other pass catchers in Philly make me feel pretty confident in Zachers. So when you grab Grong, you're giving up a second round pick. When you grab Ertz, you're giving up a fourth round pick. And so a lot of times people might say, well, that's.

That's a great deal. I'm getting the second best tied in, but that's where you need to establish the difference between what Grunk does on a consistent basis and what Zach Ertz did. You brought up the touchdowns, Andy. We've talked about this before. Look, two years ago, Zach Ertz had 78 receptions and only four touchdowns. Last year he had fewer receptions, 74, but he went to eight touchdowns. It's all about that touchdown number, and we've been calling for the slight touchdown regression for Carson wins.

that he could be a very obvious candidate for that to come away. So, you know, it's one of those things where, you know, if he's falling to the fifth or sixth, which I don't see often, I would consider. But Ertz, he was my guy last year because he was, you know, an eighth rounder. You just made the point, though, of not why Zachertz is bad, but why there's a tear gap between Rob Grunkowski and Zachertz. That's the argument that I just heard. Yeah, yeah, exactly. And the, for me, I just wanted.

reiterate the injury to Alishon Jeffrey needs to be monitored. Wide receiver for the Eagles talk of him starting on the Pup list, which means an automatic six games will be missed by Alishon Jeffrey if that is to happen. And you have to imagine that's a big bump for Zach Ertz in those first six games. That would be. Coach Peterson did come out and say he has no idea where that report came from. I'm not reading a report. I'm reading.

I'm reading off the board from Captain Obvious, who says your number one wide receiver goes down. No, no, no, I'm saying about. I'm feeding the tight end. Yes, 100%. I'm just saying the fact that he could start on the pub. That's what Peterson was saying. I don't know who's saying that.

Yep, Peterson did come out and say that that report is kind of erroneous, and they're just taking you day by day with Jeffrey the same way they are with wins. Ooh, well, well, then was Peterson. The pup, he better not start on the pup. The pup is a big deal. Or you're making the Pete Carroll list. That's a six-game difference in of opinion. If you're really on the fence with Jeffrey, there's no way he starts on the pub, so we'll see if he tells the truth or not. Now, there's that second year, right? Where did Jimmy Garapolo go on our set, Brooks? Did you take him away?

Yeah. Why'd you take him away? Jealous. He's being way overdrafted right now. Oh, my God. It's a symbolic gesture. Get bodied. I just had felt. I knew there was a little less handsome in the general vicinity over here. We had to tone it down with it. When I looked at Mike. I'm doing my best to bring it up. So it's me and Jimmy handsome on the same side of a table. I admit, that's not fair. The table just starts bending that direction. It's just not fair. I'm trying to help you and Jason out. Yeah. No, I get it. I love you, Brooks. Thanks, Brooks. Turn off your microphone.

Let's have the number three here. Okay. Number three. Travis Kelsey, he's my number two, Jason and Mike's number three. If Jeffrey starts on the pup, I would probably flip-flop those guys and be with you on Earths at number two. Kelsey, last year, 83 receptions, 1,03 yards and eight touchdowns on 123 targets, played 15 games. He was targeted eight times a game. Tied for the most in the league. He was very reliable. A top 12 tied in 73% of the time.

And this has just been the resume for Travis Kelsey now. The last four years finished 7th, 1st, and 2nd at the tight-in position. There aren't a lot of holes to his game. If there was one, it would be in the touchdown regression category with Sammy Watkins coming in. He's the only tied-in to finish with at least 120 targets. So, man, Travis Kelsey. Sure. Try it and true, but you got to pay a third rounder for him. You got to pay a third rounder for him. And it's...

He's number three for me, so it's not a lot of risk. We're just trying to look at it from that side. The risk would be all of the variables entering this new season, new offensive coordinator, new red zone threat and Sammy Watkins, and new quarterback. That's a pretty big change when you are a pass-catching weapon like Travis Kelsey. I think he can rise above it. But there's just, there's concerns there, which I suppose they're.

you've got to have some of those exact same concerns with Zach Ertz with the quarterback situation. And the offensive coordinator. Yeah, and the offensive coordinator. But you pay up.

A higher price for Kelsey. Sure. Not by much, though. That's what I was going to bring up is that these two guys are in a very similar situation. They're in the same tier for a reason. They're the clear number two and number three in either order. A lot of people have Ertz ahead of Kelsey. I do because of the variables you just mentioned with Kelsey. A lot of people have Kelsey above Ertz because he is physically an imposing dominant human being. For a reason.

But that's where I lean, that's where I lean, Ertz, because you're getting the one-round savings. They're both going to be great this season, but they're not a huge, ginormous positional advantage. And to give up a running back or a wide receiver, I just feel like they're too pricey for me this year. Well, let's get into some of the more debatable tight-in situations. Number four. Greg Olson, I've got him at five, Jason and Mike have him at four. He may be the best mix of value.

In the draft? I don't know. If he slips into the sixth round, are you drafting Greg Olson? Or are you just passing and taking a guy you like a little bit later that has different upside? We're at the first tight end who makes me nervous. Yeah? Yeah. I know I have them at four. Greg Olson's been a stud. He's been at least a top seven tight end since 2012 throwing out last year where he missed a massive portion of the year. But the way, the change of things for the Carolina Panthers.

adding DJ Moore, Christian McCaffrey. It makes me a little nervous to pay that price, a low-end fifth round, a high-end six-round pick for Greg Olson, who, while he is steady, I mean, he gives you a nice floor, generally speaking, when he has these good finishes, he never goes boom, though, because the touchdowns...

are always low. The touchdowns aren't there. And so, you know, he basically played in six games last year. And if you look at the numbers and you go, okay, well, you know, he's still great. He had one game that you remember the game. He came back from the injury, 12 targets, nine receptions, 116 yards, and a touchdown. Oh, Greg Olson's back. Yeah. But what about what happened in the other five? Because in the other five games, he didn't have one game in five that he had

30 yards. Here's his yard totals to start the year, 18, 10, 10. After that 116 yard game, he had 27, then 10. If he's not scoring touchdowns, makes me nervous. And he's dealing with a Jones fracture that has, you know, a 20% chance of re-injury in NFL after that first one. I feel like there's a lot of risk here. Norv Turner, though, has been known as always having a very, very. Sure.

Powerful, tight in. A lot of the times that's been due to Norv Turner's propensity to use and have incredible running backs that force eight in the box and let the guy get out and extend the field. Emmett Smith in Dallas, Ladeney Tomlinson, Stephen Davis. I don't think any of us are putting Christian McCaffrey in the category right now. He's not Frank Gore when, you know, North Turner was offensive coordinator in San Francisco that could pull him in the box and make Vernon Davis just even more of a weapon. That being said...

Olson was rewarded with the contract. I think he's interesting. He's still the go-to guy for Cam Newton, in my opinion, until G.J. Moore proves to me that he can be that player. You might get one more year of great value out of Olson, but you're right. There are some variables and some fears. It'll be an interesting season in general to see what North Turner offers and whether we buy into the North Turner hype around McCaffrey, around Olson. You know, North Turner's been doing it a long time, but the league has changed. So.

Whether Christian McCaffrey can be a bell cow, I think, is going to factor into Olson's success. Yes. Number five. Evan Ingram. There's only been one tight end that has had a season. A rookie season. A rookie season in the last five years where he finished inside that top echelon of tight ends. It was Evan Ingram. He was a tight-in six last year, 722 yards, six touchdowns, 115 targets. What do we think?

Evan Ingram in New York this season. Eli Manning gets some weapons back. Sequin Barclay enters the ring. I've been hands off with Evan Ingram myself. Yeah, I have two for the most part. It was encouraging to hear a lot of people that were at camp, their open practices, talking about how involved he was. That's great. I just can't.

fathom that his target total stays where it was last year. You lost Brandon Marshall. You lost O'Dell Beckham Jr. You even lost Sterling Shepard at times last season. You didn't have the pass catching running back like a Sequin to take some of those targets away. And so, yeah, he ended up with 115 targets last year. I have him just under 100 projected this season. When I look at, you know, Odell Beckham's going to be near 150 and Sterling Shepard and all those guys.

they're not wanting Eli Manning to go out there and throw the ball 600 times. And so I think Evan Ingram can be far more efficient than he was last year. He was, you know, he wasn't that great. His catch rate was very below average. So if that goes up and the targets go down, I think he can repeat what he did last year. But he's not a guy that I look at as taking that.

Oh, he's going to take that second year leap. He was so good as a rookie. I think he takes a smidge step backwards. I don't mind that take. I do believe in Evan Engram, the player. I believe that he is a mismatch. He is a nightmare when used properly. But you're right. The targets that were available to him last year will not be there. I will say in those first four games, Weeks 2 and Week 4, those were games where Odo Beckham.

was playing in Odo Beckham had decent numbers. And in weeks two and four, Evan Engram was a top 12 tied end, finishing six and 11. So it's not that he can't do it with Odo Beckham there. But would you take Shepard or Engram as a flex? As a flex? Yes. It's a great question. I would rather, I mean, you're throwing draft price out of the equation. I'm just saying. You pick one of those guys up of waivers to put in your flex spot. It would be Evan Engram. I would go Shepherd. Where would you go there? I think I'd go Engram. Hmm.

Yeah, I did this touchdown. Better touchdown upside. Yeah, I get that. Number six. All right, Trey Burton. Trey Boo Boo. Offseason Fantasy Darling signed a four-year $32 million deal with Chicago to come in and be. Matt Nagy, head coach's Travis Kelsey in this offense. Right now, what we like about Trey Burton, because he's seven, seven for Jason and Mike. He's number eight in my rankings.

apparently he's number two for j gris is this what i understand hold on hold on now why is j gris why does gris uh like gronk a little more brooks do you know he's reasonable reasonable i've never heard of a bear being reasonable i've never heard of a bear as a part of a fantasy football show to be honest with you well there's first for everything uh tray burton 11th pick of the eighth round is his

average draft position right now. I think that's the attractive part. There's a lot of hype around the Bears' offense, basically materializing out of a bad season last year. Do we worry about Adam Shaheen being a threat around the goal line, taking targets from trade burden? What do we like about him, don't we? You like that he got paid a tremendous amount of money to be the guy, to be the move tight end, where Adam Shaheen will get some targets. He's a good tight end, but.

Trey Burton is a pass-catching specialist in the two opportunities he had with the Eagles this past season to play in replacement of Zach Ertz. Two for 41 with a score on four targets. Five for 71 with two touchdowns on six targets. He's a good player. It's just taking him some time to really emerge and prove to the NFL his value.