The Ultimate TE Rankings for 2026 Fantasy Football
STACKED extracted the fantasy-relevant player signal from this video and kept the full transcript here for context.
57 min
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37
Player insights
37
Players mentioned
Topics
Amon-Ra St. BrownAustin HooperBijan RobinsonBreece HallBrock BowersBrock PurdyChristian WatsonColston LovelandDallas GoedertDalton KincaidDaniel JonesDavid MontgomeryDavid NjokuDawson Knox
Player analysis
Player insights
Amon-Ra St. Brown
PositiveUsage20:08
Amon-Ra St. Brown is acknowledged as the primary target in the Lions' offense, though the source notes that Sam LaPorta should not be overlooked despite St. Brown's high volume.
Insight pageAustin Hooper
NegativeUsage18:08
Austin Hooper is used as a historical reference for how Drew Petzing's offensive scheme can elevate a tight end to a top-two target on the team, even when not traditionally viewed as a primary receiver.
Insight pageBijan Robinson
NegativeProjection24:31
The source has lowered Bijan Robinson to fourth overall in their rankings to justify a more aggressive stance on Kyle Pitts.
Insight pageBreece Hall
NegativeValue8:10
Breece Hall is cited as a preferred draft selection over Trey McBride in the middle of the fourth round in the source's Yahoo Expert League.
Insight pageBrock Bowers
PositiveProjection3:22
The source ranks Brock Bowers as their TE1, citing his All-Pro level talent and record-setting 65 receiving yards per game through his first two seasons despite playing on one leg last year. He is projected to benefit from Clint Kubiak's explosive offensive scheme and a potentially mediocre Raiders defense that will likely force high-volume passing in the fourth quarter. Bowers is considered a tier-maker positioned after top running backs and before high-end wide receivers like AJ Brown, Nico Collins, and George Pickens. He is ranked ahead of Trey McBride due to McBride's higher target competition, and he benefits from Trey Tucker's role as a non-high-volume WR1.
Insight pageBrock Purdy
PositiveUsage28:18
George Kittle has received a team-high 33% of endzone targets when sharing the field with Brock Purdy, reinforcing the value of the 49ers' passing attack for Kittle's fantasy production.
Insight pageChristian Watson
PositiveUsage21:04
Christian Watson serves as a deep-threat receiver for the Packers, whose role in pushing defenses downfield creates space for tight ends like Tucker Kraft to operate in the flats.
Insight pageColston Loveland
PositiveBreakout15:23
The source identifies Colson Loveland as a high-upside breakout candidate who could lead the Bears in receiving categories following the departure of DJ Moore. Loveland demonstrated elite efficiency in 13 personnel last year with 4.66 yards per route run and a 53% receiving yard market share; he is viewed as a mismatch weapon who could eventually become the league's top-scoring tight end. Colson Loveland is mentioned as a preferred tight end option alongside Sam LaPorta, serving as a fallback or target if those players are available.
Insight pageDallas Goedert
NegativeProjection37:42
Ranked as the TE13, Dallas Goedert is projected to regress due to his heavy reliance on the 'tush push' for goal-line production, which the team is expected to adjust away from. The source also notes signs of decline at age 31, projecting a finish in the TE9-TE11 range rather than repeating his previous TE5 performance.
Insight pageDalton Kincaid
NegativeUsage30:14
Dalton Kincaid is ranked as the TE10. While he led all tight ends in yards per route run, he failed to exceed 55% of snaps in any game last season. His current ADP reflects his historical usage, but there is potential upside if his snap share increases due to scheme changes or improved health. He is considered a superior talent to Isaiah Likely.
Insight pageDaniel Jones
NegativeUsage13:20
Daniel Jones's health is highlighted as a performance indicator for Tyler Warren, who averaged 54 yards per game and operated as the TE6 during the 13 games Jones was healthy last season.
Insight pageDavid Montgomery
NegativeUsage15:32
David Montgomery's presence in the Lions' backfield last season is cited as a factor that previously limited the target distribution for pass catchers like Sam LaPorta.
Insight pageDavid Njoku
NegativeUsage17:28
David Njoku is a historical example of a tight end who benefited from the offensive scheme of the Kevin Stefanski and Drew Petzing coaching tree. He split time with Harrison Bryant last year, finishing as the TE10, and is expected to maintain similar usage levels despite new target competition.
Insight pageDawson Knox
NegativeDepth Chart30:36
Dawson Knox remains a factor in the Bills' tight end rotation, which has historically limited Dalton Kincaid's snap share.
Insight pageDontayvion Wicks
NegativeUsage22:04
Dontayvion Wicks is identified as a Packers receiver who helps push the ball downfield, which assists in opening up underneath routes for tight ends.
Insight pageDrake London
NegativeUsage22:57
The source notes a negative correlation between Drake London and Kyle Pitts, observing that Pitts' fantasy production was significantly higher in games where London was absent or limited.
Insight pageGarrett Wilson
PositiveValue8:12
Garrett Wilson is a preferred draft selection over both Trey McBride and Tyler Warren. The source indicates that while Warren is a target, he does not rank above Wilson in their personal draft hierarchy.
Insight pageGeorge Kittle
PositiveValue27:42
The source ranks George Kittle as the TE7, higher than the consensus TE9, and prefers him over the Browns' tight end situation due to his role in a perennial top-10 offense; Kittle was the TE3 in receiving yards per game when on the field last season and commands a team-high 33% of endzone targets when sharing the field with Brock Purdy. He also has a favorable early-season schedule against the Bills, Jets, Panthers, and Cardinals.
Insight pageGerald Everett
NegativeValue24:48
Gerald Everett is compared to Kyle Pitts as a tight end option, though the source questions if Everett has the same top-three tight end upside given his team situation.
Insight pageIsaiah Likely
PositiveRole32:53
Isaiah Likely is ranked as the TE11. The source highlights his potential to be a primary target on his team, but notes he has a firm ceiling and is viewed as a less talented version of Dalton Kincaid in a less efficient offense, though he could still finish as a fringe TE1.
Insight pageJake Ferguson
NegativeUsage42:10
Ranked as the TE16, Jake Ferguson has shown top-seven tight end production during specific stretches, but his fantasy relevance is highly dependent on the absence of primary targets like CeeDee Lamb, as his target share is significantly capped when those players are active.
Insight pageJameson Williams
PositiveUsage15:27
Jameson Williams is expected to see increased target volume alongside Sam LaPorta, as the Lions' defense and backfield changes suggest a more pass-heavy environment for the team.
Insight pageJared Goff
PositiveProjection16:52
Jared Goff is projected to potentially lead the NFL in passing yards, serving as a key driver for the Lions' offensive success and the fantasy value of his pass catchers like Sam LaPorta and Jameson Williams.
Insight pageJuwan Johnson
PositiveValue39:01
The source ranks Juwan Johnson as the TE12, citing his high snap share (72-90%) and consistent route participation as primary value drivers. He is considered a viable starter for the first half of the season, supported by his performance splits following the Rashid Shaheed trade, where he operated as a top-10 tight end in both receptions and yards per game.
Insight pageKyle Pitts
PositiveValue22:01
Kyle Pitts is a high-upside target with generational potential at a low price point. He is 25, fully healthy, and showed improved route running in the preseason. He led Falcons tight ends in snap counts last year and has a range of outcomes that includes a top-three finish, especially if Drake London or Bijan Robinson miss time, which would trigger a massive usage spike.
Insight pageMark Andrews
PositiveProjection40:52
The source ranks Mark Andrews as the TE15, expressing skepticism regarding his current form due to health concerns and training camp reports. Despite these risks, he remains a viable rebound candidate as the primary secondary target in the Lamar Jackson-led offense.
Insight pageMichael Pittman
NegativeUsage12:31
Michael Pittman Jr. was the primary target competitor for Tyler Warren last season, and his departure is cited as a key factor for Warren's increased target share potential in the Colts' offense.
Insight pageMike Evans
PositiveUsage29:09
Mike Evans is dealing with various health concerns including quad and groin issues, and faces target competition, making it unlikely he sees an increase in target volume this season.
Insight pageParker Washington
PositiveValue14:29
The source explicitly prefers drafting Parker Washington over Tyler Warren, placing him in a tier of players they would select ahead of the tight end.
Insight pageRashee Rice
NegativeUsage40:03
The source suggests a potential usage conflict between Rashee Rice and Travis Kelce, noting that Kelce's target share historically drops from 23% to 19% when Rice is active on the field.
Insight pageRome Odunze
PositiveValue14:29
The source categorizes Rome Odunze as a player to draft ahead of Tyler Warren in current draft scenarios.
Insight pageSam LaPorta
PositiveBreakout14:45
Sam LaPorta is a high-priority target and TE5, expected to benefit from a high-scoring Lions offense, a weak secondary, and positive touchdown regression. The source is drafting him heavily, citing his health and his role as a primary or secondary read in a scheme that prioritizes tight ends, including his versatility in 12 personnel. He is considered a benchmark for elite tight end production.
Insight pageTravis Kelce
PositiveValue4:05
Travis Kelce is considered a strong value at his current TE12 ADP, with the source noting he was a top-four TE in points per game when Patrick Mahomes was healthy last year and could lead the Chiefs in receiving. While his touchdown projection is lower this year (6 vs 12), he remains a viable target in the 16th overall range in full PPR redraft leagues, with his 2020 season (17.4 PPG) serving as the historical benchmark for elite tight end production.
Insight pageTre Tucker
NegativeRole4:17
Trey Tucker has seemingly secured the wide receiver one role for the Raiders, though he is not expected to be a high-volume target earner. This role helps clear the path for Brock Bowers to serve as the primary pass-catching option in the offense.
Insight pageTrey McBride
PositiveProjection4:06
The source expects regression for Trey McBride following his 2023 breakout season, citing increased target competition from a healthy Marvin Harrison Jr. and Michael Wilson, a likely decrease in neutral pass rate, and a more balanced backfield. Consequently, the source is avoiding him at his current third-round ADP, though he remains a late round three or early round four value depending on league format. He is ranked behind Brock Bowers and is considered a less preferred option than Garrett Wilson or Breece Hall in middle-round draft scenarios.
Insight pageTucker Kraft
NegativeInjury20:09
Tucker Kraft is a high-upside tight end who averaged a league-high 15.5 yards per catch and led the position in yards after the catch last year. However, he is recovering from a torn ACL and is expected to be on a snap count for the first month or two of the season. His high YAC efficiency is expected to regress, though his athleticism and the Packers' downfield passing scheme remain positive factors.
Insight pageTyler Warren
PositiveUsage12:20
Tyler Warren is a frequent draft target projected to lead the Colts in receiving. Following Michael Pittman Jr.'s departure, Warren is expected to capitalize on his rookie-year target volume; he recorded the 11th most red zone targets among WRs/TEs as a rookie. Shane Steichen's scheme frequently manufactures touches for him via screens and play-action on early downs.
Insight pageFull transcript
Episode Transcript
0:00It's onesie time today. Our final rankings for tight ends. Uh I can't wait to talk about this group because obviously there's a number going in the
0:08top three or four rounds. Uh in the past, one of our favorite strategies has been to Dr. Frankenstein the position. I
0:16think that's more difficult now than ever, Hayden, because we've become better at identifying later round tight ends and because more and more people
0:24started doing that. And I think like actually this group of mid-round tight ends is is kind of interesting. at least one or two of them might be on uh your
0:31fantasy league championship team this year.
0:33>> I think it's a very exciting group to talk about. I think there's huge error bars for these tight ends as well
0:39because so many of them are under 25 years old and we know that they're good.
0:44We don't know if they're like going to be elite guys or if this is going to be kind of one of those situations where a
0:49couple things don't break their way and they end up busting because this is a position that a lot of times like the
0:54fifth round fantasy tight ends like typically bust out. I just think the difference here is that all these guys are really good and they're like 23 24
1:02uh or even sometimes even younger than that, >> right? And where the cycle of the NFL is right now, tight ends are imperative for
1:10many of these rosters across the league to the point that pure blockers are being selected in rounds two and rounds three. And if these teams are in 12
1:18personnel and especially 13 personnel with three tight ends on the field, uh that means one of the tight ends is the
1:25secondary pass catcher in the lineup and they're going to get funnel targets. And so we're going to bring up all that
1:29stuff because then that guy is going to get peppered with a whole bunch of stuff and be very fantasy relative for us.
1:34>> And my my last note is if you miss out on the young tight ends that could be the top uh pass catcher, second pass
1:39catcher on their team, then you get into the range of now we're talking about 33 year old tight ends. can they still play
1:46football? And like now we're talking about like a different cliff of like they just might not have it anymore as well. So it's kind of like uh the entire
1:53position can go up and down.
1:54>> Five years ago, those guys were being selected in the first and second round.
1:56You know, it it shows you how quickly things change and I I think that's very evident here at tight end maybe more
2:02than any other position. Okay, we kick things off with Barack Bowers who is around the 18th overall pick right now.
2:11Uh he's both of our tight end ones. Um, when you talk about the Raiders, you almost have to talk about the Seattle
2:17Seahawks on top of it because of what Clint Kubak is bringing to this team. I mean, the Seahawks were fifth in the NFL
2:23in pass success rate last year, second in the rate of pass plays that gained 10 or more yards. I mean, Kubak Saints
2:30offense was also one of the most explosive in the NFL. And Hayden, what stands out to me is none of those teams,
2:36either of them, were expected to be that before Clint Kubak showed up. And you could say the same thing about this
2:41Raiders team. And that's why we like Brock Bower so much this year.
2:46>> Yeah. Last year he was my tight end, too. And then this year, I did not even blink twice. He was like easily going to
2:51be my tight end one this year because I think Trey McBride has a lot more target competition. And Brock Bowers, it's just
2:57going to be him out there. It sounds like Trey Tucker has kind of like run away with the wide receiver one job for
3:01the Raiders. He's never going to be a high volume guy and doesn't seem like they're getting that much out of Naylor
3:06B like those those type of guys. So, uh, all these explosives that you talk about, I think a lot of it's going to be
3:11with Brock Bowers. They have two quarterbacks that they can go to between Kurt Cousins and Fernando Mendoza. Uh, and the defense, they just lost a key
3:18player. And I think that their defense is going to be pretty mediocre. So, I think there's going to be a lot of
3:23fourth quarter receptions here. Brock Bowers, if you watch the game, you guys know that he's an allp prolevel talent.
3:28Uh, the most receiving yards per game through the first two seasons uh, since at least 2000 at 65 yards per game.
3:35remember he was doing that on one leg last year on top of that. And the other tight ends who are in that mix uh
3:41through the first two seasons, they tend to get better in the year three. And I think that's what's going to happen with
3:46Brock.
3:46>> Yeah. I mean, he's almost in a tier of his own in this group because you really have to make the determination in round
3:52two if you're going to start with a running back or a wide receiver in that spot and that's one of your, you know,
3:57players that you're going to ride with all season long versus again this onesie guy. Um, it makes sense and it will really pay
4:05off if we get one of the, you know, Travis Kelce seasons of old. Like 2020 Travis Kelce, that was incredible. 17.4
4:15points per game. The next close was at 14, but what stands out to me was the Titan five that year was at 9.4. So,
4:22that's not even talking about like the tight end 10 or tight end 12 that you're going up against on a weekly basis. That
4:26was the person in your league that had the fifth best tight end for the entire season. you had an eight-point advantage
4:33on any given week. So, if we get that or if we get even five points, like so many of your matchups come down to that
4:40difference that uh he would be a huge difference maker and that and like Kelsey was then going in the first round
4:44the next year.
4:45>> Yeah, I would say that the big difference between Kelsey and Bowowers is just the amount of points that the offenses are going to score. So, I think
4:51you can do I I'll give you guys the receptions and the receiving yards for Travis Kelce. I think that's well within
4:57the range of outcomes. if it was six touchdowns instead of 12 touchdowns, like that's where I think the difference between where I think he's probably
5:02gonna be a second round value this year and not probably be a first round value.
5:06That's totally fine. Uh the math how it kind of works is like he pretty much has to be in the same range in like raw
5:13points as the wide receivers that kind of go in this mix. You're talking about a three wide receiver start uh league.
5:19Uh and I think that he can go one for one for like AJ Brown and Drake London.
5:23I think like it's not that big of difference. I think that we have them graded properly here. Full PPR reddraft leagues, I think 16th overall somewhere
5:31in that makes sense.
5:32>> Yeah, the Titans right after him. Excuse me, the wide receivers right after him.
5:35Nico Collins, George Pickkins, AJ Brown.
5:37I am basically using Brock Bowers as like that tier maker after all those running backs and then right before all those wide receivers. But then when I'm
5:45on the clock, sometime I'll lean that wide receiver, sometime I'll lead the tight end. It just depends. Okay, that brings us to Trey McBride, who is going
5:54as the first pick of the third round right now on Yahoo. We know that he was your number one tight end last year. Uh,
6:02one of the players that you couldn't stop drafting and that paid off in a big way. Uh, namely because he ran 120 more
6:10routes than the next closest tight end out there. That is basically four extra games worth of routes that Trey McBride had over the competition. Yeah, 15.1
6:20expected points. He averaged just that as well. 10 targets per game, 7.4 receptions, 73 yards per game. That's a ridiculous stuff. I have a number uh
6:30it's fantasy points over replacement per game. This is how I can compare uh different positions and in half scoring that season made him the 19th overall
6:39player. So, I think that's kind of what I'm shooting for with my Brock Bowers ranking is like what kind of like what
6:43Trey McBride did last year. And then this year, I would just not expect Trey McBride to repeat that. There's a couple
6:49reasons why. Number one, uh we're not sure if we're gonna get Jacobe Brassette the entire season. And I think that that
6:54was a pretty scammy offense, but they were doing late in the season. The defense was a complete train wreck. And they were number one to neutral pass
7:00rate. Uh and I just don't think that Laflur wants to be number one neutral pass rate. In fact, I'm going to guess
7:05that they're even below average in that number. Yeah. And I think even when they are losing games, I don't think that
7:10they will do the scam stuff that they were doing quite last year. Marvin Harrison missed some time last year. Now we know that um they they just paid
7:19Michael as well. Uh and then you have uh Jeremiah Love with the third overall pick. So I think there's more competition now and I think that's going
7:27to squeeze Trey McBride marginally here.
7:30>> Just to add to that point, over the final nine games according to Rich Reebar, the Cardinals led for just 47
7:35offensive snaps. That was only better than the Raiders and the Jets. So people will say when they look at, you know,
7:41the Cardinals and lowest projected offense and the tough schedule that they have that they'll just be able to do that again, but what you're saying is I
7:48agree with like I doubt it. Again, they had no running backs last year. I think the leading running back had a 100
7:54carries. Now they have two. Uh plus, you know, Marv and Michael Wilson hopefully healthy on top of this plus a play
8:01caller who's not going to make the primary read. Trey McBride kind of like what Drew Ping did in every situation last year. So, I I kind of like where
8:09his ADP has settled versus almost, you know, about four or five picks earlier like it was this summer. Um, however, I'm still not drafting Jeremy Pride a
8:19lot.
8:20>> Yeah. In our Yahoo Expert League, he went in the middle of the fourth round and there was a lot of wide receivers. I
8:26think both of us, we drafted a Jet. You you grabbed Priest Hall, I grabbed Garrett Wilson over Trey McBride. Um, so
8:34I think that he's a late round three, kind of early round four value. It just kind of depends on the exact league
8:39format that you're going for. The more wide receivers that you need to start, that's when I would start moving the wide receivers up. If you're only in a
8:45league with only two wide receivers, then I would put Trey McBride like at the top of the tier. So like break ties
8:49for whoever you whoever you guys enjoy watching. For my money, Trey McBride is one of the most fun players to watch,
8:55period. Um, I think he's awesome in every department.
8:58>> 100%. We already have shows like this on running backs and tight ends. So, if your draft is this weekend, uh you could
9:05have avoided everything that happened this summer, not paid attention to us in May, June, and July, and instead just tuned into these three plus the
9:13quarterback's episode that drops tomorrow, and you have an entire four months of content on your plate. So, go and cram sesh, study hard, and uh we
9:23wish we could have done the same. Okay, next is Coloulson Loveland, our tight end three going as a tight end three. I
9:31mean, this one's pretty straightforward.
9:34I mean, beginning in week 15, the Bears played over half their offensive snaps with two plus tight ends on the field
9:40during five of their final six games after only doing so one time in their opening 13. We talked about Coulson Lovelin heading into the season and
9:47heading into his NFL career that he could be a primary piece of an NFL passing game. Uh at some point in his
9:55career, he will be the number one scoring tight end. It's that simple.
9:58>> Yep. Totally agree. And I think that could happen this year if everything kind of breaks his way. So from week
10:02eight on, that was his first game above 75% of the snaps. If you include the playoffs when he went absolutely berserk, he was the tight end four on
10:11tight end three expected points, 65 yards per game, which is the exact number that Brock Bowers has averaged in his first two seasons. If you only look
10:19at the playoff games, he averaged 97 yards per game on 18 expected half PPR points. He was absolutely dominant on that. He could block, he could run the
10:29routes, he can be involved underneath, he can work down the field. He is a mismatch for everybody like every because I think he will be the best
10:37tight end in in football and he was doing that as a 21 year old 21. So this is a position where these players get
10:44better year after year early on. There's a lot going on. He missed some of training camp last year because of a a
10:49shoulder injury. He's healthy now. You remove DJ Moore. Um and I think that Coulson Lovelin has a chance to like lead this team in just all the receiving
10:57categories straight up. Uh, and I think that he's going to be one of the best tight ends in the game. So, I think
11:02anywhere in the fourth round, totally fair game. And if somebody wanted to get bold enough and say that he should just
11:07go ahead of Trey McBride, I think that's like a totally reasonable take, too.
11:11>> Yeah, he's only a three or four pick gap. Excuse me. Trey McBride is only a three or four pick gap between Brock
11:16Bowers. And then you have a full round between Trey McBride and Coulson Loveland. The gap in the latter two should be tighter.
11:26>> Yes.
11:26>> Than it is now, if that makes sense. And that's what happened in the expert league. I think Coulson Leven went just
11:31a couple picks after Trey McBride and Brock Bowers went way way earlier than that. So that's how I have in my
11:35rankings. I think that's more the consensus rank where you can actually probably put Bowowers in his own tier.
11:39Then I'd say these two guys in the next tier and then we'll get to everybody else.
11:44>> Yeah. And the Bears added a tight end in the draft and Sam Roush who's mainly a pure blocker. Like he is just a wrestler
11:50out there. Uh athletic but incredibly short arms.
11:54>> Yeah. Maybe that is to get the Cole KT stuff in 2027, but at the same time, when they were in 13 personnel this
12:01year, and albeit they'd have to take Roman Denzay or Luther Burden off the field, uh Coulson Lovelin is going to feast in those situations. I mean, in 13
12:09personnel last year, he had 4.66 yards per route run with a 53% market share in terms of receiving yards.
12:16>> So good. So good.
12:18>> It's gonna go crazy.
12:20Okay, I love our tight end four and I'm drafting him often and that is Tyler Warren. Um, I think he leads the
12:28Indianapolis Colts in receiving this year.
12:31>> He led the team in targets as a rookie last year and now the only guy that was close to him in targets, Michael Pitman
12:38Jr., one behind, is gone. Um, I think Tyler Warren is fearless. I think he's strong. I think he absorbs contact. I
12:45think he wants to be the hammer with the ball in his hands. And when you watch the games, Shane Syiken absolutely loves
12:52to dial up receptions manufactured for him on first and second down. I think he's the best screen guy. Uh there's a
12:58bunch of split flow action and play action stuff on top of it.
13:01>> And he already had, you know, the 11th most red zone targets of any wide receiver or tight end during his rookie
13:08season. So, while he might not be as elegant of a player as Coulson Loveland, uh I still think that there's a shot
13:14that Tyler Warren uh even outscores him this year potentially. Yeah, I I could see it. Uh in the first 13 games when
13:20Daniel Jones was healthy. He averaged 54 yards per game, he was uh PPR's tight end six on tight end three usage. They
13:28can get him going like leak routes, little screens, that type of stuff. Very easy guy to manufacture touches for. I don't think that's going to change at
13:34all. Uh it just kind of comes down to like how good are the Colts going to be this year. But uh even if Daniel Jones
13:40is out there, they're not quite as dominant. Maybe they have to pass the ball a little bit more this year. I
13:43think that'll ultimately help him out.
13:45So, I think that he's firmly the tight end four and then then everyone else is trying to catch up to him. Uh, we're the
13:52lowest amongst the Yahoo rankers.
13:54Everyone else kind of has in the fourth round. In a lot of the drafts that I'm in, you can get him late round five. And
13:58I think that's there's kind of like a tear break from the wide receivers. Like once you get to like, you know, Dvonte
14:03Adams and Mike Evans and Tyler Warren uh before you get to Carnell Tate, I think that Tyler Warren slots in very nicely
14:09right there. So, uh, no qualms if you take him sometime in round five. Yeah, I have him 48th overall right now on
14:15Yahoo. He's being selected ahead of like Garrett Wilson for example. Um I don't think I can take him ahead of Garrett
14:23Wilson.
14:24>> Yeah. Yeah. I think there's a clear tier difference between you know I would even take like the Parker Washington's Roma
14:30Dunay types uh over Tyler Warren but uh you guys can disagree.
14:37>> Okay.
14:38Next. And this is where we still agree on tight end five and then it gets interesting after that.
14:45That's Sam Laaporta here. I don't know if I've talked you into this as the, you know, offseason has gone along, but Sam
14:51Laaporta to me, we could look back on week nine and be like, man, he had a really sneaky opening eight weeks and
14:58wasn't getting enough love heading into the season.
15:01>> I see the same way. First of all, I think that the Lions are going to get absolutely cooked in the secondary this
15:05entire season. The their matchups are ridiculously difficult. there. Uh Ben Solic was just talking with Nate Ty from Yahoo and uh his stat was that all their
15:14starting uh defensive backs are 29 years or older. That hasn't happened in over 15 years. Um and they're all injured. Uh
15:21so dome environment. I think that there's going to be a chance where everyone gets home. It's kind of in years past it's been like J Mo or Sam
15:28Leaporta. I think part of that was because we also had to deal with David Montgomery in the backfield and that that Lions defense was respectable. Once
15:35you remove uh um David Montgomery and you account for like how bad this secondary could be and how good the rest
15:41of the division is like Kyler Murray, Caleb Williams uh and Jordan Love, I think it's going to be J Mo and Sam
15:48Leaporta and I think that all those stats are going to go away. And Sam Leaporta is awesome at football. Um and
15:53he's been a top five tight end before.
15:55So like I >> the number one tight end now. That was an awful season in terms of scoring during his rookie year. It was like 7.9
16:01points that he had per game, but uh he was the tight end one that season.
16:05>> Yep. Uh he also is like a positive regression candidate when it comes to touchdowns, which is also like something you would not think is happening, but
16:12that is that is happening with Sam Laora. So amongst that tear break at wide receiver that I was talking about, I'm just like plug in my nose. Give me
16:20Sam Laora. I'll circle back to the wide receiver sleepers that I like. and he's been somebody I've been drafting a whole
16:26lot more of. You were ahead of me earlier this off seasonason, but um the fact that he's healthy and this offense
16:32is I think gonna be number one in scoring this year and yardage and Jared Goff probably lead the the dang NFL in
16:38passing yards. I think that Sam Laora and Jame are going to get there. we were at that five six turn and I didn't like
16:43any of the wide receivers on the board and I was just like I'm gonna wind up with Sam Leaport at the spot because I
16:49believe in him and I'm not optimistic about any of these other pass catchers at that point. Um I also think tight end
16:56is one of those positions where the play caller really matters. Like some play callers historically factor those guys in more than any others. they make them
17:04the primary read or the secondary read more so than other where they're like kind of an afterthought uh and they build things around the wide receivers
17:12and the running backs and this Norf Turner Kevin Sfansky Drew Petting tree really values tight ends I mean over the last two seasons the quarterbacks
17:21attached to Sfansky and Ping have led the NFL in percent of passes directed to tight ends now you can say that those
17:28guys had David and Jooku and Trey McBride throwing the football but again I think this is like a foundational thing >> to the point where Drew Petting had the
17:37third most plays of 13 personnel over the last two seasons, including the second most passing plays out of those sets and tied for the most 15 plus yard
17:46passing plays out of it. And Leaporta, if you run 12, is perfect for that, which by the way, the Lions really don't
17:53have a wide receiver three right now on the roster.
17:55>> And he can kind of line up wide, motion in, go into stacks, and it's kind of one of these movable pieces. So, I love
18:02Leaporta's fit in a Drew Petting offense.
18:05>> As you're talking about that, I went back to Drew Petting with the Browns and Austin Hooper in backtoback years when
18:10he was uh involved on that team, he was second in targets. Like, you don't think of Austin Hooper as someone that's a top
18:17two target getter. Even with Ping, he someone like Austin Hooper could be top two in the pass game. So, I think he's
18:23going to go crazy this year.
18:24>> I've talked with Co McCoy, who spent a training camp with Drew Petting. He's like, "Yeah, man. The Titan is a primary
18:29read in a whole bunch of stuff." So yeah, obviously it's gonna be Aman Rossi Brown a lot of the times and J could
18:34blast off this year too, but don't overlook Sam Laaporta in this offense.
18:39Okay, we have Tucker Craft up next. And it's been an interesting month for Tucker Craft coming off a gruesome injury last year. Uh it sounds
18:49like he's going to play in week one, which is fantastic. He even made comments that uh he was going to be in a
18:56bit of a snap count.
18:58The problem with that is they really don't have a tight end too. I mean, they just signed Janu Smith off the street.
19:03Luke Musgrave has been missing this entire time. So, he is a unicorn in how he almost uh gets and, you know,
19:12produces his fantasy points. Uh, and I can't wait to see him as a full participant in games.
19:17>> He said that's going to be like through like week eight or so, which would be exactly a calendar year. He tore his ACL
19:24uh in week nine of last year. So, I agree. he's going to play in week one. I also agree that he is going to be on a
19:30snap count to some degree as he goes through the first a month or two in the season. Now, that could be, you know,
19:3660% of snaps instead of 90% of snaps or it could be even less than that. So, I will say his price tag does make me a
19:42little bit nervous because of that.
19:44Like, if he's coming back from that injury, he's probably not going to be quite as explosive. One of my favorite stats is
19:52uh last year he had 11 point yard four yards per target. His a dot was 4.5 yards per target. So he was adding a
20:00ridiculous amount of his yards only after the catch. That's like impossible to do again. And uh even even when you are Tucker Craft who's awesome at
20:09football, he was going to regress no matter what. Um and I think that the rest of the receiving group is pretty
20:15dang good. Um, so >> yeah, >> I haven't been drafting Tucker Craft that much. I've been drafting Leaporta over Craft and I think a lot of people
20:21have that uh ranked the opposite way there. I just think that the first month of the season or so like could be like a
20:27legit ramp up period. Now, we have some solutions we'll get to later on. I think Craft plus somebody that we'll talk
20:32about in a little bit, it's a good pairing to get you through the season, but across the whole season, I would
20:36take Sam Leaporter straight up and fantasy points. What I mean by unicorn at the position is that Craft was averaging a league high 15 and a half
20:46yards per catch with also the most yards after the catch. So basically this is the best tight end in the league with
20:54the ball in his hands and he's still creating explosives even on checkdowns.
20:59So you'll see because the Packers are really ambitious downfield throwers.
21:04Christian Watson, Matthew Golden this year really push down the field and then when that's not open, you just have Tucker Craft almost like leaking out
21:12into the flats with coverage way off and all he has to do is run over a safety or a cornerback or outrun a linebacker and
21:18he does and then there's 15 yards for you. It's really cool.
21:21>> Yeah. Yeah. He's a He's a phenomenal athlete. Phenomenal athlete. Like this is how you like you draw them up. So I I
21:27I hope I'm wrong here because when he's just destroying everyone, it's like some of the the funniest plays you'll ever see. Uh, but it's asking a lot for
21:34somebody coming off of a tour in ACL. At the same time, we just watched Christian Watson go berserk last year coming off a
21:39tour in ACL. So, maybe something's in the water in Green Bay.
21:42>> I don't know if I've ever used heard you use the word phenomenal before. You're going to get some comments on that one.
21:48Um, >> don't ask me to spell it.
21:50>> Phenomenal. I love it. It's >> E.
21:52>> It's It's [laughter] nightmare and phenomenal. I'm I'm adding these to to the rolodex.
21:58>> Um, okay. This is when we really start to disagree. Okay.
22:01>> Oh, yeah. Uh Cal Pitts is next and this is all you little Cal Pitts here as we can see. Um talk to me. Why are you into
22:10Cal Pitts this season?
22:11>> Uh he just went absolutely nuts last year. He was supposed to be a guy that could be like breaking the position.
22:15He's not priced like he has the chance to break the position. He's 25 years old. He's fully healthy. You just watched him in the preseason. I thought
22:22that he looked pretty solid for somebody that's as big as he is. I thought last year he was able to uh he changed up his
22:28route tree because I think that he can actually break this year. and I watched him run past defenders and like the
22:33whole point of him is like you can use him as a slot wide receiver almost like an outside wide receiver because he can
22:38move like a wide receiver for multiple years that was false. I think we're back to the point where that could be true.
22:44The Falcons defense is going to be a complete train wreck. Their top pass uh top edge rusher is out for the year.
22:49Their other one is I mean should be in jail but uh he's going to miss for eight um games this season to start it out. He
22:57went crazy with Drake L or without Drake London last year and the games with Drake London did not have as successful
23:03as a season. I just think that he's got this generational upside that I'm just blindly going to say what if. Uh because
23:10the price tag is so low. So he kind of fits a nice spot in the draft where I don't love the wide receiver still and
23:16I'll plug my nose if I don't have Sam Laora or Coulson Loveland and I'll just take Cal Pitts.
23:21>> The wide receivers's going in the sixth round which Cal Pitts right now is the 11th pick of the sixth round. Uh, just
23:26before him is Mike Evans. Uh, and then right after him, according to Yahoo, I know you're gonna draft Parker Washington over Cowpitts a lot. Yes.
23:33Then it's like Marvin Harrison Jr., Carell Tate, Brian Thomas Jr., and then the running backs are like Jaylen Warren and Randre Stevenson and then Tony Pard
23:41for example.
23:42>> Um, I agree with you that Cal Pittz looked healthier last year than he did ever before. It still though is on my
23:49radar that he needed Drake London to miss like for those final seven games for him to actually have a respectable season. Like over the opening 10 games,
23:58he averaged 4.7 catches for 43 yards per game with one touchdown in 10 games. And then over the final seven games with
24:06Kurt Cousins, again, he he went berserk, right? 41 catches, 494 yards, four touchdowns. But again, Drake London played in did not play in four of them
24:16and then only played like 60% of the snaps in the fifth one. So, um it's interesting. I I just can't get there
24:22with like three Atlanta Falcons in the top 71 overall and I guess I'm leaving out Cal Pitts with that.
24:31>> Yeah, I've lowered Dejon to fourth overall and then I moved Drake London to the bottom of this tier and that's how I
24:36can justify my Kyle Pitts ranking there.
24:38Um, even if it is just like he's very mediocre and then Drake Lennon or Bejon goes down and then that's how he becomes
24:45a top three tight end. At least he has that in his range of outcomes. Like Harold Fannon is somebody that it's like
24:49Harold Fannon or Pitts. I'm not sure if Harold Fannon just like has the range of outcomes to be like a top three tight
24:54end this year just because he's in a equally bad situation. Uh, but I just think that Kyle Pit's like very direct
25:00like if Drake London misses time, Bejian miss this time, he's going to go absolutely berserk. Um and >> we did get that screen in the preseason
25:06for him too, which um that's a Stfansky special. I will add as well that Cal Pittz has beaten the 11 and a half
25:14personnel allegations like last year in terms of snap counts. He played the most snaps of any Falcons tight end, I think,
25:21in every game but one last year. So, um he should stay in the field. Because of you, we have Harold Fannon as the next
25:28tight end, as the tight end eight. I am lower than that. Go ahead. Um, I'm neutral on Harold Fannon. I love
25:35watching him play. Loved him as a prospect. He was sensational. He's one of the best yards after the catch uh threats in the NFL. Um, last year he was
25:42the tight end 10, splitting time with David Njoku. Uh, now I think that I think that the coordinator is still good
25:49for tight ends. It's not the Stfansky tree, if you will, but Todd Monin knows his thing or two about tight ends. Just
25:55look at the Ravens. Look at Georgia. So, I feel still pretty solid about that. I just do think that the upgrades with
26:01Casey Conpsio and Denzel Boston and Jerry Judy versus Jerry Judy and then whoever else they were trotting out there at wide receiver is pretty
26:08substantial when it does come to um just target competition. I think the quarterback play offensive line will be just as bad as it was before. Uh last
26:16year he was a tight end 10 on tight end eight usage. I think he'll repeat that.
26:20Um >> I'm not sure if he's going to be like a top five tight end this year, but if he was falling in drafts I would like not
26:25say he's a bad pick. He's just not somebody I'm like going out of my way and targeting even though like I
26:30absolutely love watching him play.
26:32>> Yeah. 43 of his 76 receptions were caught less than 5 yards down the field and then per PFF 53 of his 76 receptions
26:39were first read targets. Yeah.
26:40>> Uh I don't think he's going to be a first read as often as he was last year.
26:44I think that's Casey Conpion. And >> so yeah, that that's the main thing. The Browns I can only push these guys so
26:52far. And if the easy button is now Casey Conpsion and I'm ranking him much higher than where he's being drafted, uh, then
27:00I have to lower someone. And I think that's what Fannon for me.
27:03>> Even though it, >> you know, if you zoomed out and you said a guy who had a ton of production, very
27:10young in college, and then absorbed a bunch of targets his first year, is probably pretty good at football. I agree. I think Herod Fan is good at
27:17football. It's just environmentally I really don't think two pass catchers are going to get home this year.
27:23>> Yeah, I think that they'll both be fine.
27:26Like I I I draft Casey Conpsion because he goes so late. I'm not expecting Casey Conpion to be like a top 20 fantasy wide
27:33receiver. I think both of them could be like finished as like the 80th overall player and they both kind of split these
27:37duties and both of them end up being like decent enough picks. I I guess my point with that is in relation to other
27:42tight ends because I actually have George KD >> as the tight end seven and consensus has him as a tight end nine and I'm assuming
27:50you're around the same area. Um I would just rather make the George KD bet despite his age, despite the injury because he's on a fantastic offense that
27:58he has produced on over and over and over again versus the Cleveland Browns tight end bet. Um George K was on pace
28:05to play in week one. He was the tight end three in terms of receiving yards when on the field last season, 32% over
28:12the past two seasons. Um, and then when KD and Brock Party share the field together, he has received a team high
28:1933% of the endzone targets. So, yeah, this is perennally a top 10 offense every single season and I have been drafting a ton of George KD and expect
28:30him to play in week one and now that he is, that makes me feel even better.
28:33Yeah, I think this is very similar uh situation to Tucker Craft where it's awesome that he was able to get back
28:38there. He's going to play in week one.
28:40We'll see if he's a full-time player, if there's gonna be a ramp up uh period for George KD. And like Tucker Craft, he's
28:46been the best uh like efficiency player there is. And we'll see if he can do that as a what 32year-old coming off a
28:53torn Achilles. So, um he can easily finish the top five tight end. Everyone knows that. I I'm maybe taking more of
29:00like a nihilist like maybe realist perspective of just like how back from Achilles >> other than dribbling you have a
29:0933-year-old Mike Evans who is quad groin all this stuff and then retirement toward Samuel. So it's not like it's clean around him that he's dealing with
29:18targets competition.
29:20>> I I definitely agree. Definitely agree.
29:22He's never been like Mr. Target hog.
29:24He's like, you know, 16 to 20% target share, finishes like, you know, tight end 10 in targets. Uh, and then he's
29:30just the most efficient player on those targets. Like I think it would be surprising if he got more targets this year than he has previously. Um, can he
29:38keep up like how explosive he's been yards after catch-wise? I I think that's where I'm discounting it. Um, but I agree with your assessment like him
29:45versus Harold Dannon who has a better chance of being a top five tight end.
29:48Like I think it is George KD who has a better chance to be a top 10 tight end.
29:52I think that Ganon's floor is a little bit higher, but you know, I'm I'm I'm okay with people taking the swing on KD.
29:57I think it makes sense.
29:58>> Their games two through five are quite nice. It's the Bills defense, the Jets defense, the Panthers defense, and the Cardinals defense.
30:06>> Nice. That's nice.
30:07>> So, I think KD through week five, even if he's only playing 65% of snaps or something, could still be excellent
30:14based on some of those defenses >> that he's playing. All right. Dton Concincaid is our tight end 10. Um he did not have a single game last season
30:26over 55% of snaps. Now is that due to hamstring and PCL or do they simply like to rotate mix and match Dawson Knox,
30:36Jackson Halls and Don?
30:39>> Uh that is the question that we need to get right because if he does play more he is an absolute super smash at this uh
30:46spot. He led all tight ends in yards per route last year. Over the past two seasons, only George KD is uh ahead of
30:52him. So, whenever he's on the field as a receiver, he's excellent at that. Um I think there's a couple I think the most
30:58likely uh scenario is he doesn't really play that much more and like he just always will be a very efficient tight
31:04end 10 in fantasy and like that is what it is. Um but Shawn McDermott leaving, maybe that's enough of a wrinkle here
31:11where he's going to play a little bit more. Maybe that injury, like you said, is the reason why he wasn't playing more
31:17last year or maybe he put on a little bit more weight and they feel a little bit better about him uh this year um
31:23blocking or they're said screw, we're just going to drop back all the time with Josh Allen, screw this balanced offense and then we just want Don
31:29Concade out there no matter what. So, I think there's like more reasons this year to say what if this changes. Uh and
31:35I think that this ADP is kind of like assuming it's not going to change, right? Like he always finishes kind of
31:40around this range anyways. like even all those like he only plays 60% of the snap stuff and then he finishes like as a
31:46tight end 10 to tight end 12. That's where we're drafting him. So like worst case it's like kind of this the same old
31:51thing with him and the what if is kind of exciting.
31:53>> Yeah, he's kind of been an underlying metrics king, you know, a per route guy.
31:58Uh it's never truly happened as a fancy difference maker for even like a long stretch of the season. I feel like
32:07>> um I was in Buffalo last weekend. The first advertisement I see when I get off the airplane is Josh Allen, Dion
32:14Dawkins, and Dawson Knox on it. And not Don Kade. Yes. I I swear to you. I swear to you.
32:21>> With a big nice smile, though. To be fair, >> and I looked at each other and we were like, got to move Don Kade down the
32:27board.
32:27>> That is [laughter] that is boots on the ground stuff from you. I like it.
32:31>> Um the 11 and a half personnel stuff when you know they drafted him, they said they were going to be that just
32:36hasn't really worked out very well.
32:38Yeah.
32:38>> Um, but if they run the ball less, >> then I guess they can get Don The other part is they they drafted Don Kate to be
32:46like the difference maker for them in the passing game. And now that's DJ Moore.
32:49>> DJ Moore. Yeah. Yep. Yeah.
32:53>> Okay. Isaiah likely is our tight in 11 because of you. Take it away.
33:00>> Uh, if we're sorting by who's most likely to be the number two target on their own teams, I think Isaiah likely
33:05passes that uh with ease. is going to be like Malachi Fields and Darius Sllayton.
33:10And then Dio Johnson was dealing with a little bit of an injury. We'll see where that's at as we go into week one here.
33:14Signed a three-year $40 million contract um to be the I think the number two receiver on this team. Um and at least
33:22he has some familiarity with Harbaugh.
33:24Um so we'll see. In the preseason, he did not play a lot of the running downs, but he was out there for every single
33:30drop back. We'll see if that was kind of like a black and white thing that they were doing in the preseason. Maybe it's
33:35a little bit more gray area as the season progresses. Um, I think that the offensive line's actually in decent shape and I think that Jackson Dart's a
33:42little bit better than people think. So maybe I'm grading a little bit more positively than that. I I do think that
33:46there's a pretty firm ceiling on what Isaiah likely could bring because of how limited he is. He's like a worse version
33:53of Dalton Concincaid in a worse offense.
33:55So like to me there's a pretty big difference between Concaid and Isaiah likely here. Um, but I don't think that even he doesn't play every single
34:03passing or every single snap this season, I still think he can finish as a fringe uh tight end one.
34:08>> Yeah, it's interesting. He never played more than 60% of the offensive snaps in a season for the Ravens and then that
34:14only allowed him to run a pass route on 49.5% of the team's drop backs. So, it's one of those cases where
34:23>> um >> he wasn't trusted as an everyone player and then that limited him in the passing game.
34:29>> Obviously, as you said, he played what, like it was that one preseason contest and it was nine drop backs for Jackson Dart and
34:38he was in for all nine of those and then wasn't in for the seven rushing snaps.
34:42Yeah.
34:42>> Um, >> this team has a ton of tight ends and fullbacks, you know, it's like you mentioned Theo Johnson, there's Chris
34:48Manhur's there. They also brought in Patrick Ricards. They're going to kind of mix and match this thing. I definitely think he's going to be the
34:53the second best pass catcher for the uh Giants. Um I just wonder how impactful that's going to be for fantasy football.
35:00>> Every third and six he's going to be in the slot and that's what you're just banking on is like that type of profile.
35:05I think he's a little bit better maybe in PPR than half PBR. Um because I think they're going to be pretty run focused
35:10inside the five yard. We saw that with the Ravens. I will always say with this type of player, it's hard to like say,
35:16oh, he didn't like surpass prime Mark Andrews like like maybe it's like well it's hard to pass prime Mark Andrews and
35:24now that he doesn't have prime Mark Andrews in front of front of him now he can actually play a little bit more.
35:28It's kind of like what we're doing with like >> and there's also Kar there too.
35:31>> Yes. And Kohler like is going to be the starter for for the Chargers. Like I I do think that that you can like you
35:37can't fully um just throw those things aside. But like I think applying some cont Yeah, he didn't beat out the Pro
35:42Bowl tight end, but so what?
35:43>> No, the Ravens never had a second wide receiver ever. Ever. Ever.
35:48>> Yes. Travis Kelce is next. And going through research, Travis Kelce was a tight end four in points per game when
35:58Patrick Mahomes was healthy last year.
36:00>> Yeah. Hey, the longer this month goes on, the less like one standout Kansas City wide receiver fails to make that
36:07leap. Like the more and more I think that Travis Kelce has one last season in him to be the Chiefs pass catching
36:14leader and we are able to draft him as a tight end 12 in every single contest.
36:19>> Yeah, he he's a fascinating one. 14 games with with Mahomes. He was the tight end six in full PPR, tied in five
36:24in receptions, tight end three in receiving yards on a per game basis. And then he was also second in success rate
36:30on his targets. Now, if you it's like it's like the run game. He was successful. Did he add anything to make
36:35it an explosive? He he did not, but he would made that successful play. Um and that's all he can do at this point, but
36:42like you said, like that might be enough to like have another top 12 season here.
36:46So, um I think he's actually kind of like interesting with KD and with Tucker Craft. Like I think Old Reliable as
36:54Rashi Rice gets kind of um integrated back coming from his own injury. Like I I wouldn't be surprised if Travis Kelce
37:00starts as like the tight end eight in the first couple weeks here.
37:03>> I would still rank him ahead of Isaiah likely. Um but I also think there's like this argument you could make that Rashid
37:09Rice and Travis Kelce can't necessarily like coexist at the same time.
37:14>> I've got something on on that. uh 4.3 receptions, 19% target rate um uh for Kelsey uh with Rice. Uh without him, 5.6
37:23reception, so more than a reception per game, 23% target share without Rice. So those are the margins.
37:29>> Let's get some olds. Continue on. Uh Dallas Goddard is our tight end 13. Um you know, no clear secondary pass
37:39catcher other than Devonte Smith.
37:42However, it felt like 50% of Dallas Goward's production last year were was on the tush push alternate near the goal line. They would just flick it out to
37:50him and he would score some one, two, three, four yard touchdowns.
37:53>> Yeah, I have the same notes here. Seven straight seasons between 3.7 and 4.6 receptions per game. So, let's say he
38:00catches four passes per game. Last year he caught 11 touchdowns a careerhigh.
38:04Most of the time that's, you know, five, six, seven, eight touchdowns here. So, I would guess team is probably adjusting to that tush push alternate here and
38:12he's not going to have as many touchdown receptions this year that he did last year. If you're looking at expected uh
38:17PPR points per game last year, he was the tight end nine. He finished as the tight end five. I think, you know, he
38:22can be the tight end nine on tight end 11 usage this year. That would not be surprising to me at all. He was, I
38:27think, still a good player as a receiver last year. He was not quite as good as he once was. I think he's one of these
38:33guys where you can kind of see it come kind of coming apart a little bit. Um, but >> I will say they they could have easily
38:39gotten rid of him. You know, they like worked hard to find a contract agreement that would make sense now. There are no
38:46other tight ends basically >> on the roster, so it makes sense. But >> I kind of wish we got one of these
38:52seasons when Dallas was 26 years old versus 31 years old of him being like the clear second best pass catcher because it could have had an awesome
38:59year for that.
39:01>> Uh, okay. I have Jawan Johnson.
39:07as my tight end 12.
39:09>> I like it and I feel great about it.
39:11He's anywhere from 72 to 90% of snaps player on offense. He's going to be out there all the time. He ran the fourth
39:20most routes at the position last year with an 18% target share, which was good for tight end 7. He can be drafted much
39:26later than this. And if you really want to push it, I would be fine going into week one through week six, maybe even to
39:33week eight with Jawan Johnson as my starting tight end.
39:37>> Yep. I definitely can see this happening. He was the tight end five in yards per game, tight end eight in
39:43receptions per game after the Rasheed Shahed trade. That's pretty much the same exact depth chart that he finds himself in now. Those were mostly Tyler
39:50Shuck games on top of that. So the pathway to being a top 12 tight end is like right there. He just did this over
39:56like an entire last half of the last season. I love Jawan Johnson. If especially if you drafted Tucker Craft or if you've drafted George KD or if you
40:06punted the position and you want to go with Jawan Johnson plus Terren Ferguson, something like that. I think that >> this kind of like punt tight end
40:14strategy became viable again because of Jawan Johnson's like recent projections.
40:19So, I think over the course of the season, he's probably going to finish as like the tight end 14 or whatever
40:24because Jordan Tyson will start to eat eat into this, but the beginning part of the season, he will like in my week one
40:29rankings, he'll probably be my tight end, you know, eight.
40:32>> I'm right there with you. I mean, he's on the offense that's going to probably have the most snaps per game, drop backs
40:38per game potentially. So, uh, I'm excited. I I really like Jawan Johnson.
40:42Like you said, the Jordan Tyson injury made him almost like a skeleton key, I think, of the tight end position this
40:48year. I don't want to overstate it, but uh I kind of feel that way.
40:51>> Yep.
40:52>> Mark Andrews is our tight end 15.
40:56>> Does he have anything left? Because if he had something left, this would be a much easier conversation.
41:01>> Yeah. I just don't know how much he has left. Um now we're talking about potentially the number two target on Lamar Jackson
41:09offense. So if we're wrong, we can be like really really wrong. And so I I've sprinkled him in like just based off
41:15like, hey, what if I what if my eyes are lying to me? like he's just back to normal and he's dealing with injuries
41:20last year. Uh, training camp has not been nice to him for the stuff I've been reading. So, I think that's a continuous
41:27trend of like where his game is evolving to. Now, the Ravens did extend him for some reason last year and like let
41:35Isaiah likely go, which I thought was a pretty fascinating move. So, so maybe there was like something that was happening last year that they knew he
41:41would eventually get over, but it was not a pre-season for him last year. He's the tight end 27. Um, a lot of that was
41:46with without Lamar Jackson, but um, I think there's a chance for a rebound.
41:50It's just not it has not been my favorite way to play the odds.
41:52>> Yeah, over the last two years, you can get more different in terms of his endzone target converting into touchdowns. And this is what we always
42:00talk about with regression. In 2024, he caught nine of 10 endzone targets for scorers. And then last year, he caught three of 10. Jake Ferguson is the tight
42:10end 16. Uh, I mean, down the seam, Jake Ferguson over and over and over again.
42:19Uh, he just will go through a stretch of the season also being like the a top seven tight end, too.
42:25>> It happens.
42:25>> Uh, it happens every single year.
42:27>> Five games without CD Lamb, eight targets per game, 7.5 receptions per game, only 51 yards, but he was the tight end two on tight end two usage
42:35over that stretch. Small sample size, but he needs Pickkins or Lamb to move out of the way. then he becomes relevant. Unfortunately, when Lamb was
42:44healthy next to George Pickkins, he was the tight end 20 on tight end five usage. He was one of the least efficient
42:50players in football last year. Um, and what happened last year is he caught more checkdowns and like hitch routes.
42:56Like when you think about like Jason Whitten's last two seasons where everything was just like a three- yard curl for like no going nowhere. That's
43:03what Jake Ferguson turned into last year because they have two receivers to throw the ball to plus I think is a real
43:08player. Um, so I've not drafted a bunch of Jake Ferguson. I think he's like either he's pretty much a contingent only tight end who I will have buried in
43:17my weekly rankings until Lamb or Pickkins goes down.
43:21>> But yeah, if Lamb goes down, then Floreno plays on the outside and then you just have the slot over the middle
43:27stuff to Jake Ferguson all the time.
43:30>> All right, another Ferguson makes this list. Yes, Terrence Ferguson. This was my guy coming out of Oregon. Absolutely loved him. Uh and then what we got
43:38during his rookie season is that he replaced Tutu Atwell. Like half of his targets this past year were 20 plus yards on the field. Truly a oneofone
43:47profile when we talk about tight ends.
43:49Uh from my view, the Rams always kind of shock us with someone, right? A couple years ago it was Kairen Williams popping
44:00up as a starting running back and there you go, top 10 running back. Then it was what? fifth round rookie puka nakua
44:08being a top nine wide receiver >> instantly instantly.
44:11>> Instantly.
44:13>> Who is that going to be this year? Is there going to be another one? Um and if there is and in this offense that we
44:20want pieces of that's most likely Terence Ferguson who is their wide receiver three and maybe potentially more. We'll see. This is one I love him
44:31in reddraft and I drafted my I think the last pick of the expert uh league because we'll learn in week one if he's
44:39a huge part of the offense or not. Like if he's running 50% of the routes and they're doing the leak pattern stuff and
44:44they're doing three tight end stuff and he's isolated as the backside exceiver in those formations, then he's going to be a super smash. Uh, yep. And I think
44:53there's a 50% chance of that happening and there's a 50% chance that it's the same old Terren Ferguson role and it
44:58goes nowhere. But I like this call a lot. Uh, I've really warmed up to it recently. Even like Jordan Rodriguez who
45:06covers the Rams, like sometimes when they're talking about Terren Ferguson, I can kind of feel that she's like not saying something on purpose.
45:12>> Exactly. They're they're ky, mysterious, you know, they like to shock the world.
45:17Last year was at the 13 personnel. And by the way, that was a lot of the TER stuff.
45:21>> Yes. But what we're getting also from beat riders that have attended camp is that they're trying to get the football
45:27to him much quicker so he can, you know, be stronger than safeties and quicker than linebackers. And so if we get the
45:34gimmies on top of the downfield stuff, >> yeah, >> again, that is massive. He should be a final two round pick for you in every
45:42single league. And if you're in superflex, he's basically a mustdraft.
45:46Like a mustdraft in what round? Like >> round 11. Like to me in reddraft like I would just draft Terren Ferguson ahead
45:53of Jake Ferguson. Like Jake Ferguson's not going to move the needle uh until an injury and Terren Ferguson could just like start moving the needle right away.
46:01So I think he's one of like the sharpest maybe it's not the sharpest. The guy who thinks he's the sharpest draft Terence
46:07Ferguson which is why I drafted Terrence call that a slappy.
46:10>> Yes. Uh but they're on to something. the Devonte Adams trade talks like I think that could you could read into a pro
46:17Terren Ferguson thing and then like when they were facing the Cowboys for their joint session he caught like six or seven passes and none of the other tight
46:25ends caught anything. So like this is the like what's going on over there Sean and uh they also has a contingent value
46:33for just like Jake Ferguson has. Again, every couple of years they have one guy that comes out of nowhere and becomes a
46:39mainstay in fancy rosters, and I could see that being Terren Ferguson.
46:43>> Move him ahead of the other Ferguson.
46:44I'll change my rankings after the show.
46:45Let's Let's move him.
46:47>> Dalton Schultz is up next. Is this simply because they have no wide receiver, too, Houston?
46:54>> Yep. Kahan, I think, is going to be their wide receiver, too, and maybe in a little bit of a rotation, but he's never
46:59been a target volume guy. And Dalton Schultz, you know, last year he was a tight end 16 on tight end 11 expected
47:06points. Like copy paste that. He's finished ahead of that at times. That Texans offense was terrible. He still held the line here. So like to me, he's
47:13one of the highest floor tight end twos.
47:16If you've completely punted this position and it's like literally you have Dalton Schultz and Terence Ferguson, you're just hoping for something. I I you know, you can get
47:24away with it.
47:25>> Okay, Britain Strange is up next. I actually have him as my tight end 14, but here he is as our tight end 19. Um,
47:33he had moments last year and he actually had great moments despite all of the wide receiver talent on the field. Like
47:40from week 12 and on when Jacobe Meyers, Parker Washington, and Brian Thomas Jr.
47:47were basically on the field, he was still the tight end 10 in points per game with a minimum of three games
47:51played across the league. And that was off an injury for him. So they want to run 12 personnel on top of
47:58this. That's why they drafted Nate Borercher in what the second round. I think Britain Strange is one of the more underappreciated tight end talents
48:05across the league. And for how much, you know, how many other pieces we're drafting this Jaguars team, I think too many are getting a mind of, oh, they
48:14have to pass to those three guys and Strange isn't going to get anything.
48:17Meanwhile, I'm just gobbling up this Brennon Strange value in my mind.
48:20>> Yeah, I think it's a good call. uh sixth in scoring, fifth in neutral pass rate.
48:24Last year that was Jacksonville. Like that's how like kind of everyone can can get home. It doesn't sound like they feel very great about their run game.
48:31Just like you listen to them. They seem like they're a little bit hesitant on what that's going to be this year.
48:35>> They just want three yards of carry.
48:36That's it.
48:37>> They have not said a positive thing about Bachel in a while. It feels like uh that's for another podcast. Um
48:43>> we already did that podcast.
48:44>> Yeah. Yeah. I already buried him.
48:46Strange uh checkdowns, red area type of stuff. You can get him leaked out. He's a Yeah, he can do a little bit of
48:54everything. I don't think he's excellent at anything, but he is like your average NFL starting inline tight end with a little bit more than that. So, um, he
49:02can get he can get lucky with touchdowns and he can score 10 touchdowns this year and push a top 12 guy. I think it's
49:06possible.
49:06>> I like Strange season more than you do, apparently.
49:08>> I think you do.
49:10>> Britain Strange was there. AJ Barner is next. A great call from us on this very show last year. Uh, he is the standard.
49:20Hey, if you're a good blocker and you're out there for all the snaps on a team that runs a bunch of play action,
49:25there's a chance you score a bunch of touchdowns. And that's exactly what he did last season.
49:29>> That is a tight end inline tight end jawline by AJ Barner there. If you zoom in on that, that is a monster of a man.
49:36Uh, as a 23 year old, 95% 90% snaps when they were in the NFC Conference Championship and then the Super Bowl.
49:43So, everything's on the line. He doesn't come off the field. He's could be a run blocker. He's kind of one of these guys
49:49where like what happens if like JSN goes down? I think Barner would become very involved. What happens if the Seahawks have to pass the ball more? We talked
49:57about this that the new offensive coordinator wants more guys out in the route. That the biggest takeaway is for running backs. The second biggest
50:03takeaway is for the tight ends. I think that AJ Barner, it's it's more of like a play action type of guy. He's not like
50:10routing guys up, but uh good athlete, hu huge huge huge player. Uh, and he's one of these guys that if he caught eight
50:17touchdowns this year, I don't think anyone should be too surprised.
50:20>> No, he did it last year on top of it.
50:22Uh, okay. Chico Quano is next. What a fun player to draft in June. Less fun to draft in September now. God, it is
50:31September. What happened?
50:34>> I see you.
50:35>> Um, I still think he's going to play more snaps than people believe. Like I really do think that David Blau looks at him as
50:44his version of Sam Laaporta. They're almost the same exact size and that he's still going to be out there in run
50:50blocking sets in single tight end sets and like Jake Bates is going to be that tight into more inline presence. Now,
50:57does that mean a lot? Like we know Stefon Diggs was signed and maybe play the slot, it sounds like, but uh Jake
51:03will have his moments this year, I think.
51:05>> Yeah, I think they're going to be down in games and that he's gonna have to step up. uh was not my favorite click.
51:10Uh John Bates is like a legit awesome blocker. That's that makes me a little bit nervous that he's like not that
51:16Jig's not going to be out there in like 11 personnel stuff. But maybe I'm wrong that I think that will determine if he's
51:21like a streamable tight end too or if like it's impossible to know when he's going to catch his six pass of the game.
51:27Whatever happened to Ben Senate? I mean that guy like >> dunzo >> that was a second round pick from just a
51:32couple years ago. Like he does not even get brought up in the discussion anymore. That's crazy. Hunter Henry is next and TJ Hawinson. Let's just do
51:39these two guys together. Uh I actually think there's kind of a tear break between these. I literally have not heard a single word uttered about TJ
51:47Hawinson this training camp. Not one.
51:51>> Have you?
51:52>> I don't know what there there is to say.
51:54He's been the same player since that injury. Like whatever explosiveness he had before that injury, he just hasn't had it. And then with the Vikings, you
52:00have too many other threats that there's no point of throwing Hawinson the ball.
52:04So, it sucks, but he's also 29. Like, >> his his career is just like came and went. Like, I remember him being as like
52:12the god prospect.
52:13>> Like, he's going to be a Hall of Famer and then it just didn't material up.
52:17>> So, >> meanwhile, Hunter Henry was >> drafted around the same range at the like one-two turn in the NFL draft and
52:24yet he continues to produce. He is still part of it. Josh McDaniels loves using tight ends. They're going to get Eli
52:31Raridan involved, but they kept Hunter Henry for a reason. He was actually Drake Mays on his first ever fantasy football team. Hunter Henry was.
52:39>> Wow. Wow. That matters. Um, tight end 17 on Titan 16 usage last year. Discount that because they added AJ Brown and
52:47Romeo Dobs. Uh, and then Eli Raridan.
52:49Eli Raridan just you guys are in the Dynasty League still. That's the guy to draft.
52:53>> Okay. We had to put Ken Sadik on here somewhere and here he is. I think it's going to be a really slow start.
52:58>> Yes. And hopefully at some point he catches up. He's still just is going to battle if Ednai Mitchell does and stays
53:05in the field Omar Cooper for targets and snaps.
53:08>> Yeah, I think the Sadi problem is I think Mason Taylor's >> Would it be smarter to put Mason Taylor here instead of Kenny Sadi?
53:14>> Um, no. But I would not be surprised if Mason Taylor outscores him straight up.
53:20And I think in the beginning part of the season, I would >> um I would lean on Mason Taylor. I I
53:26just think that it's going to be hard for Mason Taylor to become a top 12ish tight end. Like in theory, you know, 10%
53:31of the time Sadiq is he is Vernon Davis and like he just all of a sudden like gets in there. So I think you still have
53:37to draft Kenyan Sadi, but you know, in projections I would have them very similar.
53:42>> Okay, let's go quickly. Greg Doulich was getting a lot of buzz in OTAAS. Um it sounds like he's still going to be on
53:48the field as an everydayown player and that has been difficult for him in the past.
53:53Yes, he's like, you know, he's Jig, he's the rest of these guys, you know, >> but it sounds like he's going to be
53:57actually on the field as like >> Yes, >> they also pass Will Casmik to be the inline blocker type and that frees him
54:06in receiving aspects, too.
54:07>> Yep.
54:08>> Darren Waller was just signed by the Panthers like last week. Uh, I think it was in response to their wide receivers
54:15being hurt and Chris Brazzle going down and then Xavier Legette being in a walking boot. Uh, because they were like, "Oh, we have to have some
54:21explosion, some downfield ability." I think that also means that Javon Sanders is going to be inactive on game day.
54:27>> Okay, that would be helpful because it is a deep tight end room and I was like waiting to figure out exactly how many
54:32snaps. I mean, it's deep in like there's names. I I I was 50/50 is going to get cut.
54:37>> Yeah. Okay.
54:38>> It's been bad.
54:38>> That would make it a lot easier for Darren Waller to get home. I thought Darren Waller was actually moving well
54:42last year. Like it wasn't just like he got some touchdowns.
54:44>> Hierrock.
54:45>> It was the Hy Rocks. Now, unfortunately, he didn't compete against my brother.
54:48So, there's I can't actually compare. I My brother >> Yeah. [laughter] Well, my beating my brother is that's no walk in the park.
54:56So, like credit to Darren Waller for competing there. Um I thought he moved around really well last year and I think
55:03that he can do that this year. Um, and I've been unfortunately I draft some for Bryce Young in baseball and I I'll throw
55:10in Darren Waller in the last round as well. Um, they need like, you know, this body type, they need more of it.
55:15>> Could Charlie Kar pull an AJ Barner?
55:19>> Yes, absolutely. I I think that people are overthinking the Charlie Coler stuff. He has he hasn't caught any passes in the NFL. Yes, he was behind
55:26Isaiah likely and Mark Andrews who are awesome. Like, was the third tight end actually going to catch a bunch of passes? Like, probably not. I think he's
55:32going to be on the field a lot. He's going to be a better version of Will Disley.
55:35>> He might have the AJ Barner season.
55:37>> I agree.
55:38>> Gunner Helm, Aronda Gadston, and like Pat Footh close this out.
55:43>> There has been some Steelers buzz for Pat Footh. I just want to say on the radar as well. Like Aaron Rogers keeps
55:49talking him up.
55:50>> Uh we know this is McCarthy and not Arthur Smith. John Smith is also gone.
55:56Darno Washington is a sixth offensive lineman. So Pat Fymouth is an interesting um superflex titan for me.
56:03>> I have noticed the same reports that you have with Friouth that's kind of like making me like what what's going on over
56:08there. Like I'm starting to believe that he's said that Michael P come off like it's going to be a slow start to the
56:14season.
56:15>> Yes.
56:15>> But it's like okay because we have Fry Mouth. I was like >> what is going on? I don't remember Pat
56:19Frymouth like being this much of a baller. But >> they must have gone on like the Darkness tours this offseason and Pat Footh and
56:25Aaron Rogers. That's potentially >> I can see here.
56:29>> Uh, okay. That's gonna do it. We're gonna finish this one within the hour.
56:32All right. This onesie is done. We have quarterbacks tomorrow and most importantly the wide receivers and the running backs. Plus, we went through
56:38every single rookie, 32 of them on a separate video. Go and watch that again to get ready for your fantasy draft.
56:44This is the cra. Just go and watch five hours of content that we posted this week. And that's it.
56:49All right. Weaves and MO show. Shout out to them for putting the things together behind the scenes and all of you for
56:53watching, subscribing, liking, thumbs up, all that good stuff.
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