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
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Projections
Articles & Tools
Weekly Planner
24x7 News and Alerts

Early Sleepers for 2017 - Tight Ends

Craig Rondinone highlights early 2017 fantasy football sleepers at the tight end (TE) position for the 2017 NFL season.

2016 was not a banner year for tight ends, it was a bummer year. Only two (Travis Kelce, Greg Olsen) cracked the 1,000-yard plateau after four had done so the previous year. The top dog at the position, New England’s Rob Gronkowski, had his season ruined by another injury. Other top-10 tight ends like Jordan Reed, Gary Barnidge, Tyler Eifert and Delanie Walker had down 2016 seasons compared to what they did in 2015 thanks to injuries, terrible quarterbacks and/or maybe they played over their heads the previous year. So tight ends have nowhere to go but up in the eyes of many fantasy football owners. 2017 has some serious sleeper candidates that you should keep an eye on throughout the off-season. Keep these names in mind when your league’s draft day rolls around next August.

Editor's Note: Our industry-leading NBA DFS Lineup Optimizer/Generator tool helps you build winning DFS lineups in seconds. Try it now for free, and get an edge on your competition.

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

 

Tight End Sleepers for 2017 Fantasy Football

Jesse James, Pittsburgh Steelers

James was probably not drafted in 99 percent of fantasy leagues entering the 2016 season. He was a fifth-round pick in the 2015 NFL draft who caught eight passes during his rookie year and was slated to be the backup to high-priced free-agent acquisition Ladarius Green. He was going to be more valuable for Le’Veon Bell owners because of his run blocking than he was going to be for owners who spent late-round picks hoping he would score a touchdown or two due to his pass catching.

But Green missed the first half of the season due to an ankle injury and the last couple contests due to a concussion. That greenlit James to start and helped him get the opportunity to catch 39 passes for 338 yards and three touchdowns. Green continued his solid play in the postseason where he accounted for 10 receptions for 131 yards in Pittsburgh’s last two playoff contests.

With Green a humongous question mark heading into the 2017 campaign due to his caution-worthy concussion history and the myriad of injuries he has suffered in recent years, James could be the Steelers’ starting tight end next season. If Martavis Bryant hits a snag in getting reinstated from his drug suspension, James could be Ben Roetlisberger’s go-to guy in the red zone.

James is not going to win many running races and break many (or any) 30-yard plays. But his combination of a big body and soft hands works well down by the end zone, and if Green cut by Pittsburgh or unable to suit up, James lines up to be a super sleeper in 2017.

 

Jared Cook, Green Bay Packers

Cook has been a perennial disappointment to fantasy football owners longer than Evan Turner has been a disappointment to fantasy basketball owners. Football owners were disappointed by Cook again this year after he signed a contract with Green Bay. Many thought he would finally realize his potential with Aaron Rodgers throwing to him. Instead, Cook delivered 30 receptions for 377 yards and one lone touchdown and was worthless to fantasy owners … again. But Rodgers discovered Cook after the rest of his receiving corps was decimated during the playoffs. While top target Jordy Nelson was hurting due to his broken ribs, Cook became Rodgers’ go-to guy and shockingly caught 18 passes for 229 yards and one score over the Packers’ three playoff games. So was this a fluke? A three-game burst to get a richer off-season deal, or a sign of things to come?

Cook only signed a one-year pact with Green Bay, so he is a free agent for the second off-season in a row. While his regular season probably did not cause NFL general managers to rush to clear salary cap space for him, what he did in the playoffs had to open some eyes, especially in Green Bay’s front office. Green Bay has not gotten much out of its tight ends in recent years. If Cook re-ups with the Packers, he is a sleeper heading into 2017.

 

Austin Hooper, Atlanta Falcons

Hooper was the second-highest tight end selected in the 2016 NFL draft behind San Diego’s Hunter Henry, but Hooper did not enter with much hoopla. He had 937 receiving yards and eight touchdowns over two seasons at Stanford. Fantasy owners did not strain themselves penciling in Hooper’s name on their draft day cheat sheets.

Hooper had 19 receptions for 271 yards and three touchdowns during his rookie season. He showed that he can stretch the field with four 20-yard-plus grabs and an impressive 14.3 yards per catch. Once veteran Jacob Tamme went down with a midseason injury, Hooper received more playing time and proved he can be a starting tight end in the NFL. But other than in deep leagues where tight ends were scarce or owners were desperate for a bye-week fill-in, Hooper’s fantasy impact this year was relatively minimal.

Atlanta had the best offense in the NFL in 2016, and there is no reason to think they will not be one of the best again next year. Even though offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan will move on to become San Francisco’s head coach, they will still have reigning MVP Matt Ryan at quarterback, one of the top wideouts in Julio Jones, and Devonta Freeman/Tevin Coleman as the best tailback tandem in the league. Hooper will be a year wiser and could flourish in Atlanta’s high-powered offense in 2017. 50 receptions for 650 yards and five touchdowns from him would not be a surprise.


Check out RotoBaller's famous fantasy football draft sleepers and waiver wire pickups list, updated regularly!




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Projections
Articles & Tools
Weekly Planner
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Milwaukee Bucks

Chris Livingston Waived by the Bucks
Keegan Murray

Nique Clifford Shines in Keegan Murray's Absence
Cooper Flagg

Continues to Start at Point Guard
Chuba Hubbard

Expects to Play in Week 7
Ron Harper Jr.

Earns a Two-Way Deal with the Celtics
Spencer Dinwiddie

Waived by the Hornets
Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Sterling Shepard's Stock Rising for Buccaneers
Cam Talbot

Collects Third Straight Win
Connor Bedard

Shines With Three Assists
CFB

Jermod McCoy Officially Out for Alabama Matchup
Zach Benson

Records Four Assists In Season Debut
CFB

Jam Miller Questionable to Face Tennessee
Cam York

on Track to Make Season Debut Thursday
John Klingberg

Deemed Day-to-Day
Will Borgen

Battling Lower-Body Issue
Hampus Lindholm

Still Day-to-Day
Jaden Ivey

Considered Day-to-Day
Josh Hart

Making Progress
Jaren Jackson Jr.

Busy in Preseason Debut
Keegan Murray

Lands Five-Year, $140 Million Extension
Domantas Sabonis

Sustains Hamstring Injury Wednesday
Jaylen Brown

"Fine" Following Wednesday's Early Exit
CFB

Arizona State QB Sam Leavitt Probable For Saturday
Jake Walman

to Remain Out Thursday
Dmitry Kulikov

to Miss Five Months Following Surgery
Darcy Kuemper

Day-to-Day With Lower-Body Injury
Anze Kopitar

Listed as Day-to-Day
Jacob Markstrom

Out for "Couple of Weeks"
Kevon Looney

Slated to be Sidelined With Knee Injury
Nick Foligno

Out on Wednesday
Lucas Raymond

Misses Wednesday's Game
New York Knicks

Malcolm Brogdon Calling it a Career After Nine NBA Seasons
Russell Westbrook

Inks Deal With Kings
Los Angeles Chargers

Chargers Open 21-Day Practice Window for Khalik Mack
Quentin Johnston

Will Practice Wednesday
Travis Hunter

Jaguars Plan to Expand Travis Hunter's Role on Offense
Anthony Volpe

Undergoes Left-Shoulder Surgery
Deshaun Watson

"a Good Month Away" From Practicing
CFB

Jayden Gibson No Longer with Oklahoma Program
David Njoku

Not Practicing Wednesday
Rashee Rice

Chiefs "Allocating a Heavy Workload" for Rashee Rice Right Away
Puka Nacua

a "Long Shot" to Play in Week 7
Emeka Egbuka

is Expected to Miss Week 7
Jalen Suggs

Participates in Contact Drills
Mark Williams

Progresses to Five-on-Five Work
Gary Harris

to Miss 1-2 Weeks
De'Andre Hunter

Sustains Knee Contusion Tuesday
Karlo Matković

Karlo Matkovic Hurts Elbow in Loss to Houston
Jalen Duren

Returns to Action Against Cavaliers
Stuart Skinner

Records Eighth Career Shutout
Matthew Knies

Dishes Out Three Assists in Tuesday's Win
Maxwell Crozier

Likely Out on Friday
Brett Howden

Dealing With Lower-Body Injury
Adin Hill

Sustains Lower-Body Injury Versus Flames
Matt Duchene

Injured in Tuesday's Win
Emmanuel Clase

to be Banished for Life After Gambling Allegations?
Alex Bregman

Plans to Opt Out of Contract With Red Sox
Alexey Toropchenko

to Remain Out Wednesday
CeeDee Lamb

"Looking Good" for Week 7
D'Andre Swift

Breaks Out for 175 Total Yards and Touchdown in Win
Drake London

Explodes for 158 Yards and Touchdown in Win Over Bills
Bijan Robinson

Erupts for 238 Total Yards and Touchdown Against Bills
Christopher Bell

Sits Third in Points After Quiet Third-Place Finish
Chase Briscoe

Passes Denny Hamlin at the Start, but Hamlin Gets Him in the End
Joey Logano

Falling Out of Playoff Picture Despite Other Contenders' Crashes
Ryan Blaney

Stage 1 Crash Puts Ryan Blaney in Severe Playoff Trouble
Denny Hamlin

Wins at Las Vegas and Will Compete for the 2025 Cup Series Title
Kyle Larson

Dominates at Las Vegas but Ends Up Second
Chase Elliott

Struggles to Gain A Solid Finish at Las Vegas After Pit-Road Penalty
William Byron

Strong Run Ends In A Wreck at Las Vegas
Garrett Wilson

Expected to Miss "a Couple of Weeks" With Hyperextended Knee
Dalton Kincaid

Ruled Out for Monday Night
CFB

Sam Leavitt Viewed as Day-to-Day with Undisclosed Injury
Anthony Santander

Scratched From Game 2 of ALCS With Back Tightness
Deebo Samuel Sr.

Expected to Play on Monday Night
Brock Bowers

Could Sit for the "Long Haul"
CeeDee Lamb

has a Chance to Play in Week 7
San Diego Padres

Mike Shildt Retires as a Manager
Tennessee Titans

Titans Fire Head Coach Brian Callahan
Mateusz Gamrot

Suffers Second-Round Submission Loss
Charles Oliveira

Gets Back In The Win Column
Montel Jackson

Drops Decision
Deiveson Figueiredo

Gets Split-Decision Victory
Vicente Luque

Outclassed
Vicente Luque

Joel Alvarez Outclasses Vicente Luque
Jhonata Diniz

Suffers Second-Round TKO Loss
Mario Pinto

Remains Undefeated
CFB

Matt Rhule Denying Interest in Penn State Head Coaching Job
CFB

Le'Veon Moss Not Believed to Have Suffered Season-Ending Injury
Ricardo Ramos

Suffers First-Round Submission Loss
Chris Godwin

Not Expected to Return in Week 7
Bucky Irving

Not Expected to Return in Week 7
Kaan Ofli

Scores Comeback Win
CFB

Bill Belichick Says he's Committed to North Carolina
Tiger Woods

Undergoes Back Surgery
CFB

UAB Fires Head Coach Trent Dilfer After 2.5 Seasons In Birmingham
CFB

Penn State Fires Head Coach James Franklin After 10.5 Seasons
CFB

Penn State QB Drew Allar Will Miss The Rest Of 2025 Season With Ankle Injury
Brandon Woodruff

Will Not be on NLCS Roster
Max Scherzer

Added to ALCS Roster
Bryan Woo

Makes ALCS Roster
Bo Bichette

Won't Make ALCS Roster
Christopher Bell

the Favorite to Win at Las Vegas
Denny Hamlin

on the Pole at Las Vegas
Joey Logano

Can Joey Logano Get Lucky in Las Vegas Again?
William Byron

has the Fastest Car in Practice at Las Vegas
Ty Gibbs

Speed of Ty Gibbs a Good Sign for Toyota at Las Vegas
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace Should Contend at Las Vegas
Ross Chastain

Scrapes Wall in Practice But Qualifies 15th at Las Vegas
Chris Buescher

Looking for Improvement at Las Vegas
Austin Cindric

It Has Been Hit or Miss for Austin Cindric at Las Vegas
Chase Elliott

Should Run Well at Las Vegas
Kyle Larson

Conservatism May Keep him from Replicating Previous Las Vegas Drive
Josh Berry

After Josh Berry's Las Vegas Win, Ryan Blaney Should be a Top Contender
Chase Briscoe

has Definitely Improved on Intermediate Tracks
Gleyber Torres

Will Undergo Surgery to Repair Sports Hernia
Bryan Woo

Expected to be on Mariners' ALCS Roster
CFB

CJ Baxter to Miss Saturday's Game Against No. 6 Oklahoma
CFB

Syracuse QB Steve Angeli Will Miss Significant Time
Cody Bellinger

Plans to Opt Out of Contract
MLB

Munetaka Murakami Will be Posted This Winter

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP