It’s an interesting time for tight ends in fantasy football. There are the top dogs—guys like Jimmy Graham, an allegedly healthy Rob Gronkowksi, new hotness Julius Thomas to name a few—that go early in a draft.
And then there is everyone else.
Many owners still wait on a tight end, in which case it’s important to hit on some diamond in the rough later in the draft. So today we’ll look at some tight ends who are right on the cusp of being reliable—guys who could be this year’s Julius Thomas. What could make a fringe guy a fantasy stud? Well, in order to be that guy you need opportunity, ability and a decent quarterback. Having Peyton Manning is nice, but it isn’t always vital (for an example see Cleveland’s Jordan Cameron).
Who has all that? Here are a few guys who I bvelieve fit the bill.
Kyle Rudolph
Some people are down on him given the high expectations which were crushed by his injury in 2013, but he seems just as poised to break out this year as he was last year.
While the quarterback situation isn’t quite ideal and there are other weapons in the offense like Cordarrelle Patterson and Greg Jennings, Rudolph has been targeted frequently in preseason just like last year.
Last year (prior to his season-ending injury) Rudolph was on pace to land upwards of 90 targets and actually catch more of them as well. Rudolph had caught 65 percent of the targets thrown his way.
This year he has a better situation at quarterback (even if it’s not ideal) and will not be the focal point of the defense either.
There’s a lot to like about Rudolph and while some might avoid him due to last season’s injury, you can grab him in the eighth or ninth round which is solid value for a guy who I believe will have a very good season.
The risk is that Rudolph might get lost with Jennings, Patterson and some dude named Peterson or that Matt Cassel could be awful this year and kill everyone’s value. But ultimately I'm betting that he perserveres.
Zach Ertz
I saw some things to like from Ertz’s rookie year, but not enough consistency.
This year will be different.
Ertz is in his second year in head coach Chip Kelly’s offense, Nick Foles looks solid again this year, and nobody is going to mess with Ertz with Jeremy Maclin, Darren Sproles and LeSean McCoy in the offense.
Two issues with are Ertz is his poor pass blocking, which could cut down on his snaps and Brent Celek who has looked pretty good in the preseason.
Ertz has worked on the blocking, though it still needs even more attention and while Celek has done some good things in August, so has Ertz, who has compiled eight catches for a touchdown and 110 yards. While Celek might continue to steal some red zone looks, Ertz is a better overall fit for Kelly’s offense and is someone the head coach brought in with a plan in mind.
He’ll get plenty of work and in this offense, his upside is pretty big.
Martellus Bennett
While he was suspended for the first preseason game, Bennett remains a big part of the offense in Chicago. Last season saw him with 94 targets, 65 catches, 759 yards and five touchdowns and there is no real reason to expect regression.
Sure, the team brought in Santonio Holmes, but he’s pretty much done and not really a threat. On top of that, head coach Marc Trestman’s offense likes to use the tight end position a lot, so Bennett’s opportunities shouldn’t decrease.
Of course, the touchdown totals are—and always have been—low for Bennett and so that could keep him out of the top tight ends again this year.
But if he can get more red zone love, he could have a big year. As it stands, he’s a more solid low-end TE1 than people think and I like him a ton.
Travis Kelce
Right now it seems as if Anthony Fasano is firmly entrenched in the No. 1 tight end spot in Kansas City, but the Chiefs are missing out if it stays that way.
Travis Kelce has been having a very good preseason and the Chiefs lack playmakers in the passing game—especially with Dwayne Bowe dealing with both injuries and a Week 1 suspension.
Kelce has a nice combination of size and speed, and has a ton more upside than Fasano. He also should be an outstanding red zone weapon where he can bring his athleticism to bear and overwhelm defensive players.
Right now I feel he’s a TE2 and admit there is a chance that the Chiefs offense will hold him back, but if you’re looking for a tight end with upside to have on your bench, he’s a guy who has breakout potential this year.
Ladarius Green
There are a few things standing in the way of Green finally breaking out not the least of which is that the offense still features Antonio Gates pretty heavily. As Adam Levitan pointed out on Twitter, Green was only on the field with quarterback Philip Rivers for 13 of Rivers’ 28 snaps and saw just one target.
Malcom Floyd is also back and with the emergence of Keenan Allen in 2013, snaps might be hard to come by especially if Green isn’t on the field.
Here’s the thing though—Green has great hands, runs good routes and can even block. It’s hard to imagine the Chargers keeping him off the field as much as they did last year, even if they will never bench Gates. Hopefully head coach Mike McCoy puts together some two-tight end sets and gets Green more involved.
If he can get more involved, Green has a ton of potential but the situation he faces makes him the riskiest guy on this list.
