RADIO
After spending the entirety of early January rating the hot or not's for fantasy football, I settled in to enjoy playoff football. Between basically living between postseason college and pro football, as well as some real-life stuff that got in the way of my regular writing schedule, I enjoyed the most uneven playoff schedule in recent memory.
As almost always happens, I told everyone my over-confident predictions, watched those mostly go up into dust (I believed in you, Vikings) and then just shut up and enjoy watching guys who can just unleash hell on anyone in their path.
To that vein, it's a good time to be a tight end with some dynamite hands who can throttle some dudes and enjoy getting paid, as it's hard to ignore the efforts that guys like Zach Ertz, Kyle Rudolph, and Rob Gronkowski played in getting their team closer to the big dance. Gronk, openly contemplating retirement following the Super Bowl, is the gatekeeper of a position that is bristling with young guys who are ready to take his spot. Tight end wasn't exactly the sexiest position in 2017, a position dominated in fantasy by the ones who have and the ones who wish they had with very little in between, but brimming with interest and opportunity for the future.
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Tight End Breakouts
Evan Engram - New York Giants
It's a known axiom in fantasy football; you can't draft rookie tight ends and count on them to be Week 1 starters who can carry you throughout. Admittedly, Engram was the closest we've come in awhile to breaking that narrative, coming close to yardage and touchdown rookie records for the position. While we expect the other rookies to come along in a big way over the next two years, that doesn't discount for how incredible Engram is now and to come. Six touchdowns, 722 yards, and a decent share of the workload up until the he-may-be-injured-lets-just-sit-him games of the last two weeks... as the kids say, it's lit.
Engram will likely still be Mr. Third Down for the Giants in 2018, and is worth the pick considering he still will be in the middle of the top ten pool. Even with the Giants switching up their coaching staff, I'd be surprised if quarterbacks stopped looking for the big target entirely when they need to pick up a first or power it into the end zone.
Jack Doyle - Indianapolis Colts
Forgive me, I'm penciling in a guy here who didn't break out so much as largely stayed the same, while the rest of the position struggled to gain the same footing. Jack Doyle's 2017 performance was the fantasy equivalent of turning up the volume on your headphones; more targets meant a largely in-line uptick that increased his receptions, overall yardage, and yards per game in a meaningful way. While his touchdowns actually decreased slightly, from five in 2016 down one the following year, Doyle's end of season stats look methodical. His owners know a different story, one that's compromised of a guy who would go from 12 receptions, to eight, to two, without much explanation. Doyle wasn't consistent, and will also have to deal with a new coaching staff next season, but should at the very least maintain his workload if the offense improves. Doyle's 2o17 was an experiment in volume and precision, and the fantasy community can only hope it steadily increases to the threshold.
Eric Ebron - Detroit Lions
We've all been fooled by this before. Ebron always finds his way onto a sleeper list, only to end up on a sleeping list, to find his way back around and show flashes of a talented pass catcher, and the infinite circle of Hell goes round and round. I mentioned this in previous columns, but the biggest difference for the Lions was that they started looking for Ebron in the red zone more following the bye week, something that may maintain in 2018 and massively boost the value of the talented tight end. Ebron only registered four touchdowns in total, and still leaves something to be desired in receptions, but it's enough to remove any bust labels on him in fantasy, and instead quietly register his performance over to the most bizarre "breakout" on this list.
Hunter Henry - Los Angeles Chargers
Henry finally got control of the role, appearing to fully take over the tight end position from Antonio Gates until injury sidelined him towards the end of the year. Good for 14th-best TE in PPR leagues even with four games of inactivity, Henry saw a promising target share and the ability to grow his role in a humming offense. If he can stay on the field, Henry is sure to break the top-10 in TE as a floor, with a ceiling as high as the top five.
Other Breakouts
There are some obvious names to pencil in who didn't escape the confines of the rookie rule; OJ Howard is the obvious one, David Njoku is less so, but both are likely to see an increased role in their offenses. I prefer Njoku and the Browns offensive line to Howard, but both men may lie on the outskirts of the top-10 TE in 2018 and warrant a place on the bench until they can show consistency. Trey Burton shined for the Eagles following their bye and into the postseason, a bit of a shocker for fantasy given the workload of Zach Ertz. I'd pay attention to where he ends up as he enters free agency. He could play an interesting role in an offense that leans on the position, dependent on the signing, and I think if he ends up in San Francisco or Seattle he's worth a speculative add. Zach Miller is going to be forgotten following his leg injury, but prior to that painful break, Miller was on pace for a handful of touchdowns and targets to be a interesting fantasy target. I know he was ignored in the 2017 drafts, at least the ones I was in, so if you believe on waiting for TE, I'd go with him.
