2021 Fantasy Football Tight End Preview: Kyle Pitts, Noah Fant, Dallas Goedert could add real depth at top

The only thing extra trustworthy than the tight finish situation staying poor for Fantasy is that just about every August we’ll come up with a listing of tight finishes who are established to improve that…and most of them will permit us down. 

You might consider 2020 was distinct since Logan Thomas, Robert Tonyan, and T.J. Hockenson all jumped into the top-5 at the situation. It truly is essentially the opposite, the fact that they ended up top-5 with much less than a hundred and eighty PPR Fantasy factors just illustrates that the situation was worse than regular final 12 months many thanks to George Kittle’s injuries, Mark Andrews’ time on the COVID listing, and Evan Engram’s drops. 

Thomas, final year’s No. three, would have completed TE7 in 2019, extra than forty factors out of the top a few. In fact, final 12 months was the very first in the past 10 exactly where it didn’t take at the very least 200 Fantasy factors to end in the top a few tight finishes. So definitely, we are not heading to do this thing all over again, ideal? Of program we are.

The point out of the tight finish situation is these types of that we only have four tight finishes we must entirely assume to be actually excellent Travis Kelce, Darren Waller, Kittle, and Andrews. Then we get to the could-be players, which has been one particular of the most hazardous positions in all of Fantasy. 

That group is led by a rookie, Kyle Pitts, but also contains T.J. Hockenson (if he receives all the targets in Detroit), Noah Fant (if he can get in the finish zone) and Dallas Goedert (if Zach Ertz would just go away). Now, if you happen to be just catching up you could wonder how a rookie tight finish is even in this group, for the reason that of course — they’re usually poor. But Pitts is a unicorn in phrases of his measurement/velocity/reach combination and he was an absolute monster in his closing 12 months at Florida. If any rookie tight finish was heading to supply, it would be him. Although as you’ll see under, I’m nevertheless betting versus it.

Outside of these eight tight finishes it is a hodgepodge of younger men who have to have extra opportunity (Irv Smith, Cole Kmet, Adam Trautman) and veterans individuals just do not think in (Logan Thomas, Eric Ebron, Tyler Higbee). These players are ideal left for the double digit rounds, and do not supply a total large amount of upside.

The base line? The tight finish situation is nevertheless very top-significant, even if there are some who hope that will improve in 2021.

Draft tactic

Tight finish tactic is determined by your draft situation this 12 months. If you decide in the very first six picks you possibly are not getting Kelce, which usually means you should not take a tight finish until finally Spherical three at the earliest. This is exactly where you have to do the psychological math as to no matter if Waller and Kittle are worthy of what you’ll go on in early in Spherical three, if you do not consider so, Mark Andrews will possibly be there late in Spherical four. If you miss the top four, I desire to wait around until finally Spherical 8 and take Fant. If you miss Fant, I might take a pair of the tight finishes heading in the double-digit rounds. Ideally, one particular younger and one particular aged.

If you have a decide in the again 50 % of the very first round, you can prevent all of this by just getting Travis Kelce with your very first decide. If you miss him, you must be joyful to land Waller or Kittle soon after Spherical three. If you miss them, you can comply with the same flow chart from ahead of.

If you happen to be in a tight finish-high quality league, Kelce must be a top-a few decide and Waller-Kittle are worthy of consideration at the one-two flip. Absolutely everyone else receives a two-round raise.

Now let us get to the sleepers, breakouts, and busts:

Quantities to Know

• 25.four% — Mark Andrews has been focused on extra than a quarter of his routes run the past a few seasons, only George Kittle has been focused at a larger rate.
• 9.9% — Rob Gronkiwski’s job TD rate. Robert Tonyan, Jimmy Graham, and Jonnu Smith all topped that rate final 12 months. Don’t guess on them repeating.
• 33.01% — Virtually a 3rd of the Raiders passes went to tight finishes final 12 months. The Eagles ended up the only other staff earlier mentioned thirty%.
• 5 — George Kittle has in no way scored extra than 5 touchdowns in a year. 
• 11.7 — Irv Smith has averaged 11.7 PPR FPPG in his six job video games with at the very least 5 targets.
• ninety six.three — Kyle Pitts averaged virtually a hundred yards for every match in his closing 12 months at Florida.

Draft to Stream

Logan Thomas vs. Los Angeles Chargers

As I claimed earlier mentioned, I check out Thomas as a starter and he is not staying drafted as one particular. Also, Custis Samuel could be at the rear of early in the 12 months due to time skipped due to injuries and it does not damage that the Chargers ended up in the base 3rd of the league versus tight finishes final 12 months.

Austin Hooper at Kansas Town Chiefs

Hooper must have a lot less focus with Odell Beckham again on the field and the Browns must have a lot of go quantity many thanks to the Chiefs higher-powered offense. The Chiefs gave up the 3rd-most Fantasy factors to tight finishes final 12 months.

Mike Gesicki at New England Patriots

This is not a excellent matchup, but we by now know Will Fuller will miss Week one and there is no promise Devante Parker will be healthier either. Gesicki could be the team’s next possibility in the passing match, and their very first possibility could be rookie Jaylen Waddle.

Tiers

Projections

So which sleepers, breakouts and busts must you focus on and fade? And which QB shocks the NFL with a top-5 general performance? Visit SportsLine now to get Fantasy cheat sheets for just about every one situation, all from the model that called Josh Allen’s enormous year, and obtain out.