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

Tight End ADP Winners and Losers: 2019 Season Review

darren waller fantasy football rankings news NFL DFS lineup picks

Which tight ends exceeded and didn't meet their 2019 ADP (average draft position) in fantasy football leagues? Antonio Losada looks at last season's biggest winners and losers at the TE position.

I've always believed that it is easier to lose a fantasy championship than to win it on draft day. It makes sense, as sure-fire players are expected to reward their owners with a lower risk-factor than the other way around and thus they're always drafter earlier. If they put up a season-long dud, though, you'll be left in the dust. Drafting the unexpected league-winning player is always a hard task and something more random than not, so consider yourself lucky if you found you in that position.

No matter what, though, there are always players who fall into one of those two categories at the end of the year and provide much more -- or less -- ROI than they were expected to before the season kicked off. Using a combination of ADP values from MyFantasyLeague.com, which uses different leagues to factor their average positions, I will examine the biggest gainers and fallers of 2019 at each position during this series of articles.

It's time to assess how the season went at the tight end position, where the Big Three (Travis Kelce, George Kittle, and Zach Ertz) were joined by an unexpected player, a few young guys performed to unpredicted levels, and some of the most hyped and coveted "studs" at the position turned out to be "duds" by the end of the year. Here are your ADP winners and losers at TE in 2019.

Editor's Note: Steer clear of costly draft mistakes with RotoBaller’s expert Fantasy Football Bust analysis. We break down overvalued players, potential letdowns, and risky ADPs to avoid, so you can build a smarter, safer roster.

 

TE ADP Winners

Darren Waller - OAK (ADP TE21, finished TE3)

I was expecting Waller to log a ton of targets this season if only because of the departure of Jared Cook and his 101 targets in 2018. What I wasn't expecting -- not at least to this extent -- was the incredible season Waller had hidden in him. Waller's breakout season caught more than one fantasy owner by surprise. I was lucky to make Waller one of my most often-drafted sleepers, and the move truly paid off. Waller finished the year with a massive 117 targets (third-most among TEs) and 90 receptions (second-most) for 1,145 yards and 3 TDs. Other than the scoring numbers, which were a little low considering the other counting stats, Waller turned into a set-and-forget play at the position in 2019 and probably locked himself into a top-five TE ADP come 2020.

Mark Andrews - BAL (ADP TE13, finished TE5)

The other sleeper at the tight end position along with Waller, Mark Andrews became one of Lamar Jackson's most-used weapons on offense. Kudos to those owners betting on the QB+TE stack later in their drafts, because you definitely killed it. While Andrews didn't reach the 1,000-yard mark, he still was able to rack up 852 of them on 64 receptions to impressively become the only TE with 10 touchdowns in 2019 (Cook had nine, and no other player at the position had more than six). No matter if the TDs regress a bit, as the yards might go up to balance out the overall outcome and keep Andrews as one of the top TEs going forward.

Austin Hooper - ATL (ADP TE11, finished TE6)

Although Hooper's jump from his ADP of TE11 to his ultimate finish as TE6 might not jump off the page, digging a little deeper we find a much better and detailed picture of Hooper's performance in 2019: Hooper's overall ADP was of 111.3 (early ninth round) yet he finished as the 31st-best player (mid-third round) in all of fantasy football. That's a much more sizable bump, isn't it? Despite missing three games, Hooper was able to log 787 yards on 75 receptions and fell just three targets short of getting to 100. His six touchdowns ranked third (tied with Zach Ertz and Kyle Rudolph) among TEs. Hooper is a free agent this summer and he will definitely cash in big time. Whether he remains in Atlanta or not is yet to be seen, but no matter where he goes he'll be one of the most sought after players at the position next year in every fantasy league.

 

TE ADP Losers

O.J. Howard - TB (ADP TE4, finished TE29)

The ultimate stinker. Barring the cases of Chris Herndon IV (one game played) and David Njoku (four games), there wasn't a player more hyped to end the season with worse numbers than Howard -- at the tight end position or any other one, that is. Howard was drafted at the 62nd spot (early fifth round) on average during last summer's drafts yet he finished 2019 with the 219th-most total fantasy points (83.9 in 14 games), which would have made him an 18th-rounder in deep leagues or simply an undrafted player in 12-team ones. After having a promising 2018 season, Howard remained on fantasy rosters for most of the season even with middling production (459 yards on 34 receptions, 1 TD) as those who invested in him never ran out of hope. Too bad he never truly panned out.

Eric Ebron - IND (ADP TE8, finished TE27)

The King of Regression brought honor to the label and even though his 2019 should have not caught anyone by surprise he still was drafted as the TE8 prior to the season... Learn from your mistakes, folks! Ebron's massive 2018 year was never going to repeat, much less playing under Jacoby Brissett instead of Andrew Luck. In 11 games, Ebron finished with 31 receptions and 375 yards to go with 3 scores. Compare those numbers to his 66/750/13 line in the previous year and you'll understand what I'm talking about. Ebron's production was cut in half this season and I doubt he will ever get back to that historic 2018 level of performance.

Vance McDonald - PIT (ADP TE9, finished TE30)

Vance McDonald was an afterthought in his first four seasons as a pro, then exploded in 2018 being part of a loaded Pittsburgh attack, and that helped him become a top-10 tight end during the past draft season. Given that Le'Veon Bell and Antonio Brown were out of town, it was reasonable to think the opportunities would be there for McDonald to exploit, but even with that (55 targets) the TE could only catch 38 passes in his 14 games and score three touchdowns. The quarterback problems were a constant for the Steelers and that didn't help matters, but for those spending an eighth-round pick on the veteran tight end saw McDonald ruin their plans at the TE position.

More Fantasy Football Analysis




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

Brice Matthews

Joining Astros
MLB

White Sox-Guardians Postponed on Thursday
Brandon Aiyuk

Likely to Begin Season on PUP List, but Not Ruled Out for Week 1
Jameson Williams

Not in the Team's Long-Term Plans?
Tallison Teixeira

Set For His First UFC Main Event
Micah Parsons

Plans to be Present for Start of Training Camp
Derrick Lewis

Set To Headline UFC Nashville
Ikem Ekwonu

Next Up for Extension in Carolina?
Jalen Thompson

Heading into Last Year With Cardinals?
Gabriel Bonfim

Looks For His Third UFC Win
Najee Harris

Suffers Eye Injury in Fireworks Mishap
Stephen Thompson

Returns At UFC Nashville
Steve Garcia

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Calvin Kattar

In Dire Need Of Victory
Morgan Charrière

Morgan Charriere A Favorite At UFC Nashville
Nate Landwehr

Aims To Bounce Back
MMA

Austen Lane Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Vitor Petrino

Set For His Heavyweight Debut
Tuco Tokkos

Set To Open Up UFC Nashville Main Card
Junior Tafa

Set For Light-Heavyweight Bout
Alex Bregman

Will Return to Red Sox This Weekend
Chris Sale

Braves Won't Consider Trading Chris Sale
Clarke Schmidt

to Undergo Season-Ending Elbow Surgery on Friday
Nick Nash

Unlikely to Make Falcons Active Roster
Lane Johnson

in No Rush To Retire
Jalen Williams

Signs Contract Extension With Thunder
Blake Corum

has "Gotten His Speed Back"
Jarquez Hunter

Picking Up Rams Offense Quickly
Alijah Martin

Agrees to Two-Way Deal With Raptors
Tristan Vukcevic

Set to Return to Washington
Kirk Cousins

Feels Misled by Falcons
Bijan Robinson

Says Falcons Have "Outlandish Goals" for the Running Game
Luther Burden III

Bears Expect Luther Burden III to be Ready for Training Camp
Cole Kmet

an Unlikely Trade Piece
Tony Pollard

Titans Hope to Balance Rushing Attack With Tony Pollard, Tyjae Spears
Byron Buxton

Sitting Thursday
Quentin Johnston

Not Assured of Starting Role
Cordarrelle Patterson

on the Roster Bubble in Pittsburgh?
Shedeur Sanders

Not Assured of Roster Spot in Cleveland?
Wan'Dale Robinson

Hoping For More Downfield Opportunities
Anfernee Simons

Celtics Are "Actively Trying to Trade" Anfernee Simons
NBA

Alex Ducas Heading to Australia
Dominick Barlow

Inks Two-Way Deal With 76ers
Jordan McLaughlin

Spurs Re-Sign Jordan McLaughlin to One-Year Deal
Dylan Harper

Out Thursday, Expected to Play Saturday
Ronald Acuña Jr.

Ronald Acuna Jr. Homers Twice on Wednesday
Mike Trout

Homers Twice in Win Over Rangers
Jazz Chisholm Jr.

Leads Yankees to Victory
Salvador Perez

Crushes Two Homers in Win
Cleveland Browns

Greg Newsome on the Trade Block?
VJ Edgecombe

Diagnosed with a Sprained Thumb
Zach Tom

An Extension Candidate in Green Bay
Devin Booker

Agrees to Extension with Phoenix
Trevor Williams

to Undergo Season-Ending Elbow Surgery
Byron Buxton

Exits After Hit-by-Pitch, X-Rays Negative
Ronald Acuña Jr.

Ronald Acuna Jr. Playing on Wednesday
Alex Bregman

has "Really Good Chance" to Return Before All-Star Break
Teoscar Hernández

Teoscar Hernandez Expected to Return on Friday
Walter Clayton Jr.

Leads Jazz to Summer League Win
Carter Bryant

Struggles in Summer League Loss
Kyle Filipowski

Drops a Double-Double in Summer League Action on Tuesday
Oklahoma City Thunder

Malevy Leons Logs Impressive Summer League Outing on Tuesday
Dalton Knecht

Collects 25 Points in Lakers Summer League Win
Los Angeles Lakers

Darius Bazley Drops 27 Points in Summer League on Tuesday
Gary Woodland

Looking to Find Rhythm at Scottish Open
Aaron Rai

Brings Consistent Play to Scottish Open
Maverick McNealy

a Solid Value Play at Scottish Open
Aldrich Potgieter

Making Scottish Open Debut
Tom Kim

Looks to Rebound at Scottish Open
Brian Harman

a Safe Option at Scottish Open
Luke Clanton

a Sneaky Value Play at Scottish Open
Sam Burns

Looking to Stay Hot at Scottish Open
Chet Holmgren

Agrees to Rookie Max Extension
Alex Bregman

Not Returning Wednesday
Jhoan Duran

Unavailable Due to Illness
Shane McClanahan

Tosses Clean Frame in First Rehab Appearance
Jacob Wilson

Day-to-Day After HBP
Nicolai Hojgaard

May Feel More at Home in Europe
Harry Hall

Showing Fine Form Heading to Scotland
Ronald Acuña Jr.

Ronald Acuna Jr. to be Reassessed Wednesday
Ryan Fox

Playing Well Since Early Spring Struggles
Malaki Branham

Traded to Washington
Max Greyserman

has Solid History at the Genesis Scottish Open
Blake Wesley

Moves to Washington
Harris English

Aims High for Scotland Next
Corey Conners

Primed for the Genesis Scottish Open
Kelly Olynyk

on the Move Again
Daniel Brown

Attempts the Scottish Swing Again
Anthony Davis

Recovering From Eye Surgery
Jacob Bridgeman

Needs Putter to Work at Genesis Scottish Open
Cal Raleigh

Continues Historic Homer Pace Tuesday
Scottie Scheffler

Headlines Field at Genesis Scottish Open
Rory McIlroy

a Smart Play for Scottish Open
Adam Scott

Looking to Build on History at The Renaissance Club
NASCAR

Sepp Straka Not Likely to Find Momentum at Scottish Open
Justin Rose

Hopes Month Hiatus Helps Him Bounce Back at Scottish Open
NHL

Tyler Johnson Retires After 13 NHL Seasons
Jack McBain

Inks New Five-Year Deal with Mammoth
Cam York

Re-Signs with Flyers for Five Years
Jake Knapp

Fits the Mold for Success at The Renaissance Club
Ty Gibbs

Finishes Second at Chicago and Advances in In-Season Challenge
Alex Bowman

Defeats Bubba Wallace in In-Season Challenge, but Not Without Controversy
Alex Bowman

Bubba Wallace Wrecked by Alex Bowman Again, Putting Playoffs in Doubt
Michael McDowell

Throttle Failure Ends Michael McDowell's Chances to Win at Chicago
Austin Hill

Earns First NASCAR Cup Series Top Ten at Chicago
Tyler Reddick

Scores a Strong Third-Place Run at Chicago
Kyle Busch

Matches his Best Career Finish At Chicago on Sunday
Denny Hamlin

Fights his Way to a Top-5 Finish at Chicago
William Byron

has his Worst Weekend of the Season at Chicago
Sonny Milano

on Track to Be Ready for Training Camp
Jakub Dobes

Signs Two-Year Deal with Canadiens
NHL

Hendrix Lapierre Signs One-Year Deal with Capitals
Carson Hocevar

Should DFS Players Consider Carson Hocevar for Chicago Lineups?
Tye Kartye

Kraken Re-Sign Tye Kartye for Two Years
Ross Chastain

May be A Decent DFS Option for Chicago Lineups
Dmitri Voronkov

Signs Two-Year, $8.35 Million Extension with Blue Jackets
Ryan Preece

Should DFS Players Roster Ryan Preece at Chicago?
Austin Dillon

Is Too Great of A Risk to Add to Chicago Lineups
Zane Smith

Is A Value Play Worth Rostering At Chicago
Austin Hill

is A Favorable Value Option for Chicago DFS Lineups
Ty Dillon

Is Ty Dillon A Decent Driver to Add For NASCAR DFS At Chicago?
William Byron

Qualifying Crash Makes William Byron a Likely DFS Must-Have
Alex Bowman

Should Finish Well, but Probably Costs Too Much for Serious DFS Consideration
Joey Logano

Has Been Relatively Mediocre on Road Courses Lately
Ryan Blaney

Doesn't Really Fit Neatly into Optimal DFS Lineups
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF