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Craig Rondinone takes a look at three tight ends who are more valuable options in standard fantasy football leagues than point-per-reception leagues.
Tight ends are known for racking up receptions. That is more important in some fantasy football leagues than others, however.
Point-per-reception (PPR) fantasy leagues give pass-catchers extra points just for catching passes. Some fantasy players love it since a guy who is able to get open 10 times a game and make plays gets extra points. Some fantasy players despise it because a receiver, running back, or tight end gets rewarded for catching a screen pass or a four-yard dump over the middle that a five-year-old could catch.
PPR leagues are here to stay. There are some tight ends who are more valuable in standard scoring formats than PPR formats, however. Here are three tight ends who are definitely worth more in standard scoring fantasy leagues than PPR leagues for the upcoming season.
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Fantasy Football Tight Ends Better in Standard Scoring Leagues for 2024
George Kittle, San Francisco 49ers
When Kittle is not getting involved in WWE matches, starring in commercials, or running his Tight End University, he is usually one of the top tight ends in the NFL and in fantasy football. He has three 1,000-yard years on his resume and has been a top-5 fantasy tight end for the past six seasons.
The People's Tight End, George Kittle. https://t.co/kldkD4OdDX pic.twitter.com/VFt8A0Gk34
— FoN9ne (@FoN9ne) June 28, 2024
Kittle can dominate games when he has to, but when All-World wideouts Deebo Samuel Sr. and Brandon Aiyuk are healthy and productive, then the pressure is off him. Kittle does not have to carry the passing attack on his back, and that means his target total and reception numbers take a hit. In 2018 when he was the focal point of the 49ers' passing attack, Kittle averaged 8.5 targets per game. In 2023, he only averaged 5.6 targets per contest. That’s a drop-off.
Kansas City’s Travis Kelce has averaged 100 receptions per year over the past six seasons. Kittle, on the other hand, has only averaged 61 receptions per season since 2020. In his two best years before that, he did not crack the 90-catch barrier. Thanks to the fact that he makes the most of his catches (2,695 yards and 23 TDs from 2021-23), Kittle remains a fantasy superstar despite not getting the volume of receptions Kelce and other tight ends get. Just know that makes him less worthwhile to have on a PPR roster than a standard league roster.
Jonnu Smith, Miami Dolphins
Smith has had a roller coaster of a career. He finished a four-year tenure with the Tennessee Titans by scoring a career-high eight touchdowns in 2020 and parlayed that into a multimillion-dollar deal with the New England Patriots. But Smith was no Rob Gronkowski in his two years with Bill Belichick. He only mustered up 539 receiving yards and one TD over that span and was eventually allowed to find a new landing spot.
Smith’s disappointing 2021 and 2022 campaigns led to him signing a one-year deal with the Atlanta Falcons in 2023. The situation did not present itself as a fantastic fantasy opportunity considering No. 1 TE Kyle Pitts was the centerpiece of the passing attack and Atlanta was a run-first offense with mediocre quarterbacks. So, it was shocking to the fantasy world when Smith posted career highs across the board when he caught 50 passes (on 70 targets) for 582 yards.
Jonnu Smith
•Joins Dolphins high volume offseason
•Huge QB upgrade
•Finished as a top 10 TE five times last season
•7.3 YACpic.twitter.com/931GwVopMb— Nick Guglielmo (@NextLvl_Fantasy) June 26, 2024
Smith has now signed a nice contract with the Miami Dolphins to be their TE1 after Mike Gesicki and Durham Smythe did not provide much pass-catching pop at the position. Smith has shown he can make big plays and find the end zone when his team is in the red zone, but he has never caught more than 50 passes in a season. With Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle ahead of him in the passing pecking order in Miami, it is hard to see Smith catching more than 50 passes in 2024. His PPR value is much less than his standard-scoring value is.
Hunter Henry, New England Patriots
Henry has provided fantasy managers plenty of bang for their bucks over the course of his career. The bulky playmaker has scored 38 touchdowns over his seven NFL seasons and has averaged 11.7 yards per catch, proving he can make big plays both near the end zone and between the 20-yard lines.
New England’s passing attack and overall offense were abysmal the past two seasons. The receiving corps was so subpar that Henry found himself being the No. 1 or No. 2 target option in plenty of games. Now that there has been a complete overhaul from the head coach to the quarterback for the Patriots, fantasy managers have to hope that this translates into a stats push for Henry.
Henry has never been one to pile up eight-reception games, though. He has averaged just 3.19 catches per game in his career and has just one 60-reception season to his credit. He was 23rd among tight ends with receptions last season and 21st the year before that. Henry is dependent on touchdowns and making the most out of the couple catches per game he makes. He slots in as a high TE2 in standard leagues this upcoming year, but he is more of a low TE2 in PPR leagues because 50-55 catches is the most you could hope to get from him.
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