X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

Boom or Bust? Tight End Predictions for 2018

Dom Petrillo analyzes three tight ends who could be boom or bust values in 2018 fantasy football leagues. These players could be breakouts or duds.

Whether you like using a high pick on a tight end or waiting on the position is a matter only you can choose but this article will give you some players to avoid or target at differing price points in the fantasy draft. The prevailing sentiment around the tight end position is there are two or three elite tight ends and after that a steep decline. This is true for the most part although there may be some surprising players both good and bad in 2018. Here, we will take a look at three tight ends who will either boom or bust

The cream of the crop will, for the most part, remain the same. Both Rob Gronkowski and Travis Kelce are the best tight ends in the league and barring injury will finish the season as number one and number two in the rankings. There are others who have the ability to finish top-five, but don't have the health on a yearly basis including Tyler Eifert and Jordan Reed. For our purposes, we are not going to take injuries into account for boom or bust consideration.

If I mark a player as a bust, it does not mean he will be terrible, it just means he may not return value on his draft stock. In reverse a boom player may not finish number one at the position, it simply means he will be a good value at his draft slot. So, with the explanations out of the way, Let’s find some players to feel confident about, or be wary of.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:

 

Boom or Bust? Tight Ends

Zach Ertz, Philadelphia Eagles
Current ADP: 4.04

Wait, the third of the elite tight ends is going to bust? Well, yes. Ertz had a great season last season. He had eight touchdown receptions and showed he is the number one target for Carson Wentz in the Eagles offense. So why the bust status then, Well, last year was also the first season in which he had more than four touchdowns. This very well could mean this may be the outlier season and not the new norm for Ertz. He has always been a player with the potential to breakout, but never the ability, outside of week 17 games this is. Now we may have to wait another season to find out if he can keep improving.

Another issue is his reliability. He has not been the healthiest player even missing time last season due to a concussion suffered in the same game against the Rams in which Wentz was lost. With this unhealthiness seemingly carrying over to this summer in which he has already missed an entire week of practice, rookie Dallas Goedert may take over more of the work before overtaking him in a season or two.

Speaking of Goedert, being he has already impressed with his ability, the Eagles are going to employ more two tight end sets meaning the production will be split between the two athletic tight ends. They will eat into the production of each other and will therefore limit each other's upside. Will Zach Ertz still be a top 10 tight end? Yes. But a top-three finish as he is being drafted? More than likely not in the cards for 2018.

Verdict: Bust

 

Benjamin Watson, New Orleans Saints
Current ADP: None

A 37-year-old tight end is not the first player you might consider for a boom player in 2018 unless it is a quarterback. Saying this, Ben Watson is not the typical 37-year-old player. He is heading back to an incredible offense in which he just three seasons ago compiled a great statline. In 2015 with the Saints, Watson and Brees connected for 825 yards and six touchdowns on 74 receptions. Drew Brees has always loved to involve the tight end as shown in his 110 targets to Watson in the 2015 season. After a disastrous tenure in New Orleans by Coby Fleener it will be nice to have a real receiver back in the fold at the position.

Even with a terrible offense and an even worse Joe Flacco behind center in 2017, coming off an ACL tear which caused him to miss the previous season, Watson still showed his ability in Baltimore. After another productive year which saw Watson amass 61 receptions for 522 yards and four touchdowns, he returns to Nola and to the scene of his best of seasons. He will be a target monster at the position and considering he is not currently being drafted, he will have great value when he finishes in the top 10 at the position for the Saints and hopefully your fantasy team.

Verdict: Boom

 

Mike Gesicki, Miami Dolphins
Current ADP: 14.03

The overwhelming theory is rookie tight ends never work out. Well, while this may be the case, there have not been many rookies with the same opportunity to which Mike Gesicki walks into in Miami. After a miserable season with Julius Thomas, the Dolphins have decided to start over at the tight end position. This means the Rookie out of Penn State, whom many think was the most athletic tight end in the draft will have ample chances to prove himself. After a slow start to training camp, he has really picked up and has made incredible strides in the preseason. As we have seen in the past with his production to Jarvis Landry, Ryan Tannehill will dump the ball off whenever possible, whether this be to Frank Gore out of the backfield or the tight end, it will happen. Gesicki is in line for a big workload in his rookie season and this should help him turn his 14th-round ADP into a TE1 finish in fantasy leagues.

Verdict: Boom

More Draft Prep and Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Scottie Scheffler

The Untouchable Favorite At CJ Cup
Tom Kim

A Popular Name To Avoid At TPC Craig Ranch
Austin Eckroat

Looking To Find Success Again At TPC Craig Ranch
Ben Kohles

Finishes Tied For 59 At Corales Puntacana Championship
Joel Dahmen

Finishes Tied For Second At Corales Puntacana Championship
Beau Hossler

Finishes Tied For 60 At Valero Texas Open
Doug Ghim

Finishes Tied For 18 At the Valero Texas Open
Jordan Spieth

Finishes Tied For 18 At RBC Heritage
Kurt Kitayama

Misses The Cut At Valero Texas Open
Si Woo Kim

Finishes Tied For Eighth At RBC Heritage
George Kirby

"Feeling Great", Could Throw Again On Sunday
Tyler Fitzgerald

Returning To Starting Nine
Josh Lowe

Progressing Well, Could Play In Rehab Games On Saturday
Shane McClanahan

Begins "Throwing-Like" Activities
Patrik Laine

Remains Day-To-Day
Gabriel Vilardi

On Track To Return Wednesday
Brandon Hagel

Ruled Out For Game 5
Marcus Johansson

Returns To Action Tuesday
Cole Ragans

Won't Start On Wednesday
Dylan Moore

Placed On 10-Day Injured List With Hip Inflammation
Jonas Siegenthaler

Considered A Game-Time Decision Tuesday
Brett Pesce

A Game-Time Call Tuesday
Yordan Alvarez

Back In Tuesday's Lineup
Frederik Andersen

Unavailable Tuesday
Aaron Nesmith

Upgraded To Available
Las Vegas Raiders

Jack Bech A Strong Candidate To Be An Immediate Starter
Las Vegas Raiders

Zamir White Competing For Depth Role
New York Jets

Mason Taylor To Immediately Be Atop Jets Tight End Depth Chart
Bennedict Mathurin

Cleared For Game 5
Buffalo Bills

Dalton Kincaid Setting Up As Post-Hype Sleeper In 2025?
Denver Broncos

Dre Greenlaw Expected To Be Ready For Training Camp
Seattle Seahawks

Sam Darnold To Take Over 90% Of The Snaps
Tennessee Titans

Titans In No Rush To Trade Will Levis
Daulton Varsho

Reinstated From Injured List And Starting On Tuesday
Minnesota Vikings

J.J. McCarthy Says He Knows He's Ready To Start For Vikings
Cincinnati Bengals

Bengals Picking Up Fifth-Year Option On Dax Hill
Los Angeles Chargers

Chargers Apply Unrestricted Free-Agent Tender To J.K. Dobbins
Seattle Seahawks

Jaren Hall Cut Loose By Seahawks
Kansas City Chiefs

Chiefs Compare Josh Simmons To Christian Darrisaw, Rashawn Slater
Denver Broncos

Pat Bryant Compared To Michael Thomas
Denver Broncos

RJ Harvey Could Do It All For Broncos
Carolina Panthers

Tetairoa McMillan Likely To Man The X Spot For Panthers
Green Bay Packers

Packers, Jaire Alexander Continue To Discuss Potential Reunion
Dallas Cowboys

Cowboys Discussed George Pickens With Steelers
Kansas City Chiefs

Chiefs To Pick Up Fifth-Year Option On Trent McDuffie, George Karlaftis
Washington Commanders

Matt Gays Signs One-Year Deal With Commanders
San Francisco 49ers

George Kittle Signs Four-Year Extension With 49ers
Alperen Sengün

Alperen Sengun Records Third Consecutive Double-Double
Brandin Podziemski

Hits Six Treys During 26-Point Performance
Jimmy Butler III

Leads Warriors In Scoring Monday Night
Jarrett Allen

Has Double-Double, Six Steals In Blowout Win
Brandon Boston Jr.

Recovering From Ankle Surgery
Kelly Olynyk

Undergoes Heel Procedure
Aaron Nesmith

Probable For Tuesday's Action
Nathan MacKinnon

Has Two Points In Losing Effort
Martin Necas

Records Two Assists In Game 5 Loss
Mikko Rantanen

Tallies Three Points In Monday's Win
Wyatt Johnston

Leads Stars To Game 5 Victory
Sergei Bobrovsky

Returns To Winning Ways
Anton Lundell

Earns Two Points Monday
Ryan Gerard

Going For A Texas Trifecta Of Sorts
Brandon Hagel

Departs Loss Early
Joe Highsmith

Hoping To Make More Putts In Texas
Eric Cole

Expecting Big Things In Texas
Brian Campbell

May Go Under The Radar At CJ Cup
Riley Greene

Homers Twice On Monday
Yordan Alvarez

Exits Monday's Win Early
Los Angeles Chargers

Tre Harris Expected To Fill X Role For Chargers
Jimmy Butler III

Officially Active For Game 4
Isaiah Stewart

Uncertain For Game 5
Michael Porter Jr.

Expected To Play In Game 5
Brandon Nimmo

Has Career Game
Russell Westbrook

Questionable For Tuesday Night
Tyler Glasnow

Going On The Injured List
Jaylen Brown

Back On The Injury Report
Jrue Holiday

Out Again On Tuesday Night
Bennedict Mathurin

Questionable For Game 5
Damian Lillard

May Not Play Next Season
Luis Arraez

Expected To Return On Tuesday
Johnathan Kovacevic

To Remain Out Tuesday
Brenden Dillon

Unavailable Tuesday
Luke Hughes

Not Ready To Return For Game 5
Darius Garland

Remains Out On Monday
Ross Colton

Remains Out On Monday
Oskar Bäck

Oskar Back Returns To Stars Lineup Monday
Miro Heiskanen

To Miss Game 5
Jordan Westburg

Placed On Injured List
Anthony Cirelli

Good To Go For Game 4
William Byron

Ends With A Strong Top-Five Finish At Talladega
Ryan Blaney

Bad Luck Continues With Talladega Crash
Kyle Larson

Has A Career-Best Performance At Talladega
Ian Machado Garry

Gets Back On Track With UFC Kansas City Win
Brad Keselowski

Talladega Run Ends Early After Crashing
Carlos Prates

Suffers His First UFC Loss
Zhang Mingyang

Still Undefeated In The UFC
Anthony Smith

Retires After UFC Kansas City Loss
Giga Chikadze

Takes Unanimous Decision Loss
Giga Chikadze

Takes Unanimous-Decision Loss
David Onama

Extends Win Streak At UFC Kansas City
Michel Pereira

Drops Decision At UFC Kansas City
Abus Magomedov

Extends His Win Streak
Nicolas Dalby

Gets Finished For The First Time
Randy Brown

Gets Back In The Win Column
Ikram Aliskerov

Gets First-Round TKO Finish At UFC Kansas City
Andre Muniz

Gets TKO'd At UFC Kansas City
Chase Elliott

Recovers from Speeding Penalty to Finish Fifth
Joey Logano

Finishes Last at Talladega After Disqualification for Missing Spoiler Brace
Ryan Preece

Loses Talladega Race First in Photo Finish Then in Post-Race Inspection
NASCAR

Poor Toyota Strategy Arguably Cost Bubba Wallace Winning Chances at Talladega
Christopher Bell

Unhurt After Hard Contact with Inside Retaining Wall
Joe Ryan

Posts Stellar Outing
Jaylen Brown

Available For Game 4
Nick Lodolo

Throws Seven Scoreless Innings
Tyler Glasnow

Removed Early On Sunday
Darius Garland

Questionable For Game 4
Jaden Ivey

Making Progress
Tarik Skubal

Racks Up 11 Strikeouts
Luke Weaver

In Line To Get The Bulk Of Save Opportunities Moving Forward
Devin Williams

Removed From Closer Role
Chase Elliott

Is One OF The Top Overall DFS Picks Of The Week
Joey Logano

Could Joey Logano Finish A Race With A Top Finish At Talladega?
NASCAR

DFS Players Should Like Bubba Wallace For Talladega This Week
Christopher Bell

Should DFS Players Roster Christopher Bell At Talladega?
Austin Cindric

Is Austin Cindric Worth Rostering For Talladega DFS Lineups?
Shane Van Gisbergen

Is A Solid, Safe, DFS Choice For Talladega Lineups
Austin Dillon

Is Austin Dillon A Viable DFS Play At Talladega This Week?
Josh Berry

Qualifies Too High At Talladega To Be Worth Rostering In DFS
Michael McDowell

Should DFS Players Take A Shot On Michael McDowell At Talladega?
Noah Gragson

Could Be A Sneaky DFS Play For Talladega
Denny Hamlin

Probably Qualified Too Well for DFS Consideration
Kyle Larson

Increasingly Undervalued Due to His Crashing, but Still a Great DFS Option
Austin Hays

Smacks Two Homers On Saturday
Carlos Prates

Looks To Remain Undefeated In The UFC
Ian Machado Garry

Set For UFC Kansas City Main Event
Zhang Mingyang

Scheduled For Co-Main Event
Anthony Smith

Set For His Final UFC Bout
David Onama

Set For Featherweight Bout
Giga Chikadze

Looks To Bounce Back
Abus Magomedov

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
Michel Pereira

Returns To Action At UFC Kansas City
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF