It’s never too early to project where the top fantasy
performers should reside for the upcoming fantasy football draft. ADF is
providing our insight to where current players should be ranked as of today. This
listing will of course be modified as the offseason continues to move forward.
Projections are based upon 2017 PPR formats.
TOP 30 Fantasy
Tight Ends:
Rob
Gronkowski | NE | 2017 Fantasy PPG: 16.10 |Rank 1
Based on the
recent move by the Patriots to trade speedster Brandin Cooks to the Rams, the
offense could be again redesigned leaving Gronk and Edelman to become the
biggest benefactors. Securing his fourth 1000-yard season in 2017 while only
playing in 14 contests allowed Rob to lead fantasy with just over 16 PPG for
the position. The only concern facing Gronk at this point of the offseason is
the lack of commitment in returning to the field. Rob was very vocal in his
desire to retire from the NFL for personal reasons, and also with recent news
breaking of him training at TB12 rather than the Patriots facility, angering
coach Belichick and further causing a rift. If Rob intends to play in 2018 its
impossible not to believe he would again take control and become a top two
producing tight end.
Travis
Kelce | KC | 2017 Fantasy PPG: 15.70 |Rank 2
ADF is a
huge fan of Kelce and is extremely close in ranking him above the great
Gronkowski for top spot for tight ends in 2018. While the Chiefs offense has
been very productive over the last few years with Alex Smith leading the
charge, things might get more exciting with strong armed Patrick Mahomes
running the show. The number of weapons on this offense especially with the
addition of Sammy Watkins drawing more coverage away from Travis could only
inflate his numbers further. Also, for any young quarterback getting his feet
wet in the NFL, Mahomes will rely on their super star to act as his safety
blanket again racking up the receptions. The unknown for production at this
point keeps Kelce at the number two spot, but could easily overtake the top
position in the near future.
Greg
Olsen | CAR | 2017 Fantasy PPG: 6.01 |Rank 3
At the ripe
age of 33, Greg Olsen is coming off a season where a broken foot basically took
away his entire campaign. Even when Greg returned to the field it was clear he
wasn’t playing at full health in hopes to help his squad get to the post
season. Olsen himself spoke on record that he too was questioning his NFL
future and was considering retirement. Those thoughts were quickly squashed and
it appears he will suit up for the 2018 season. The Panthers offense does
require more talent at the wide receiver position which would ultimately help
Olsen find his way open as defensive coverages would be drawn away from his
side. Cam Newton is still playing at an elite level and there is little to
suggest that Greg couldn’t find his way back to breaking the 1000+ yard mark
for the fourth time in his career.
Zach
Ertz | PHI | 2017 Fantasy PPG: 14.60 |Rank 4
The Eagles
Zach Ertz was a revelation in this offense in 2017 finally producing numbers
that most of us expected of him when he was drafted. Becoming the go-to redzone
touchdown machine, allowed him to be a must start on a weekly basis in fantasy football.
With how this Eagles team is built with fantastic depth surrounding the
offense, Ertz should again see few double teams and remain a top redzone
presence. Missing four games in the last two seasons isn’t enough to question
his durability, but its clear he takes the field at less than 100% far too
often. A red flag is attached to Ertz as last season saw times where he saved
his fantasy days with a touchdown on limited targets and receptions causing
some concern. However, as Philly begins their year of defending their Super
Bowl title, Ertz will again be a top tier player at the tight end position.
Jimmy
Graham | GB | 2017 Fantasy PPG: 10.56 |Rank 5
The
potential for Jimmy Graham to place himself back amidst the top producers in
the NFL at the tight end position reins true as he signed a contract with the
Green Bay Packers. While playing in Seattle it was extremely clear that coach
Carroll didn’t fully understand how to integrate the star talent consistently
in his offense. Seeing career lows in targets and receptions for a 16-game
season (aside from his rookie year) was proof enough that Jimmy needed a new
club to rejuvenate his career. The excitement is great as Jimmy will again be
placed in an offense poised to exploit his abilities while the vast talent
around him should leave him running wild in opposing secondaries. Aaron Rodgers
hasn’t had a viable tight end option since the days of Jermichael Finley, and
this connection should bode much more favorably. Jimmy should find his way back
to the 65+ reception mark while flirting with the notion of generating 850-1000
receiving yards. Graham will of course be a mainstay in the redzone,
potentially matching if not exceeding his healthy 10 touchdowns from a season
ago. ADF is a big fan of Jimmy in Green Bay.
Kyle
Rudolph | MIN | 2017 Fantasy PPG: 9.89 |Rank 6
Enter yet
another player that will benefit from an offense full of talented players and a
new franchise quarterback running the show. Kirk Cousins should elevate the
level of production for Rudolph even though he could find himself as the third
or fourth option in the pass game. Its very possible that we all witness Kyle
get back to numbers seen from his 2016 season which saw him haul in 83
receptions for 840 yards, and 7 touchdowns. While we don’t believe Cousins is
an elite level quarterback just yet, he has proven more than once that he is
capable in producing top flight numbers in this league. Its not out of the
question for Kirk to produce 4500-5000 yards this season allowing his top three
receiving targets to benefit.
Evan
Engram | NYG | 2017 Fantasy PPG: 11.57 |Rank 7
With the
talent level of Engram prior to the 2017 NFL draft was known, Evan put his
abilities on display as he was forced to take on a bigger role as injuries
depleted the Giants receiving core. As the 2018 season gets underway, Evan
should benefit from the return of Odell Beckham Jr and the potential of New
York drafting a running back to help assist in Eli Manning in finally having a
viable play action pass option. Engram possesses fantastic speed and mismatch
ability the likes that most line backers in the NFL would struggle to cover.
Ranking Evan in the seventh slot is a little ambitious at this point, but ADF
is a believer in his skillset and loves the experience he gained as the go-to
target from last season. His ranking could be fluid as we get closer to the
start of the season, but ADF could easily envision him staying here with his
fantastic upside.
Hunter
Henry | LAC | 2017 Fantasy PPG: 9.06 |Rank 8
ADF has been
a large supporter of the talents of Hunter Henry but is growing inpatient of
the way the Chargers use him. With the Chargers brain trust not resigning the
future hall of famer Antonio Gates, perhaps we finally witness coach Lynn
direct more targets to Henry this season. Hunter has the ability to become a
top-flight producer provided he becomes a much bigger part of the offense which
could be a challenge with all the receiving talent on this roster. With that
said, Philip Rivers has always favored a feature tight end in their system and
Henry could be poised for a breakout campaign. While the potential remains very
high, Hunter has proven his floor can be frustratingly low.
Delanie
Walker | TEN | 2017 Fantasy PPG: 11.16 |Rank 9
As Walker
continues to see a lion share of targets in the Titans offense, its clear that
should continue into the 2018 season. In his five years playing in Tennessee,
Walker has only seen one season of under 100 targets while topping out at 133
targets back in 2015. The issue at hand for the aging talent is the fact that
his skills may be diminishing and the Titans new coaching staff may want to
include the next man up on the depth chart in Jonnu Smith. While the book is
still open for Jonnu to prove he’s capable of receiving more work in the
offense, it is very possible he finds a way to at least create a time share
this season. Walker could find himself dropping in the rankings before the
season begins.
Jordan
Reed | WAS | 2017 Fantasy PPG: 10.02 |Rank 10
Jordan Reed
remains a top-flight talent but unfortunately ADF can’t rank him higher due to
his injury history. If by some chance Reed can find a full level of success in
terms of his health, while teaming up with Alex Smith could be a situation fantasy
owners will be clamoring to obtain in 2018. While its extremely clear that Reed
has never played a full 16 game season in his career, the expectation is that
he will again find his way to the medical room as the grueling NFL season goes
on. However, Reed could bode as fantastic value ranked as the 10th
best player at his position provided he can play more games then not this year.
If drafting Jordan is in the cards for your fantasy team, a backup plan is
definitely warranted.
Jack
Doyle | IND | 2017 Fantasy PPG: 11.53 |Rank 11
The Colts
Jack Doyle has become an enigma in this offense with the recent signing of Eric
Ebron to the mix. While Doyle should have first crack at keeping his starting
job, it wouldn’t be out of the question to witness Doyle stay on the line and
block more to assist a shabby offensive line, while Ebron reaps the benefits of
becoming the main pass catcher at the position. Jack posted good numbers last
season becoming the favorite target for backup quarterback Jacoby Brissett. The
other enormous question mark resides on the health of their franchise
quarterback Andrew Luck. As of today, Luck isn’t throwing NFL footballs as part
of his recovery efforts which raises red flags that he might not be ready for
the start of camp. It shall be very interesting to see this situation play out,
but as of today ADF has no choice but to rank him in the 11th spot.
Trey
Burton | CHI | 2017 Fantasy PPG: 5.19 |Rank 12
Former Eagle
signed in the windy city to man the number one position at the tight end spot
for the Bears, is Trey Burton. His skill was on display last season playing in
relief for Zach Ertz when he went down to injury and he showed he was more than
capable to make plays. Being a part of the rebuild in Chicago, Burton has a
great opportunity to showcase that ability in an offense on the up-tick ready
to take the next step. Mitchell Trubisky should be able to find his tight end
with regularity racking up receptions as his first look check-down. Playing
under coach Nagy the former Andy Reid disciple, the offensive system could
suggest a similar tight end heavy approach making Burton a potential fantastic
earner in the fantasy world. ADF has high hopes for Burton in 2018.
George
Kittle | SF | 2017 Fantasy PPG: 7.10 |Rank 13
Everything
and everyone on the 49ers offense has excitement and great potential now
playing with Jimmy Garoppolo. Kyle Shanahan and the San Francisco brass haven’t
addressed the talent level at the receiver position as of yet, making George
Kittle a prime candidate for a breakout season. Kittle should benefit from a
multitude of targets and short over the middle receptions inflating his
stat-line this season. If you choose to wait on drafting a tight end this year,
ending up with George Kittle in the late rounds could turn out to be a draft
steal.
Charles
Clay | BUF | 2017 Fantasy PPG: 8.98 |Rank 14
While
Charles Clay does have a lot of play making ability, its been far a few between
since signing with the Buffalo Bills. The reason for the lack of production has
been his curse of having great blocking ability. Charles is one of the better
blocking tight ends in the league and playing in an offense which is dominated
with running the ball, Clay has rarely gotten a fair shake in the pass game. As
the Bills look to retool the quarterback position, its quite possible that Clay
will find his stride in 2018. Outside of Shady McCoy and Kelvin Benjamin,
Buffalo has gaping holes for pass catches where Clay could fill the void.
However, if the Bills offensive line continues to struggle, Clay will be leaned
upon to block for McCoy for majority of the season yet again.
Austin
Seferian-Jenkins | JAX | 2017 Fantasy PPG: 7.98 |Rank 15
ASJ is a
very intriguing player now that he’s signed in Jacksonville to play with the
Jaguars. Showing he’s clean and sober making it through a full season with the
Jets, he cashed in on his recent play and is primed to show that he could excel
on a team that has all the right pieces to make a true run at the AFC crown.
With long time tight end Mercedes Lewis recently given his walking papers, the
starting role for Austin remains his to lose. ASJ could easily pose as the
number one redzone threat in the pass game making him an attractive addition in
fantasy drafts. Arguments could have ASJ higher up the board, to which ADF
could agree, however, at this point of the offseason we need to witness offensive
scheme adjustments to see how offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett will use
the big body receiver.
Fantasy Tight End Rank 16-30:
Cameron
Brate: TB | 2017 Fantasy PPG: 8.94 |Rank 16
Eric
Ebron: IND | 2017 Fantasy PPG: 8.40 |Rank 17
Jared
Cook: OAK | 2017 Fantasy PPG: 8.43 |Rank 18
David
Njoku: CLE | 2017 Fantasy PPG: 5.92 |Rank 19
Ed
Dickson: SEA | 2017 Fantasy PPG: 4.98 |Rank 20
Rickey
Seals-Jones: ARZ | 2017 Fantasy PPG: |Rank 21
OJ
Howard: TB | 2017 Fantasy PPG: 7.51 |Rank 22
Austin
Hooper: ATL | 2017 Fantasy PPG: 7.47 |Rank 23
Tyler
Eifert: CIN | 2017 Fantasy PPG: 4.30 |Rank 24
Coby
Fleener: NWO | 2017 Fantasy PPG: 5.77 |Rank 25
Jason
Witten: DAL | 2017 Fantasy PPG: 9.31 |Rank 26
Tyler
Higbee: LAR | 2017 Fantasy PPG: 3.78 |Rank 27
Jesse James: PIT | 2017 Fantasy PPG: 6.14
|Rank 28
Benjamin
Watson: NO | 2017 Fantasy PPG: 8.57 |Rank 29
Stephen
Anderson: HOU | 2017 Fantasy PPG: 4.35 |Rank 30
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