The most difficult fantasy football position to figure out is usually the tight end role. Most fantasy owners stay away from rookie tight ends because they rarely make much of an impact. But what if you could find the next Evan Engram or Hunter Henry?
Top 5 rookie tight ends heading into the 2018 fantasy football season
These new TEs on the scene are worth keeping an eye on. Check out our full 2018 Fantasy Football Draft guide!
Owners are wise to be cautiously optimistic about the 2018 tight end class. There are a few diamonds in the rough out there, but it is difficult deciding which first-year big men are worth the gamble. Here are some notable rookie tight ends fantasy owners should have in mind this year’s drafts.
Gesicki has the best chance to make an early fantasy impact in Miami. He joins a Dolphins offense that has a 161-target hole to fill after letting Jarvis Landry walk this offseason. While Gesicki has blocking responsibilities, he is in a good position to take over many of Landry’s underneath targets.
The starting job is essentially Gesicki’s job to lose as the Dolphins do not have an impressive roster of big men. Gesicki does have a steep learning curve with head coach Adam Gase’s playbook. He looked frazzled in OTAs, but the second-round pick had a strong minicamp over the summer. Gesicki has a lot of fantasy upside once he has a strong grasp of Gase’s system.
The Ravens were desperate for offensive weapons last season. They drafted Hurst as their first pick in the 2018 draft to help resolve that problem. The 25-year-old big man has good hands and athleticism and he is a solid blocker. Hurst should also receive a lot of targets from QB Joe Flacco working in the middle of the field.
The 25th overall pick has a lot of fantasy upside. Tight ends are heavily involved in the Ravens’ offense in general. They lost Ben Watson to New Orleans this offseason, and he led all Ravens receivers in receptions and touchdowns in 2017. He was also second in targets on the team. Hurst has a high-ceiling for a rookie tight end as a TE2.
Dallas Goedert - Philadelphia Eagles
Normally a Super Bowl champion team would not have a need for a rookie TE. The Eagles are an interesting exception. They parted ways with their No. 2 TE Trey Burton this offseason following a pair of seasons in which he had a combined 575 yards and six touchdowns. He got some extra work when starter Zach Ertz was sidelined with injuries, and Goedert will get a chance to fill that void.
Goedert is a huge target with enormous hands. The second-round pick is not going to threaten Ertz for the starting job, but he could end up with more of a role than Burton did last season. Goedert is a solid addition in dynasty leagues, and is someone to keep an eye on in free agency in re-draft leagues.
The Cowboys had a gaping hole at tight end when Jason Witten decided to retire this offseason. They made some efforts to fill the gap when they drafted Dalton Schultz in the fourth round. Schultz is expected to join a soft tight end committee in Dallas this season.
Schultz has a good shot to win the starting role for the Cowboys, with his biggest competition coming from second-year tight end Rico Gathers. Schultz is an excellent blocker. He did not make a big dent as a deep ball pass-catcher at Stanford, but he has a very developed overall game. Schultz’s fantasy promise will be high if he can land and hold the Cowboys starting role.
Similar to the Cowboys, the Texans lost a big target to retirement this offseason when C.J. Fiedorowicz hung up his cleats. The backup tight ends left a lot to be desired so it made sense for the Texans to address this problem in the draft. Insert fourth-round pick, Jordan Akins.
Akins does not have a lot of competition to win the starting role in Houston. Currently, Ryan Griffin and Stephen Anderson are also vying for the role. Akins is a big body who can split out wide and open up the Texans’ offense. He needs to work on blocking, however. If Akins makes a push for the starting job, he has quite a bit of fantasy upside as a big midfield and red zone target for QB Deshaun Watson.
Honorable Mention
Chris Herndon - New York Jets
Herndon was praised for his pass-blocking abilities, but he began to challenge Jordan Leggett for the starting role this summer. The Jets are giving the edge to Leggett for now. They are also open to a potential of a two TE set for 2018 and Herndon really has a chance to challenge for a starting role. This gives him a lot of upside as a rookie TE. His recent DUI arrest is a concern, however. He gets an honorable mention as a TE to keep an eye on.
