The
tight end position has evolved with NFL offenses. There still exists the Y role
on the end of the line but more and more we see players fitting into the Jimmy
Graham role of playing in the slot and affecting the passing game and middle of
the field more often.
Note:
ADP is draft positional overall, Pos. ADP is draft position with a position
group, and Diff. is the difference between my positional rank and the
positional ADP.
|
Rank
|
Player
|
Pos
|
Team
|
Tiers
|
ADP
|
Pos.
ADP
|
Diff
|
|
1
|
Rob Gronkowski
|
1
|
NE
|
1
|
23
|
1
|
0
|
|
2
|
Travis Kelce
|
2
|
KC
|
1
|
26
|
2
|
0
|
|
3
|
Zach Ertz
|
3
|
PHI
|
1
|
33
|
3
|
0
|
Barring
injury this tier isn’t changing.
|
Rank
|
Player
|
Pos
|
Team
|
Tiers
|
ADP
|
Pos.
ADP
|
Diff
|
|
4
|
Jimmy Graham
|
4
|
GB
|
2
|
56
|
4
|
0
|
|
5
|
Greg Olsen
|
5
|
CAR
|
2
|
60
|
5
|
0
|
|
6
|
Delanie Walker
|
6
|
TEN
|
2
|
80
|
8
|
-2
|
Nothing
big here as far as differences but Walker is just another case of my belief in
a Titans resurgence.
|
Rank
|
Player
|
Pos
|
Team
|
Tiers
|
ADP
|
Pos.
ADP
|
Diff
|
|
7
|
Kyle Rudolph
|
7
|
MIN
|
3
|
74
|
7
|
0
|
|
8
|
Trey Burton
|
8
|
CHI
|
3
|
91
|
9
|
-1
|
|
9
|
Cameron Brate
|
9
|
TB
|
3
|
147
|
14
|
-5
|
|
10
|
Evan Engram
|
10
|
NYG
|
3
|
61
|
6
|
4
|
|
11
|
Tyler Eifert
|
11
|
CIN
|
3
|
128
|
12
|
-1
|
|
12
|
Jack Doyle
|
12
|
IND
|
3
|
110
|
11
|
1
|
|
13
|
Austin Hooper
|
13
|
ATL
|
3
|
190
|
23
|
-10
|
|
14
|
O.J. Howard
|
14
|
TB
|
3
|
148
|
15
|
-1
|
|
15
|
Charles Clay
|
15
|
BUF
|
3
|
175
|
19
|
-4
|
I
think Brate will still be good, but Howard will take just a touch of value from
him. Engram drops because of the health of other options and the addition of Barkley.
I still believe in Hooper and he’s only going to cost you a late 15th
rounder. Clay is as solid as they come and should be the most consistent option
for either McCarron or Allen.
|
Rank
|
Player
|
Pos
|
Team
|
Tiers
|
ADP
|
Pos.
ADP
|
Diff
|
|
16
|
Jordan Leggett
|
16
|
NYJ
|
4
|
303
|
34
|
-18
|
|
17
|
Jared Cook
|
17
|
OAK
|
4
|
185
|
21
|
-4
|
|
18
|
Austin Seferian-Jenkins
|
18
|
JAC
|
4
|
174
|
18
|
0
|
|
19
|
Virgil Green
|
19
|
LAC
|
4
|
303
|
34
|
-15
|
|
20
|
David Njoku
|
20
|
CLE
|
4
|
156
|
16
|
4
|
|
21
|
Nick Vannett
|
21
|
SEA
|
4
|
303
|
34
|
-13
|
|
22
|
Jesse James
|
22
|
PIT
|
4
|
238
|
28
|
-6
|
|
23
|
Jordan Reed
|
23
|
WAS
|
4
|
92
|
10
|
13
|
|
24
|
Vernon Davis
|
24
|
WAS
|
4
|
257
|
30
|
-6
|
|
25
|
George Kittle
|
25
|
SF
|
4
|
136
|
13
|
12
|
|
26
|
Ryan Griffin
|
26
|
HOU
|
4
|
303
|
34
|
-8
|
|
27
|
Luke Willson
|
27
|
DET
|
4
|
231
|
27
|
0
|
Tier
four is our first real set of multiple major disagreements with ADP. Leggett is
the best interior option for the Jets and doesn’t have much competition in New
York. Green had moments in Denver and is the recipient of the role vacated by
an injured Hunter Henry. TE1 in Los Angeles is lucrative and Green will most
likely jump in the next set of ADP. We’re well into the TE2s and Vannett is the
clear starter in Seattle, at least at the moment. Reed has top 5 or 10 talent
at the position, but his injury history limits me from being too much higher on
him than bottom of the TE2s. I might, or more likely probably am, too low on
Kittle. The athletic tight end from Iowa flashed in Shanny’s offense last
season.
|
Rank
|
Player
|
Pos
|
Team
|
Tiers
|
ADP
|
Pos.
ADP
|
Diff
|
|
28
|
Blake Jarwin
|
28
|
DAL
|
5
|
303
|
34
|
-6
|
|
29
|
Mike Gesicki
|
29
|
MIA
|
5
|
189
|
22
|
7
|
|
30
|
Hayden Hurst
|
30
|
BAL
|
5
|
183
|
20
|
10
|
|
31
|
Ricky Seals-Jones
|
31
|
ARI
|
5
|
194
|
25
|
6
|
|
31
|
Tyler Higbee
|
31
|
LAR
|
5
|
303
|
34
|
-3
|
|
32
|
Ben Watson
|
32
|
NO
|
5
|
192
|
24
|
8
|
|
34
|
Nick O'Leary
|
34
|
BUF
|
5
|
303
|
34
|
0
|
|
35
|
Jeff Heuerman
|
35
|
DEN
|
5
|
303
|
34
|
1
|
|
36
|
Dion Sims
|
36
|
CHI
|
5
|
303
|
34
|
2
|
|
37
|
Adam Shaheen
|
37
|
CHI
|
5
|
303
|
34
|
3
|
|
38
|
Tyler Kroft
|
38
|
CIN
|
5
|
303
|
34
|
4
|
|
39
|
Ian Thomas
|
39
|
CAR
|
5
|
303
|
34
|
5
|
|
40
|
Garrett Celek
|
40
|
SF
|
5
|
303
|
34
|
6
|
|
41
|
Niles Paul
|
41
|
JAC
|
5
|
303
|
34
|
7
|
|
42
|
Vance McDonald
|
42
|
PIT
|
5
|
211
|
26
|
16
|
|
43
|
Dwayne Allen
|
43
|
NE
|
5
|
303
|
34
|
9
|
|
44
|
Jonnu Smith
|
44
|
TEN
|
5
|
303
|
34
|
10
|
|
45
|
Gerald Everett
|
45
|
LAR
|
5
|
303
|
34
|
11
|
|
46
|
Maxx Williams
|
46
|
BAL
|
5
|
303
|
34
|
12
|
|
47
|
Dallas Goedert
|
47
|
PHI
|
5
|
263
|
31
|
16
|
|
48
|
Richard Rodgers
|
48
|
PHI
|
5
|
303
|
34
|
14
|
|
49
|
Eric Ebron
|
49
|
IND
|
5
|
165
|
17
|
32
|
|
50
|
Lance Kendricks
|
50
|
GB
|
5
|
303
|
34
|
16
|
McDonald
is TE2 in Pittsburgh, but his ADP suggests that people believe that he may
usurp Jesse James. Goedert is TE3 in Philly behind Ertz and Rodgers and although
I’d rather him than Rodgers slightly that role doesn’t scream fantasy value
this season. Ebron is TE2 in Indy right now and although I can see them using
multiple tight ends, especially if Luck is back and they borrow from his
Stanford days, I just don’t see Ebron being all that useful considering the
last two seasons of trying to make the Indy TE2 a thing.
|
Rank
|
Player
|
Pos
|
Team
|
Tiers
|
ADP
|
Pos.
ADP
|
Diff
|
|
55
|
Stephen Anderson
|
55
|
HOU
|
6
|
251
|
29
|
26
|
|
78
|
Mark Andrews
|
78
|
BAL
|
7
|
272
|
32
|
46
|
The
two players with ADP data in my bottom two tiers are interesting to me. First
off is Anderson, an athletic tight end from CAL that has gotten quite a bit of
love from the fantasy community as a sleeper the last two seasons. He’s coming
off an injury last year and is behind Ryan Griffin currently on the Texans
depth chart. With the addition of Coutee to the roster and Ellington returning
again this year three WR sets look more likely in Houston and mean that TE2
there isn’t all that valuable. Lastly, we have Mark Andrews, the rookie
Baltimore tight end from Oklahoma. Andrews had a knack for getting open with
the sooners but he’s buried on the depth chart by behind Boyle, Maxx Williams,
and fellow rookie Hurst which makes his current ADP a very interesting stretch.
There
is a clear top tier for tight ends again this year, with Gronk and his myriad
of injuries retreating to the pack. That said it’s a deeper position than it
has been with dependable options ranging well into TE2 territory.
