Tight Ends To Draft Late: TE Sleepers & Draft Values

All Tight Ends Are The Same, But Different

Tight end has become one of the more perplexing positions in all of fantasy football due to the fact that there are clear tiers at the position and also a strange level of sameness after a certain point. The key to differentiating between players who fall into that sameness category is determining which ones possess the most upside. If you dig deep enough into the tight end list, you’ll find a few names that are severely undervalued and could actually end up as nice sleepers who produce top 8-12 numbers. Listed below are a few names that should be viewed in a stronger light than they have been thus far based on their current ADP.

1)   Greg Olsen, TE Carolina Panthers

Greg Olsen is by far the most popular name on this list as well as the trendiest in terms of a sleeper tight end pick for 2014. With the fear that Cam Newton’s numbers will decline due to the departure of wide receiver Steve Smith, many seem to be overlooking the fact that Greg Olsen actually had just as many targets as Smith last year with 109. With a huge amount of turnover at wide receiver, expect Greg Olsen to be the veteran target Cam Newton relies on more than ever. He is now the only pass catcher on the Panthers that has an established rapport with Newton.

Olsen has been regarded as the seventh or eighth best tight end on the board when in reality he should be targeted above the likes of Dennis Pitta, Jason Witten, and possibly even Vernon Davis. Olsen has the most upside out of his TE tier and he represents a nice sleeper candidate or a buy low before he blows up later in the season.

2)   Zach Ertz, TE Philadelphia Eagles

Despite the presence of longtime veteran Brent Celek, Zach Ertz has emerged as the tight end worth drafting in Philadelphia. Although no one expects Celek to simply disappear from the Eagles depth chart, reports out of camp have indicated that Chip Kelly loves Ertz’s play and intends to use him more efficiently this season.  The expectation is that Ertz will be the Eagles primary red-zone target, which could translate to Rob Gronkowski-level touchdown numbers under the Chip Kelly offense. Ertz has been the beneficiary of a lot of hype as of late so don’t be surprised if he’s suddenly tough to secure in a draft with the season rapidly approaching.

3)   Heath Miller, TE Pittsburgh Steelers

Speaking of longtime veterans, Heath Miller has been seemingly completely forgotten as far as fantasy tight ends are concerned. Miller has been a proven commodity for Ben Roethlisberger over the years but succumbed to a torn ACL toward the end of the 2012 season, resulting in him being relatively ignored for all of 2013. Now fully healthy, Heath Miller should once again be one of Roethlisberger’s favorite targets.

In the year leading up to his torn ACL, Heath Miller had 101 targets with the Steelers, a number that is certainly repeatable in 2014. Much like the Panthers, the Steelers suffered a decent amount of turnover at the wide receiver position so with Miller being one of the last remaining veteran options, a resurgence is definitely a possibility. Heath has also been a favorite red-zone target for Big Ben so touchdowns are always a plus. A common strategy suggested by several fantasy writers has been to use Heath Miller as a non-traditional “handcuff”  to Rob Gronkowski in the event Gronk gets hurt again. It’s a sound strategy, but Miller could very well put together a solid year in his own right and be a serviceable TE to own even in 10 team leagues.

4)   Travis Kelce, TE Kansas City Chiefs

While the previous tight ends mentioned possess more of a top ten level of upside, Travis Kelce is more a of a deeper league candidate. The first thing you might notice about Kelce is his Jimmy Graham-esque size at 6 foot 6 and 260 pounds. Kelce fits a recurring trend in today’s NFL where teams have continuously scouted tight ends that are built like NBA forwards. It’s a fine strategy when you consider the fact that the best tight end in the business, Jimmy Graham, actually played basketball for the Miami Hurricanes.

The Chiefs are expected to utilize Kelce in a big way this season and we should know right away just how effective he will be given that the team’s number one wide receiver, Dwayne Bowe, is suspended for the first game. That should give us some clarity as to whether or not Kelce is for real. Granted, it will only be one game but seeing a player utilize his size in his very first true opportunity will helpful. Kelce is worth a flyer or a pickup in deeper leagues and if he lives up to his stature we could be looking at another NBA-sized tight end superstar someday.

I’ll reiterate, the tight end position is home to a lot of players with similar ADPs so the more you can weed out the better.  These four tight ends represent nice sleeper candidates or buy-low candidates if they struggle early.