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Fantasy Outlook: Hunter Henry, Austin Hooper, Nick Vannett

Fantasy Outlook: Hunter Henry, Austin Hooper, Nick Vannett
Of all rookie tight ends, does Hunter Henry have the best shot of returning fantasy value this season?

Of all rookie tight ends, does Hunter Henry have the best shot at returning fantasy value this season?

Hunter Henry (SD)
Henry fell to the Chargers with the fourth pick of the second round, after some speculation that he could sneak into the first 31 picks. Instead, he landed in one of the best situations a rookie could envision, namely landing behind a Hall of Famer at his position to learn from and develop his craft. Antonio Gates successfully saw off the challenge of Ladarius Green, who is now with the Steelers, and signed a two-year deal in March.

However, as per OverTheCap.com, the Chargers can release Gates and leave just $500,000 in dead money next year. If Henry develops as quickly as they’ll hope, this could be a possibility. He could have streaming potential in really deep leagues, and should be picked up as insurance if you take Gates.

A talented blocker, Henry offers true three-down potential, and could be that rarest of all things – a productive rookie tight end.

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Austin Hooper (ATL)
The latest to emerge from “Tight End U,” or Stanford as they prefer to be called, Hooper has a quicker path to the starting job with the Falcons than the more talented Henry has in San Diego. While Henry has a candidate for Canton between him and the field, Hooper is joined in the Falcons’ tight end room by Levine Toilolo (seven receptions for 44 yards last season), Jacob Tamme (a career high 657 receiving yards last season but only one touchdown) and fellow rookie D.J. Tialavea.

If he can improve his blocking, which he has shown willingness to do if not technical proficiency, it’ll increase his chances of seeing the field ahead of his less than stellar stablemates. He’s worth a late stash in dynasty leagues, but given the presence of Julio Jones, Mohamed Sanu and Devonta Freeman, his 2016 fantasy floor and ceiling are quite close together, and quite low.

Nick Vannett (SEA)
Coming from the Ohio State Buckeyes, Vannett was never given a huge opportunity to showcase his skills as a pass catcher, finishing with just 55 catches in his four years in college. There is a decent chance that he won’t get to do so in his first go-round in the pros, landing on a Seattle Seahawks team committed to running the football. Vannett has a good chance to see the field regularly given his willingness to block, a taste not shared by Jimmy Graham.

Graham is recovering from a torn patellar tendon and is not a given to be ready for Week 1 in September. In his absence, a player the Seahawks’ staff scouted and acquired through their own draft process could stake a claim for the starting job, but he’s not really worth a look in fantasy leagues drafting early in the summer. Wait and see.

Neil Dutton is a correspondent at FantasyPros. To read more from Neil, check out his archive and follow him on Twitter @ndutton13.

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