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

PPR Draft Targets - Undervalued Tight Ends

Tyler Higbee - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Antonio Losada evaluates tight ends that should become targets in PPR fantasy football drafts due to their low ADP compared to their potential return on investment (ROI).

For fantasy football GMs, draft season is gearing up. Preparing for what is waiting for us in our virtual war rooms is a key part of the process, and the first thing to know is the format of the league we're going to be part of. The difference between Standard and PPR (Point-Per-Reception) scoring systems is really simple, with the latter awarding one extra point to players that catch a pass. Standard scoring was a staple in the early days of fantasy football, but PPR has become the most played system lately.

It doesn't take a genius to know who this benefits the most: over-targeted receivers, pass-catching running backs, and reliable tight ends. While some players are good enough to put up numbers on their pure talent, others might fall a bit short on the ability leaderboard. Some of those, though, trump the most talented ones in fantasy leagues due to a heavier usage and racking up receptions that go for extra fantasy points.

Having the PPR scoring system in mind, it's time to discover which players are surefire bets to excel in point-per-reception leagues that are currently being undervalued in drafts by fantasy GMs. Today, I'm highlighting some tight ends who are primed to become studs in these leagues that have lower ADPs and prices than those they should be attached to.

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

 

Jordan Akins, Houston Texans

ADP of TE43, Projected to finish TE21

In order to write this series of articles (undervalued players in PPR leagues), I will be looking at PFF projections and ADP values from mid-July. With that in mind, I have found only 28 TEs projected to reach 100+ fantasy points in such format next season--always by PFF. The average ADP of those players comes out at a 123.7 overall mark, around the 10th/11th rounds in 12-team drafts.

No other tight end projects to a better ROI than Jordan Akins, with an ADP of TE43 and a projected finish of TE21, translated from a 118+ PPR tally over 17 games played. Let me repeat that: TE43. And an overall ADP of 265.9, which is to say that he's virtually available for free in every league out there as that would equal a 22nd+ round pick.

I get the concerns. Houston won't be led by Deshaun Watson for the time being and it's more than probable that he doesn't step onto the field at all until 2022. Even then, though, the 118 PPR projection isn't anything crazy for Akins considering he's the clear no. 1 tight end in Houston (Darren Fells went to Detroit), projects to rack up 71 targets and a 13% target share, and in the past five years, players at the position with similar usage profiles went on to average 125+ PPR on their seasons.

Akins is kind of a risky bet but that is all tied to his quarterback, and not his talent. Opportunity is key in fantasy football, and that has a lot to do with who's throwing the ball. Even then and given his availability, it'd make no sense not targeting Akins with a super-late-round pick or as your first WW addition.

 

Tyler Higbee, Los Angeles Rams

ADP of TE13, Projected to finish TE7

Higbee was labeled a WR back in his 2016 rookie campaign, but all he could do back then was finish with 25.5 PPR points over 16 games on just 11-of-29 receptions and 85 yards with a touchdown. It took him two more years, but when the time came in 2019, he surely paid his truthers back with a massive 160.4 PPR tally, good for a TE8 finish. The Rams' tight end posted career-high marks back then in targets, receptions, and yards, and although his scoring numbers were not gaudy (just three touchdowns), everything else pointed toward regression in 2020.

That is, in fact, what happened last year. Fantasy GMs bet on him with a TE9 ADP and 91.3 overall ADP that ended with Higbee dropping to the TE17 spot by the end of the year and 147th-best player overall in PPR leagues. Ugh. That is not necessarily a bad thing, though, as Higbee's ADP is down quite a bit this summer compared to last season, and it is more probable than not that he improves his fantasy numbers with fellow TE Gerald Everett now out of town.

The Rams have not added a quality tight end in the offseason, so Higbee is the clear-cut top TE on the team. Matthew Stafford is also the QB of the Rams entering 2021, which bodes well for Higbee's upside. There is not much between a top-12 season at the tight end position and Higbee's chances at accomplishing it. Even on a down year in 2020, Higbee's 11.8 YPR on 40 receptions to go with five touchdowns were only replicated by six other tight ends.

 

Austin Hooper, Cleveland Browns

ADP of TE23, Projected to finish TE14

Austin Hooper showed an impressive evolution in his Atlanta years. Other than in his rookie season (14 games, only 27 targets), Hooper was able to finish at least inside the top-17 players at the position in PPR leagues each of the next three years, getting 119.6, 163.0, and finally 191.7 fantasy points before moving to Cleveland. All things considered, the Browns had all of the reasons to be high on Hooper and acquire him.

The same happened with fantasy GMs around the nation, as Hooper's ADP went from 22 to 17, 24, 11, and 12 lastly, only to fall down to the TE23 spot this summer after he could only finish as the 2020 TE21. Hooper's downtick in performance last year has him as a potential league-changer entering 2021 and given his current ADP of 166th overall and projected low-end-TE1/high-end-TE2 finish.

While the Browns have a rather balanced lineup with two viable players at each position (Landry+Beckham, Hooper+Njoku, Hunt+Chubb), the truth is that an injury to any of the WR/TEs (and even the RBs if you push it a bit) will undoubtedly open at least a 6.5% target share. Hooper projects to get 13% of Cleveland's targets with Landry and Beckham the only two players above him (20%).

Even if it is Chubb who goes down, and some of his targets go Hooper's way, making that share go up to around 18%, the tight end would be one of the top-five players at the position in target share. Just imagine if it's a WR who goes down... for his cheap ADP and availability, he's one to definitely target with a 12th+ round draft pick if you punt on any of the true stud-TEs.

 

Honorable Mentions

Dawson Knox (TE32 -> TE23): The competition for targets will be fierce in Buffalo, obviously, but Knox has done enough to prove his worth as a late-round flier. Knox is pretty much the only viable option at the position in Buffalo and one of the clear go-to TEs with a low-enough ADP to make the cut as a sleeper while projecting to 115+ FP in 2021. As with Jordan Akins, we're looking at a potential top-24 tight end in Knox, which would be good for a borderline TE2 finish in 12-team leagues and an even better mid-to-high-end TE2 in 16-team formats.

Eric Ebron (TE25 -> TE16): A probable-TE1 getting off draft boards at TE3 price. Ebron's ADP is way below his expected production. PFF sees Ebron as a high-end TE2 with chances at a borderline TE1 finish over the year. Ebron's expected TE16 finish is by far the cheapest of all tight ends projected to 128+ PPR points in 2021. Only Austin Hooper (131) projects to more FP while getting drafted outside of the top-170 picks, though his ADP is still more expensive than Ebron's.

Gerald Everett (TE24 -> TE20): The Seahawks signed former Rams tight end Gerald Everett to a one-year deal in the offseason. Seattle has seen up and down play at tight end in recent seasons, and the Seahawks are likely hoping he can be more of a frequent contributor than he was in four seasons with the Rams. Although Everett has never been regarded as a fantasy asset in the past, that could be tied to an often-shared workload that shouldn't be there in 2021: Everett has the 18th-highest target share projection (12.5%) among TEs for next season and über-efficient QB Russell Wilson will certainly look to the tight end on key passing downs and near the goal line. Better QB, clearer (and higher down the pecking order) role, and a mid-end TE2 projection with upside for more are making Everett a more than good last-round flier to take in PPR-league drafts.



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy football app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, rankings, starts/sits & more. All free!

More ADP Values and Sleepers




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

Wyatt Johnston

Makes History With Another Series-Clinching Goal
Matt Duchene

Records Two Assists In Game 7 Victory
Mikko Rantanen

Leads Stars Past Avalanche In Game 7
Kyle Larson

Has One of the Best Cars in the Field at Texas
William Byron

Will Be Tough to Beat at Texas
Chase Elliott

a Slam-Dunk DFS Pick at Texas
Austin Cindric

Could Austin Cindric Legitimately Contend at Texas This Weekend?
Ryan Blaney

Is Worth Rostering For Texas DFS Lineups On Sunday
Joey Logano

Struggling to Find Speed at Texas
Tyler Reddick

Should Be Highly Considered For DFS At Texas This Week
Daniel Suarez

Has Been One of the Best at Texas in Next Gen
Denny Hamlin

Might Have Another Quality Texas Start This Week
AJ Allmendinger

Has Shown Speed at Texas This Weekend
NASCAR

What Should Fantasy Players Do With Bubba Wallace At Texas?
Brad Keselowski

Is A Fantastic Driver For Texas DFS Lineups
Alex Bowman

May Be A Sneaky Tournament Option
Josh Berry

Could Josh Berry Be Utilized In DFS Tournaments For Texas?
Michael McDowell

Should DFS Players Roster Michael McDowell At Texas?
Erik Jones

Is Best Suited For DFS Tournaments At Texas
Ryan Preece

Is A Favorable DFS Option For Texas
Carson Hocevar

Won First Pole, but Pit Crew Might Hold Him Back
Christopher Bell

Shaky Intermediate Performances Suggest That DFS Players Should Stay Away
Ross Chastain

Poor Qualifying and Improved Finishing Makes Him a Texas DFS Must Have
Chase Briscoe

a Sneaky Option That Could Pay Great DFS Dividends
Ivica Zubac

Has A Double-Double On Saturday Night
Kawhi Leonard

Scores 22 Points In Loss To Denver
James Harden

Struggles On The Scoring End On Saturday
Nikola Jokić

Nikola Jokic Leads Denver To A Game 7 Win
Kyle Stowers

Hits Game-Winning Grand Slam
Jake Meyers

Homers Twice, Drives In Seven On Saturday
Jrue Holiday

Practices Fully Saturday
Darius Garland

Listed As Questionable For Sunday's Game 1
Mattias Ekholm

Out For Round 2
Corbin Burnes

To Skip Next Start With Shoulder Inflammation
Pavel Dorofeyev

Misses Practice, Remains Day-To-Day
Anthony Volpe

Feels Pop In Shoulder, May Undergo MRI
Sebastian Aho

Back At Practice Saturday
Mark Scheifele

A Game-Time Call For Sunday's Game 7
Ross Colton

To Remain Out For Game 7
Corey Seager

Activated From Injured List, Batting Third As Designated Hitter Saturday
Mackenzie Blackwood

Seeks To Overcome Road Struggles In Game 7
Jake Oettinger

Looks To Bounce Back Saturday
Detroit Lions

Jakobie Keeney-James Signs With Detroit
Tommy Edman

Heading To 10-Day Injured List
Savion Williams

Packers Sign Third-Round Rookie Savion Williams
Jackson Merrill

To Rehab At Double-A, Expected To Return Monday
Philadelphia Eagles

Mac McWilliams Signs Rookie Deal With Eagles
Joe Noteboom

Baltimore Adds Joe Noteboom
Merrill Kelly

Still Dealing With Cramping
Fernando Tatis Jr.

In Saturday's Lineup
New York Mets

Mets, Cardinals Postponed On Saturday
John Williams

Packers Sign John Williams, Five Other Draft Picks
José Ramírez

Jose Ramirez Out On Saturday
Jalen Ramsey

Ravens A Candidate To Trade For Jalen Ramsey?
Amari Cooper

Cowboys Could Be Best Fit For Amari Cooper
Triston Casas

Diagnosed With Ruptured Left Patellar Tendon
Coby Mayo

Promoted To Major Leagues
Yordan Alvarez

Scratched With Hand Inflammation
Clarke Schmidt

Scratched On Saturday With Side Soreness
Miro Heiskanen

Unavailable For Game 7
Riley Greene

Makes History, Homers Twice In The Ninth Inning
Jason Robertson

Will Not Play In Game 7
Connor Hellebuyck

Continues To Struggle Away From Home
Cal Raleigh

Slugs Two Homers, Collects Five RBI On Friday
Cole Perfetti

Nets A Power-Play Goal In Game 6 Loss
Jordan Binnington

Outstanding At Home Again
Cam Fowler

Notches 10th Postseason Point
Philip Broberg

Records Two Points In Friday's Win
Pete Crow-Armstrong

Hits Two More Homers, Cubs Trounce Brewers
Seattle Seahawks

Seahawks Sign 17 Undrafted Free Agents
Elijah Arroyo

Recovered From Knee Injury
Hunter Greene

Shuts Down Nationals, Fans 12 Over Six Innings Pitched
Philadelphia Eagles

Eagles Add Nine Rookie Free Agents
Philadelphia Eagles

Jihaad Campbell Not Taking Part In Rookie Minicamp
Jerome Ford

Agrees To Pay Cut
Green Bay Packers

Jaire Alexander Not Participating In Voluntary Offseason Work
Christian Watson

Working Hard In Recovery From Torn ACL
Triston Casas

At The Hospital, Expected To Be Out A While
Fernando Tatis Jr.

X-Rays Come Back Negative On Fernando Tatis Jr.'s Forearm
Damian Lillard

Undergoes Successful Surgery
Sebastian Aho

Misses Practice For Personal Reasons
Eric Robinson

Misses Friday's Practice
Oliver Bjorkstrand

Recovering From Surgery
Victor Hedman

Nursing Broken Right Foot
Ross Dwelley

Returns To 49ers
San Francisco 49ers

San Francisco Adds D.J. Humphries
Green Bay Packers

Collin Oliver Signs Four-Year Deal With Green Bay
Philadelphia Eagles

Smael Mondon Jr. Inks Rookie Deal With Philly
Deiveson Figueiredo

Returns To Action
Cory Sandhagen

Set For UFC Des Moines Main Event
Bo Nickal

Set For Co-Main Event
Reinier de Ridder

An Underdog At UFC Des Moines
Daniel Rodriguez

Looks To Win Second Consecutive Fight
Santiago Ponzinibbio

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Daniel Marcos

Looks To Remain Undefeated
Hunter Renfrow

Ulcerative Colitis Kept Hunter Renfrow Out Of NFL In 2024
Montel Jackson

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Dallas Cowboys

Cowboys Sign First-Rounder Tyler Booker To Four-Year Deal
Cincinnati Bengals

Bengals Trying To Get Something Done With Trey Hendrickson?
Cameron Smotherman

Set For His Second UFC Bout
Serhiy Sidey

A Favorite At UFC Des Moines
Mason Jones

Set To Open Up UFC Des Moines Main Card
Jeremy Stephens

Returns For UFC Des Moines
Isaiah Stewart

Out On Thursday
Amen Thompson

Fills Stat Sheet In Game 5 Victory
Stephen Curry

Held To 13 Points Wednesday Night
Anthony Edwards

Struggles To Score In Series-Clincher
Rudy Gobert

Comes Up Big In Game 5 Victory
Luka Dončić

Luka Doncic Battles Back Issue In Game 5 Loss
LeBron James

Undecided On Future
Derrick Jones Jr.

Fine For Thursday
Maxi Kleber

Available For Lakers Debut Wednesday
Jonathan Kuminga

Out With An Illness
Jimmy Butler III

Ready To Play Wednesday
Isaiah Stewart

In Danger Of Missing Another Game Thursday
Nicolai Hojgaard

Looking To Build Off Last Week's Runner-Up Finish
Gary Woodland

Could See Success At CJ CUP
Cam Davis

Making First Appearance At TPC Craig Ranch
Sam Burns

Could Be Due For A Great Week At TPC Craig Ranch
Patrick Rodgers

A Solid Value Play At TPC Craig Ranch
Jamal Murray

Explodes For 43 Points In Game 5
Carson Young

Looking To Recapture Form At CJ Cup
Jayson Tatum

Fires In 35 Points In Series-Clincher
Matt McCarty

An Intriguing Value Play At CJ Cup
Will Zalatoris

Searching For Putting Form At CJ Cup
Sam Stevens

A Risky Play With Upside At CJ Cup
PGA

Sungjae Im Riding Momentum Into CJ Cup
Ben Griffin

Looking To Stay Hot After First Career Win
Jake Knapp

Looking For More Success At TPC Craig Ranch
Mackenzie Hughes

Is An Interesting Option At CJ Cup
Aldrich Potgieter

Trending Downward For CJ Cup
Taylor Pendrith

Plays Well In Houston Recently
PGA

Niklas Norgaard May Not Be Cut Out For Texas
Rasmus Hojgaard

Could Be Up Or Down In Texas
Scottie Scheffler

The Untouchable Favorite At CJ Cup
Tom Kim

A Popular Name To Avoid At TPC Craig Ranch
Austin Eckroat

Looking To Find Success Again At TPC Craig Ranch
Ben Kohles

Finishes Tied For 59th At Corales Puntacana Championship
Ian Machado Garry

Gets Back On Track With UFC Kansas City Win
Carlos Prates

Suffers His First UFC Loss
Zhang Mingyang

Still Undefeated In The UFC
Anthony Smith

Retires After UFC Kansas City Loss
Giga Chikadze

Takes Unanimous Decision Loss
Giga Chikadze

Takes Unanimous-Decision Loss
David Onama

Extends Win Streak At UFC Kansas City
Michel Pereira

Drops Decision At UFC Kansas City
Abus Magomedov

Extends His Win Streak
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF