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

Biggest Busts of 2018 - Tight End

With the 2018 fantasy football season at an end, Craig Rondinone analyzes the biggest busts at the tight end position based on ADP and draft cost for the 2018 NFL year.

2018 was the Year of the Tight End in fantasy football… but only if you had San Francisco’s George Kittle, Philadelphia’s Zach Ertz, or Kansas City’s Travis Kelce on your roster.

While Kittle was setting the record for most receiving yards in a season for a tight end, Ertz was setting the record for most receptions in a season for a tight end, and Kelce was having arguably the best season ever in fantasy football for a tight end. But there were many other high-profile tight ends that flopped worse than Jason Witten did on Monday Night Football this year.

So which tight ends ruined the seasons of many fantasy football players this season? Here are the biggest busts of 2018 at the tight end position.

Editor's Note: Identify fantasy football draft busts, overvalued ADPs, and key players to avoid so you can draft with confidence this season.

 

Rob Gronkowski, New England Patriots

2018 Stats: 47 receptions, 682 yards, 3 TD 

The warning signs were there in the offseason when there were rumors that Gronk was considering retirement and becoming an action movie star in Hollywood. Turns out that if Gronkowski decides to retire this offseason, it was probably a year too late. He tied his career-low with three touchdowns, his 52 receiving yards per game were his lowest average since his rookie campaign back in 2010, and he had five games where he had fewer than 30 yards while only posting two 100-yard-games.

Gronkowski looked like a shell of his former Pro Bowl self this season. His numbers were fine for a middle-of-the-road tight end, but for a player who was likely one of the first four players at the position taken in most fantasy drafts, they were well below par. The entire Patriots offense seemed out of sorts throughout the season, and a lot of it had to do with Gronkowski not being the superstar he once was. His big-play ability and above-average skill set only appear in flashes these days, and his keeper potential in dynasty leagues is dwindling rapidly.

 

Greg Olsen, Carolina Panthers

2018 Stats: 27 receptions, 291 yards, 4 TD

Olsen was a top-five tight end on most boards entering the 2018 campaign, but he had his second-straight season ruined by a multitude of foot fractures. After being limited to seven games in 2017, Olsen was only able to suit up for nine this season after injuring his foot on two separate occasions, and he had as many games with 20 or fewer yards as he had games where he scored touchdowns (four of each).

Olsen’s perpetually fractured foot was not the only reason his fantasy value took a Ronnie Lott-sized hit. Carolina quarterback/fashion icon Cam Newton battled a sore shoulder during the second half of the season and did Olsen no fantasy favors. The Panthers offense totally revolved around All-World running back Christian McCaffrey to the point where it was virtually impossible for other skilled players on the Panthers to get any fantasy traction. Olsen’s chronic foot issues make him a humongous question mark for fantasy owners for 2019.

 

Jimmy Graham, Green Bay Packers

2018 Stats: 55 receptions, 636 yards, 2 TD

You cannot blame fantasy players for this assumption:  If Graham caught 10 touchdown passes in 2017 with Russell Wilson as his quarterback in Seattle, shouldn’t he catch 12-14 touchdown tosses from Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay in 2018?

It sounded like the perfect plan on paper, but Graham is not the same player after a series of knee injuries at age 32. Nor is his name Davante Adams. While Adams caught more than half of Rodgers’ touchdown throws (13), the non-Adams pass catchers on the roster only caught 12, including Graham’s disappointing two touchdowns. Graham was second on the Packers in targets since the rest of the receiving corps was average-at-best, but he did not do enough for fantasy owners, especially in the red zone and in the end zone.

 

Jack Doyle, Indianapolis Colts

2018 Stats: 26 receptions, 245 yards, 2 TD

Doyle was coming off a 2017 season where he was a monster in PPR leagues with 80 receptions on 107 targets, and 2018 was shaping up to be even better for him because a healthy Andrew Luck was returning to throw him the ball. Doyle was ranked as a top-10 tight end by many fantasy experts and rightly so, yet a couple unforeseen circumstances changed him from fantasy stud to fantasy dud.

Doyle injured his hip early in the season, which cost him some games, then suffered a season-ending kidney injury that abruptly finished his year on the sourest of notes. In between, though, Detroit Lions underachiever Eric Ebron turned in one of the surprise performances of 2018 by scoring 13 touchdowns and supplanting Doyle as Indy’s No. 1 tight end.  Doyle might be a decent sleeper in PPR leagues to draft late in 2019, but that will not wash the bad taste out of the mouths of the fantasy players who banked on a big season from him in 2018.

 

Charles Clay, Buffalo Bills

2018 Stats: 21 receptions, 184 yards, 0 TD

While fantasy owners were not expecting Clay to post Travis Kelce-like numbers this season, he was thought of as a decent No. 2 tight end to have on a fantasy roster. The veteran appeared like he had a shot of being Buffalo’s second-best pass catcher behind Kelvin Benjamin due to a roster full of rookies and retreads at the wide receiver position. Thinking Clay could muster 50-60 receptions for 600-700 yards was not a crazy idea.

Unfortunately, Clay was as worthless to fantasy owners as holders and third-string quarterbacks are. He had arguably the worst year of his eight-year career, failing to score a single touchdown and having the lowest amount of receiving yards for a season. Benjamin did not even last the entire season on the team, yet Clay ended up not even being Buffalo’s top tight end when the year concluded, let alone the top pass-catcher. Clay will be on the low end of the tight end totem pole on fantasy cheat sheets entering the 2019 campaign, if he even makes the cut.

More NFL Year-in-Review




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

Marvin Mims Jr.

Could be on Track for First 1,000-Yard Season
Jaylen Johnson

Chargers Place Jaylen Johnson on PUP List
Dereck Lively II

Undergoes Right-Foot Surgery Tuesday
Kendrick Bourne

Kayshon Boutte Fighting for Final Spots
Isaiah Collier

Logs a Double-Double in Summer League Action on Monday
DeMario Douglas

Kyle Williams "Locks" for Receiving Corps
Trey Smith

Chiefs, Trey Smith Finalizing Massive Extension
Anthony Richardson Sr.

Colts Expected to Ease Anthony Richardson Sr. Back in
Devin Carter

Posts 17 Points Versus Suns
Bronny James Jr.

Scores 17 Points in Summer League Loss
Terry McLaurin

Undecided on Whether he Will Report to Training Camp
Colston Loveland

Says his Shoulder is 100 Percent
Harrison Ingram

has Impressive Outing Against Jazz
Sam Williams

has Potential to be Elite Edge Rusher
Shemar Stewart

Considering Going Back to College?
Jahmyr Gibbs

Lions Want Jahmyr Gibbs "More Involved" in Passing Game
Jordan Addison

Could be Facing Three-Game Suspension
PGA

Chris Gotterup Punches Ticket to Royal Portrush With Win at Scottish Open
Bryson DeChambeau

Hopes to Reverse Links Golf Struggle at the 153rd Open
Keegan Bradley

Needs to Find The Weekend at Royal Portrush for Ryder Cup Hopes
Kyle Filipowski

Records 35-Point Double-Double Against Spurs
Kel'el Ware

Dominates Against Celtics
Kon Knueppel

Gets Going Monday
Matas Buzelis

Puts Up 28 Points in Win Over Pacers
Reed Sheppard

Shut Down for Rest of Summer League
Paul George

Undergoes Arthroscopic Knee Surgery
Oneil Cruz

Ties Home Run Derby Distance Record
Cal Raleigh

Wins 2025 Home Run Derby
Najee Harris

Likely to Miss Time at Start of Training Camp
Justin Thomas

Finishes Tied For 22nd at Genesis Scottish Open
Scottie Scheffler

Finishes Tied For Eighth at Genesis Scottish Open
Jon Rahm

Finishes in Second at LIV Andalucia
Collin Morikawa

Misses The Cut at Genesis Scottish Open
Hideki Matsuyama

Finishes Tied For 13th at Rocket Mortgage Classic
Brooks Koepka

Finishes Tied For 32nd at LIV Andalucia
Tommy Fleetwood

Finishes Tied For 34th at Genesis Scottish Open
Jason Day

Misses The Cut at John Deere Classic
Ludvig Aberg

Finishes Tied For Eighth at Genesis Scottish Open
Cam Taylor-Britt

has Benefited From Addition of Al Golden
Rome Odunze

Could Take Off in Year 2
RJ Harvey

to Get "Significant" Work in Broncos' Passing Game
Jackson Powers-Johnson

More Comfortable Heading into Year 2
Luke McCaffrey

In Line for Larger Role?
Braelon Allen

Jets Viewing Braelon Allen as Long-Term Starter?
Joel Embiid

Participating in Partial Basketball Activities
Victor Wembanyama

Officially Cleared to Return After Blood-Clot Recovery
Mike Williams

Heading to PUP List
Garrett Wilson

Lands Historic Deal
Tallison Teixeira

Suffers First-Round TKO
Derrick Lewis

Scores First-Round TKO
Michael Lorenzen

Royals Put Michael Lorenzen on Injured List With Oblique Strain
Stephen Thompson

Loses Controversial Split Decision
Gabriel Bonfim

Wins Controversial Split Decision
Calvin Kattar

Gets Outclassed At UFC Nashville
Steve Garcia

Extends His Win Streak
Nate Landwehr

Gets Knocked Out
Morgan Charrière

Morgan Charriere Scores Third-Round Knockout
Kel'el Ware

Collects 21 Points in Summer League Loss on Sunday
Austen Lane

Suffers Submission Loss
Vitor Petrino

Scores First-Round Submission In Heavyweight Debut
Cam Spencer

Contract Being Restructured
Drew Timme

Scores 30 Points in Summer League Loss to Wizards
Tuco Tokkos

Earns His First UFC Win
Alexandre Sarr

Logs Impressive Outing in Summer League Action on Sunday
Junior Tafa

Unsuccessful in his Light-Heavyweight Debut
Kyle Filipowski

Scores 21 Points in Summer League Loss to Warriors
Cody Williams

Collects 22 Points in Summer League Loss on Sunday
Chase Elliott

Charges to A Finish of Third At Sonoma
Chase Briscoe

Finishes Second With his First Career Road-Course Top-Five at Sonoma
Christopher Bell

Rollercoaster Day Ends With Top-5 Finish at Sonoma
William Byron

Maintains the Regular-Season Points Lead
Kyle Busch

Earns A Hard-Fought Top-10 Finish At Sonoma
Alex Ovechkin

Not Thinking About Retirement
PIT

Penguins Acquire Arturs Silovs
NHL

Nikolai Kovalenko Returns to Russia
Yoshinobu Yamamoto

Tosses Gem Against Giants
Shota Imanaga

Shuts Down Yankees on Sunday
Nathan Eovaldi

Dominant Again in Seventh Win
Tyler Reddick

Evades Near Upset to Remain Alive in In-Season Challenge
Ty Gibbs

One of Three Tylers to Make In-Season Challenge Semifinals
Kyle Larson

Curiously Mediocre at Sonoma Before Late-Race Crash
NASCAR

John H. Nemechek Edges Out Teammate to Make In-Season Challenge Semifinal
Alex Bowman

Ty Dillon Bumps Alex Bowman to Advance to In-Season Challenge Semifinal
Chicago White Sox

Billy Carlson Goes 10th Overall to White Sox
Cincinnati Reds

Steele Hall Selected Ninth by Cincinnati
Toronto Blue Jays

Blue Jays Select JoJo Parker with Eighth Overall Pick
Boston Celtics

Damian Lillard Drawing Interest from the Celtics
Miami Marlins

Marlins Select Aiva Arquette With Seventh Overall Pick
Pittsburgh Pirates

Pirates Select Seth Hernandez with Sixth Overall Pick
Kyle Stowers

Punishes Former Team with Three-Homer Game
St. Louis Cardinals

Cardinals Select Liam Doyle with Fifth Overall Pick
Daniel Gafford

Agrees to Contract Extension with Dallas
Colorado Rockies

Rockies Select Ethan Holliday Fourth Overall
Seattle Mariners

Kade Anderson Selected Third Overall by Seattle
Ha-Seong Kim

X-rays on Ha-Seong Kim's Foot Come Back Negative
Los Angeles Angels

Tyler Bremner Selected Second Overall by Angels in 2025 MLB Draft
Washington Nationals

Nationals Select Eli Willits First Overall
Jake Meyers

to Miss More Than Three Weeks With Calf Injury
Edward Cabrera

Hopeful to Avoid Injured List
Oneil Cruz

Absent on Sunday
Shane Van Gisbergen

Can Anyone Beat Shane van Gisbergen at Sonoma?
Tyler Reddick

Better at Sonoma Than Record Shows
Chase Elliott

a Prime DFS Option at Sonoma
Michael McDowell

Struggling a Bit at Sonoma
NASCAR

Christopher Bell Has Never Finished Better Than Ninth at Sonoma
Ryan Blaney

Has Top-10 Upside at Sonoma
NASCAR

Sunday at Sonoma Will Likely Be a Long Race for Bubba Wallace
Kyle Larson

Is A Likely Top-Five Contender for Sonoma
Ryan Preece

Points Position Could Affect Race at Sonoma
Todd Gilliland

Struggling to Find Speed at Sonoma
Ty Gibbs

May be an Underrated Favorite to Compete for the Win at Sonoma
Erik Karlsson

Open to Move Away From Pittsburgh
Zach Hyman

Hopes to be Ready for Start of Next Season
SJ

Jeff Skinner Joins Sharks on One-Year Contract
Ryan Reaves

Traded to Sharks
Vladislav Kolyachonok

Moves to Dallas
Matt Dumba

Lands in Pittsburgh
Mackie Samoskevich

Re-Signs with Panthers on One-Year Deal
Josh Manson

Inks Two-Year Extension with Avalanche
EDM

Isaac Howard Signs Three-Year, Entry-Level Contract With Oilers
Tallison Teixeira

Set For His First UFC Main Event
Derrick Lewis

Set To Headline UFC Nashville
Gabriel Bonfim

Looks For His Third UFC Win
Stephen Thompson

Returns At UFC Nashville
Steve Garcia

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Calvin Kattar

In Dire Need Of Victory
Morgan Charrière

Morgan Charriere A Favorite At UFC Nashville
Nate Landwehr

Aims To Bounce Back
MMA

Austen Lane Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF