In my most recent article I looked at some of my favorite early fantasy football sleepers at the wide receiver position. Now we’re going to look at one of the most difficult positions to predict – tight end. Like the running backs, this list proved to be much more difficult than the others.
Tight end is a position group where outside the top-5 players, everyone is a crapshoot. If you miss on the big names don’t fret. Look for players on good teams or with great opportunity. More likely than not, you’ll find a sleeper. With that said, let’s get started.
Gerald Everett, Los Angeles Chargers
I had high hopes for Everett in Seattle last year and was sadly disappointed. That said, I’m back on the train again with him in LA.
The Chargers are a potent offense. As far as pass-catchers go, outside of Keenan Allen and Mike Williams, there’s plenty of targets to be had. Justin Herbert is a stud quarterback, and should look to pick up where he left off last season. Without them adding much to their receiving group, Everett is in a place to shine.
Last year, the fossil of Jared Cook managed to have 83 targets. He barely converted half of them and left a lot to be desired; hence the signing of Everett. Everett is still incredibly young at 27, signed a 2-year deal with the team and is an explosive athlete – especially after the catch. In a creative offense like the one in Los Angeles, I expect him to perform in a big way.
Because of his blunder in Seattle last season, Everett has been falling mightily in fantasy football drafts. Be the savy manager and snag him as your 2nd or 3rd tight end, and watch a potential top-10 season come to fruition.
Evan Engram, Jacksonville Jaguars
I’m not going to lie, I kind of hate myself for having Engram on this list. The once standout TE for the New York Giants has fallen from grace in a big way. That said, a new location means new opportunity and a chance for redemption. And boy, do I like a good redemption story.
With Doug Pederson in Jacksonville, the utilization of the tight end is huge in his scheme. Just look at the duo of Zach Ertz and Dallas Goedert during his time in Philly. In Jacksonville, Pederson will be working with a 2nd year quarterback in Trevor Lawrence who will need a safety valve. Don’t be shocked to see Engram develop into that. Yes, his hands have been stone as of late, but I expect that to change this upcoming season.
The talent of Engram has always been there, and his ability as a route runner and finding the soft spot in zone coverage is a good trait to have. I see Engram as a borderline TE1 in fantasy football going into this season.
Robert Tonyan, Green Bay Packers
After his excellent 2020 season, Tonyan fell off a cliff in 2021 prior to suffering an ACL tear in Week 8. While many of us knew that his 2020 success wasn’t sustainable, no one could expect such a drop off prior to injury. Having Tonyan on this list really signifies how hard it is to find a true ‘sleeper’ at the position, considering how many fantasy football managers are ‘in’ on certain players.
Tonyan signed a one-year contract with the Packers prior to this season. With Davante Adams gone, the pass-catching opportunities have opened up tenfold. In my previous article I discussed Aaron Rodgers preferring familiarity with his receiving group when discussing Allen Lazard. Well, the same applies to Tonyan.
With no competition at the position and plenty of targets to be had, Tonyan is a great dart throw late in fantasy football drafts. Considering most managers got burned by him last year, he’s worth the late round flier in most leagues. Even if he doesn’t pan out to be a top-end play at the position, where you’re drafting him shouldn’t affect your team anyway. And, if he does pan out, he’s a huge boost to your team for the season.
I don’t have high hopes for Tonyan past 2022, but this season should provide a window of opportunity for him to come back to relevance; even if it’s only brief.
Austin Hooper, Tennessee Titans
After signing a huge deal with the Cleveland Browns, Hooper fell off a cliff. Some of that isn’t his fault as he was forced into a three-man timeshare. That said, everyone expected more from the player who finished as the TE6 in back-to-back years with the Falcons.
This season Hooper signed a one-year deal with the Titans. To be honest, the Titans are the best landing spot that Hooper could find himself in. It’s also a spot where he could revive his fantasy football career.
QB Ryan Tannehill likes to throw to tight ends. It’s the reason Anthony Firkser was a ‘thing’ prior to the start of the 2021 season. We also saw what happened with Jonnu Smith that helped him land that big contract with the Patriots. Hooper is a much better player than Firkser, and should see that talent turn into production working with Ryan Tannehill.
With so many fantasy football managers putting Hooper on the back-burner, you can acquire him for essentially nothing. The risk is well worth the reward in a tight end landscape that’s extremely hard to navigate.
Cole Kmet, Chicago Bears
Kmet is a player whose hype I was never quite sold on, and last year didn’t help in that regard when he recorded nearly 100 targets and only mustered a TE21 performance. With that said, adjusting to variables is how you win in fantasy football. I believe that this is the year we finally see Kmet ‘break out’.
With the Bears essentially refusing to upgrade their receiving room, Kmet has plenty of opportunity this season. The new coaching staff in Chicago has already stated their love for Kmet, and the scheme change could really give the third year tight end endless possibilities.
The lack of a true red zone threat means Kmet could put up a monster season in 2022. With Justin Fields having another year of experience under his belt, he’ll look to his safety valve at tight end. Kmet is one of the few players on the team with familiarity with Fields, and that only benefits his potential production this season.
In the offseason Kmet has been doing all the right things to get better. So, while I may not have been high on him in his initial two seasons in the NFL, I’m starting to be ‘all in’ in his third year. I think given this offense and the situation, Kmet has the potential to put up a top-10 fantasy football season.
