The first week of preseason has come and gone. While we shouldn’t draw too many conclusions from what were glorified scrimmages, some players showed better than others, and sometimes it’s just fun to read the tea leaves based on a handful of snaps.
Fantasy football preseason Week 1 review: Sleeper & bust candidates at TE
With the first week of preseason in the books, we examine fantasy sleeper/bust candidates at tight end.
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So with the caveats out of the way, let’s take a look at some potential sleeper and bust candidates for fantasy football purposes, focusing on tight end this time. Most of the top-tier, entrenched starters played sparingly, if at all, so nothing has changed for them. We’ll instead look at some more fringe options and briefly examine their fantasy outlook as the regular season inches closer.
Potential sleepers
Austin Hooper, Atlanta Falcons — The Falcons’ first-team offense looked like a well-oiled machine once again, and Hooper will be a part of that. He didn’t play much, only getting one target for a 12-yard catch, but Hooper showed flashes of promise last season and should only improve on his 19-271-3 stat line.
Hunter Henry, Los Angeles Chargers — Chances are you’re not sleeping on Henry after he scored eight touchdowns in his rookie year, but here’s a helpful reminder. Although Antonio Gates is still in the mix, Henry and Philip Rivers showed some tight chemistry last season and it looks to be a high-scoring offense again. He caught a 17-yard pass and played with the starters on L.A’s opening drive against the Seattle Seahawks, showing signs that he will be a big part of the Chargers’ plans this year.
Potential busts
O.J. Howard, Tampa Bay Buccaneers — Rookie tight ends almost always struggle, and despite Howard’s obvious talents, I don’t expect things to be different for him, especially with Cameron Brate still around. Howard saw just one target in the preseason opener, and while he’s an exciting fantasy prospect, you might be disappointed if you draft him expecting immediate production.
Jared Cook, Oakland Raiders — Every year people talk themselves into Cook based on his athletic traits, and every year they’re left wanting. Cook did have an impressive playoff performance for the Green Bay Packers (including that catch), but in the regular season he managed just one touchdown and missed time with injuries. Derek Carr is a good quarterback, but he’s not Aaron Rodgers. Cook is now 30 years old and has routinely underperformed. Let someone else deal with the headache.
