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Five fantasy football tight end values and sleepers to target in the middle rounds of 2022 drafts. Can these tight ends surpass their ADP expectations?
Once you reach the middle rounds of drafts, everyone wants to draft high-upside players that can provide a great return on value. You can afford to take some risks on a variety of different players, including forgotten veterans, players returning from injuries, or even skilled players with potential playing time concerns.
It's essential to have at least a handful of these players at each position heading into your fantasy football drafts, no matter the format. Here are some mid-round tight ends for you to consider drafting this season.
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Dalton Schultz, Cowboys, Fantasy Football Outlook
For all intents and purposes, Dalton Schultz already "broke out" last season, finishing as the TE5 in PPR formats with 12.3 fantasy points per game (PPG). The year before that, he was at a modest 9.2 fantasy points per game, so you can see the jump he took in 2021.
However, one could argue that 12.3 PPG is Schultz's floor in 2022. Since 2020, in games played without fellow tight end Blake Jarwin, Schultz has averaged 32.6 routes run per game, second to only Travis Kelce. But in 2021, Schultz was targeted at a higher rate than in 2020. In 2020, he averaged a modest 16.8% targets per route run (TPRR) rate.
Last season, that number jumped up to 20% in games played without Jarwin. He's quickly become one of Dak Prescott's most trusted weapons in the passing game, and that should continue heading into this season, especially with Amari Cooper now in Cleveland and Michael Gallup recovering from a torn ACL. In two games played without Cooper a season ago, Schultz ran 43 routes, was targeted 7.5 times, and averaged 74.5 air yards per game.
Those metrics are reminiscent of Darren Waller, except Schultz now has less legitimate target competition than Waller, who must fend off both Davante Adams and Hunter Renfrow. We could see Schultz enter that tier just below Kelce and Mark Andrews this season. Don't be surprised if he surpasses 1,000 yards for the first time in his career and scores 8+ touchdowns on his way to another top-5 fantasy finish in 2022.
Zach Ertz, Cardinals, Fantasy Football Outlook
Having two talented tight ends on the same team did no fantasy favors for Zach Ertz and Dallas Goedert, so it was a godsend for both players when Ertz was traded by the Philadelphia Eagles to the Arizona Cardinals in the middle of the 2021 season. While Goedert blossomed into a top tight end, Ertz proved to naysayers that his best days were not behind him yet.
He posted a 56-574-3 stat line over the 11 games he played with the Cardinals and almost averaged eight targets per week as he became an integral part of Kliff Kingsbury's passing attack while No. 1 WR DeAndre Hopkins was sidelined with hamstring troubles.
With Hopkins suspended for the first six games of the 2022 campaign and former No. 2 WR Christian Kirk now with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Ertz should be the third option at worst in Arizona's passing offense during the first half of the season behind newly-acquired Marquise Brown and the returning A.J. Green.
When Hopkins comes back mid-year Ertz might have a difficult time getting quarterback Kyler Murray's attention with all the targets Hopkins, Brown, and Green will garner. Ertz's ceiling is probably a 75-800-8 line that would make him a TE1 for fantasy purposes. Just do not be surprised if his fantasy value goes down as the year goes on due to Hopkins being back on the field, which could drop him to a TE2.
T.J. Hockenson, Lions, Fantasy Football Outlook
Detroit Lions tight end T.J. Hockenson was the projected target leader of a thin receiving corps entering 2021. Unfortunately, injury and inconsistency led to a really disappointing season, finishing as the TE15 with just 62 receptions for 583 yards and four touchdowns.
Additionally, what really hurt fantasy managers was producing less than five fantasy points in three of his twelve weeks, including zero total points in Week 9. Detroit's offense was 25th in points per game in 2021, so there is certainly room for improvement.
On the other hand, having a healthy D'Andre Swift, the emergence of Amon-Ra St. Brown, the signing of D.J. Chark, and moving up in Round 1 to draft Jameson Williams will create a lot more competition for targets. The 24-year-old is immensely talented with proven production, finishing as the TE4 in 2020.
He also possesses high draft capital, taken 8th overall in the 2019 draft, which is incredibly early for a tight end. Hockenson is currently ranked 8th in Rotoballer's rankings with an ADP of 81 overall, requiring a bet on talent and an improved offense for him to return value compared to other players in that range.
Cole Kmet, Bears, Fantasy Football Outlook
Chicago Bears third-year tight end Cole Kmet is one of the most intriguing fantasy options at his position in 2022. His volume and target share was highly encouraging last year. He had 60 receptions on 93 targets for 612 yards in 2021 yet did not manage to see the end zone a single time.
His receptions, targets, and yards all comfortably exceeded those of Buffalo Bills' tight end Dawson Knox, who ended up as the TE6 in PPR formats with nine touchdowns. Outside the elite tier, tight ends often live and die by touchdowns, which are notoriously difficult to predict.
Kmet's lack of touchdown production settled him in as the TE22 last year, suppressing his 2022 ADP to the TE18. This places him behind names like Minnesota Vikings' Irv Smith Jr., Seattle Seahawks Noah Fant, and Denver Broncos' Albert Okwuegbunam.
With Chicago losing Allen Robinson to the Los Angeles Rams and only securing second-tier pass catchers (Byron Pringle, Tajae Sharpe, Dante Pettis) to complement wide receiver Darnell Mooney, Kmet has an inside lane to the second-highest target share on the team. The 23-year-old is one of the best tight-end bets to return value on his draft cost with even a little touchdown luck.
Pat Freiermuth, Steelers, Fantasy Football Outlook
Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth put together an incredible rookie season that was largely overshadowed by what fellow rookie tight end Kyle Pitts did. He finished with seven receiving touchdowns, tied for the fifth-most ever by a rookie tight end, and 497 receiving yards, the 10th most by a rookie tight end since 2010.
Most impressive, the 23-year-old accomplished this in only nine games while totaling 60 receptions, a number guaranteed to increase in 2022. Despite the limited volume, the 2021 second-round pick finished as the TE12 and established himself as an elite red-zone threat, tying Mark Andrews and Tyler Higbee for the lead league with 20 red-zone targets by a tight end.
Additionally, the Steelers let Eric Ebron go in free agency, securing Freiermuth atop the depth chart. Pittsburgh also let JuJu Smith-Schuster sign with the Kansas City Chiefs, locking Freiermuth in as the No.3 target behind Diontae Johnson and Chase Claypool.
While there will be a transition at the quarterback position this year, either to Mitchell Trubisky or Kenny Pickett, the Steelers coaching staff and organization have earned the benefit of the doubt, warranting trust in the quarterback they select and the offense as a whole. Freiermuth is currently ranked 11th in Rotoballer's rankings with an ADP of 129 overall, providing the opportunity to take a shot later in the draft on a tight end who could produce 10+ touchdowns and finish as a top-five tight end.
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