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For some, fantasy football is a year-round event. The best way to get in the action early is through best ball drafts to draft real teams against real competitors for real money.
Not only can you prove that the evaluations made well before the preseason were better than most others, but it’s also a great way to start practicing for those summer drafts. It gives players a great idea as to where the market is at on players, and where an edge can be gained.
The tight end position is a tricky one, with more depth than the position has seen in years. With that in mind, there are some players that are overvalued relative to their ADP on Underdog as it stands now and some that are great steals late.
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Overvalued Tight Ends in Best Ball April 2024
Sam LaPorta, Detroit Lions
Sam LaPorta might be coming off of the tight end one overall season, but he shouldn't be coming off the board a round and a half before Trey McBride and two rounds before Mark Andrews. Even with some of the highest touchdown output in the league, he was neck and neck with Travis Kelce in points per game. This isn't to say that LaPorta is a bad bet to finish tight end one again. It's that his price shows that he's head and shoulders above the competition, which is unlikely.
Anyone concerned about TD regression for Sam LaPorta?
Being drafted as the TE1 in many leagues, but finished:
5th in receiving yards
5th in targets
4th in receptions
(Among TEs in 2023)Is he that much better than the tight ends like Engram going multiple rounds later? pic.twitter.com/QTCzh0yWgO
— FF Mike Kash (@FFMikeKash) April 3, 2024
Dalton Schultz, Houston Texans
Dalton Schultz is a best-ball nightmare. His floor was ripped out from underneath him in the Stefon Diggs trade, but his ceiling is still devastatingly low. He's coming off the board in the tenth round, which is bearable. He's unlikely to provide any spike weeks worth starting and is a better safety blanket for managed leagues than a best ball dart.
Ideally, a tight end on our fantasy teams is the first option. Well, if not that, at least the second option. Okay, maybe third. Schultz still isn't any of those, and with Joe Mixon coming to town it's not even clear if he'll be top four on the team in targets. A guy on a great offense will fall into the end zone every once in a while, but there are better options all over the board right now.
Cole Kmet, Chicago Bears
Similar to Schultz, Cole Kmet doesn't have too tough of a price. The issue is that he lacks any upside with the Bears moving to a rookie quarterback, already having two target hogs on the team and being a favorite to add another stud wide receiver in the draft. Keenan Allen and Kmet win in eerily similar parts of the field, and drafting Kmet is praying for a touchdown at best. It would be in a drafter's best interest to just avoid all three of these tight ends at cost.
Unlike Schultz, Kmet is at least an athletic monster who can break off long runs. He's unlikely to pay off at his current ADP, but there could be one or two spike weeks when he helps a lineup.
With pick 43 in the 2020 NFL Draft, the #Bears selected Cole Kmet, TE, Notre Dame.
He posted a great #RAS with great size, good speed, elite explosiveness, poor agility at the TE position.https://t.co/M6b6wuVeCs#Bears100 pic.twitter.com/yj5D36bZwT
— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) April 24, 2020
Undervalued Tight Ends in Best Ball 2024
Hunter Henry, New England Patriots
No one said it would be the most appealing choice, but Hunter Henry had the second-most touchdowns in 2023. For those who say touchdowns aren't a sticky stat, that makes total sense. Except that Henry has had four or more touchdowns (an impressive mark for a tight end like him) every year of his career except 2022.
If the Patriots don't take Marvin Harrison Jr. at the top of the draft, this is a homerun. Demario Douglas and K.J. Osborn are fine players, but Henry will be seriously competing for first or second on the team in targets. The offense can't be worse than 2023... right?
Kyle Pitts, Atlanta Falcons
Boy oh boy, who's ready to be hurt again? If Kirk Cousins has an average season by his career standards, and Kyle Pitts continues to earn his target share the way he has, he's going to be the tight end one. The math is certainly math-ing. Maybe that happens. Maybe it doesn't. Going off the board as the sixth tight end, let's find out together.
KYLE PITTS ONE-HANDED BEHIND THE BACK CATCH 😳🔥
(via @NFL)pic.twitter.com/5wdfamnL21
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) October 22, 2023
Tyler Conklin, New York Jets
For the real sickos out there, Conklin is slotted to be the third or fourth target earner in New York. Not too exciting, but Aaron Rodgers also elevated Robert Tonyan to a top-eight tight end season on touchdowns alone. If the Jets take Brock Bowers, the dream is dead. Until they do, there's hope that Conklin could be a spike week capable tight end three on your best ball teams who are going outside the top 190 picks.
More Fantasy Football Analysis
Check out all of RotoBaller's fantasy football rankings. Staff rankings are updated regularly for all positions and include standard formats, PPR scoring, tiered rankings and dynasty leagues.
