Photo: Dale Zanine, USA Today Sports
With a wide spread for tight end salaries, much like last year, and the position at full strength to begin the season, do you recommend paying for a stud in Week 1 or mining value for lower salaries? Pick and choose to comment on possible options below:
- The top tier of Travis Kelce, George Kittle, Zach Ertz
- Potential breakout players in O.J. Howard, Evan Engram, Hunter Henry
- Returning from injury Delanie Walker, Jordan Reed, Greg Olsen, Tyler Eifert
Dan Hindery
Week 1 pricing is always pretty loose, which is understandable since the prices come out so far in advance. Value is easy to come by at other positions, so it feels like a week to take the sure things at tight end. It is easy to put together a strong roster while keeping enough money in the reserve to pay up for Travis Kelce. Both in terms of floor and ceiling, Kelce is so far ahead of the pack at the position that I am trying to fit him in wherever I can.
Hunter Henry also projects very well and comes with a bargain-basement price, especially on DraftKings ($3,900). It feels unnecessary to reach for lesser options just to save a few dollars when Henry is so cheap. Plus, there are enough other strong options, his ownership isn’t going to be through the roof either.
Phil Alexander
The top tier of Travis Kelce, George Kittle, Zach Ertz
Enough value has opened up at other positions that I'll have exposure to all three high-priced tight ends. Kelce has the most upside of any tight end in any given week and had a 100-yard game against the Jaguars last year. Kittle is a featured receiver in a game we should be looking to stack. I have Ertz last of these three, but I like Carson Wentz for a strong game at home against an overmatched Washington team. Ertz will be a fixture in my Eagles stacks.
Enough value has opened up at other positions that I'll have exposure to all three high-priced tight ends. Kelce has the most upside of any tight end in any given week and had a 100-yard game against the Jaguars last year. Kittle is a featured receiver in a game we should be looking to stack. I have Ertz last of these three, but I like Carson Wentz for a strong game at home against an overmatched Washington team. Ertz will be a fixture in my Eagles stacks.
Potential breakout players in O.J. Howard, Evan Engram, Hunter Henry
The $1,000+ drop in price (DraftKings) from Ertz down to this group should make it the tier you get the majority of your tight end exposure from. Henry, in particular, seems way underpriced relative to his baseline and upside projections.
The $1,000+ drop in price (DraftKings) from Ertz down to this group should make it the tier you get the majority of your tight end exposure from. Henry, in particular, seems way underpriced relative to his baseline and upside projections.
Returning from injury Delanie Walker, Jordan Reed, Greg Olsen, Tyler Eifert
Eifert is in play. This figures to be the healthiest he'll be all season, A.J. Green's massive target share is up for grabs, the Bengals are likely to be playing from behind in Seattle, and Eifert is cheap across the industry. I have very little interest in the rest.
Eifert is in play. This figures to be the healthiest he'll be all season, A.J. Green's massive target share is up for grabs, the Bengals are likely to be playing from behind in Seattle, and Eifert is cheap across the industry. I have very little interest in the rest.
Justin Bonnema
- The top tier of Travis Kelce, George Kittle, Zach Ertz
It’s tough to pay up for this tier and not go with Kelce. Even though Kittle easily has the best matchup, Kelce has Mahomes so matchups don’t matter. Their price difference won’t make or break most roster constructions. I’m not interested in Ertz and probably won’t be in most games this year unless the trend of the Eagles using Dallas Goedert in two tight end sets slows down. We might see a lot of him this year.
- Potential breakout players in O.J. Howard, Evan Engram, Hunter Henry
Henry is a great value play and certainly has a clear path to targets, but I’m not sure how much I trust that game. Those two offenses don’t give me a lot of confidence. Neither does the 44-point over/under. Howard, on the other hand, has a great situation in Week 1 even if he competes with Mike Evans and Chris Godwin for targets. I love chasing his upside.
- Returning from injury Delanie Walker, Jordan Reed, Greg Olsen, Tyler Eifert
Just copy and paste Phil's answer here. 100% agree with that take.
Jason Wood
I've been banging the Hunter Henry drum since April, and that's not going to stop heading into Week 1 when Henry is ready to reassert his place in the top tight end pantheon after missing a year with an ACL injury. I also expect to have solid exposure to C.J. Uzomah because of his price and the perceived role he'll have in Cincinnati while A.J. Green is out.
JAMES BRIMACOMBE
If you are playing cash games you want to lock in Kelce, Kittle, or Ertz this week as there is so much value this week at the other positions so the extra cost won't kill you. For GPPs I think you take a shot on all the breakout type of guys like Howard, Engram, and Henry and pair them with their quarterbacks. As far as punting further than that this week at tight end I would not recommend it as you don't really need to and no one at the position actually stands out.
Will Grant
- I'm not a fan of paying up for a 'stud' tight end this week. Most only remember Kelce's final totals, but he opened last season with 1 catch for 6 yards. Prices were set for these guys based on last year's performance so the chances of them exceeding value are extremely low.
- I suppose the one thing that might change my mind is if Ezekiel Elliott doesn't sign this week. Then cash games will run to Tony Pollard for his low price and you can afford to pay up for a high priced tight end who might get you a few extra points. Even then though, I'd probably still pay up for wide receivers as much as one of these three since wide receivers score in buckets the first few weeks.
- I like both Engram and Howard this week as good value plays at tight end. Engram because he'll get plenty of action due to the volume of passes that will come his way. Howard because the Bucs are facing San Francisco and the stronger secondary will focus on the wide receivers. These guys are far enough below the top tier tight ends but should score similar fantasy points - leaving you extra dollars to spend elsewhere. The Chargers should have an easy time with the Colts at home, and I think they'll be running the clock in the second half, leading to limited upside for Henry.
- Delanie Walker looks to be back in football shape and should see the most action this week of the guys you have listed here. The Titans are going to need to throw in this game to stay close, and I think Walker is going to see plenty of action this week. Olsen and Reed are serviceable, but I'd rather have Walker's upside this week. Tyler Eifert is strictly a GPP type 'low ownership' play this week.
Tags:Daily FF
