The Tight End Super Chart (2018 Fantasy Football Rankings)

One of the key aspects to being a successful fantasy football player at any level is preparation. Preparation comes in various forms, and there is no right or wrong way to do it. What works for one fantasy player may not work best for another. I am a 14-year fantasy football veteran and play in several high stakes leagues every year, yet I am still always learning and finding new ways to prepare. Average Draft Position (ADP), Expert Consensus Rankings (ECR), Strength of Schedule (SOS), consistency ratings, and past fantasy rankings are some excellent tools to prep for upcoming drafts. The only problem is the amount of time it takes to research all of those categories for every player at every position.

Well, what if I told you that all of that information plus more could be found all in one spot? That would be pretty awesome, right? You’re in luck because we here at FantasyPros have got you covered! Before we get to the Tight End Super Chart, here is a quick overview of each category:

• Expert Consensus Rankings (ECR): The average rankings from a group of experts in the fantasy industry, compiled by FantasyPros.
• Average Draft Position (ADP): Data taken from Fantasy Football Calculator.
• Last Year (LY)/2016/2015 Rank: Where the player finished among his position at the conclusion of the listed season. These rankings are based on points per game, which is a more accurate measure for determining a player’s true upside and value.
• 15+ Point (PT.) Game (GM): Percentage of games with 15 or more fantasy points in 2017.
• 20+ Point (PT.) Game (GM): Percentage of games with 20 or more fantasy points in 2017.
• FPPG: Fantasy points per game in 2017, based on PPR formats.
• Strength of Schedule (SOS): Strength of Schedule rankings from Weeks 1-16. The lower the rankings, the easier the matchups are. SOS data is taken from FF Toolbox.

Best Use of the Super Chart

The best way to utilize this super chart is to spend some time studying it before your draft. Print a copy and use it as your cheat sheet on draft day so you still have access to all of the numbers, as well as the ECR and ADP from respected individuals in the fantasy football industry. For updated ECRs and ADPs follow @1ststopfantasy on Twitter.

There is so much information that we simply cannot fit it onto one page. Here is a sample of the Tight End Super Chart, to view the chart in its entirety, please click here.

* = Player missed at least four games that season, thus potentially affecting that particular category.

TE Strategy Talk

The tight end position was a difficult one to gauge last season. The big three (Gronk, Kelce, and Ertz) were dominant and averaged 17.5, 15.6, and 14.5 fantasy points per game (FPPG), respectively. After them, there was a significant drop off of nearly three FPPG for the fourth-best tight end, Evan Engram. To put that in perspective, only three FFPG separated the fourth-best tight end (Engram) from the 14^th (Benjamin Watson).

This year’s ADP reflects a similar pattern with the big three often going off the board within the first three rounds, followed up by a handful of tight ends being selected a few rounds later. If history repeats itself, it would be hard to argue that there is no greater advantage than having Gronkowski, Kelce, or even Ertz as your starting tight end.

Unfortunately, that would come with the hefty price of passing up on an early-round running back, which is a position that isn’t nearly as deep and one that usually requires you to start a minimum of two players every week. Rather than spend an early-round pick on one of the big three, the better strategy may be to try and land an up-and-coming player with some upside, similar to Engram last season.

The middle-to-late rounds offer plenty of value with the likes of Kyle Rudolph, Jordan Reed, Trey Burton, and George Kittle often available. In leagues with 16 rounds or fewer, don’t waste two roster spots on a position as deep and cluttered as TE. Last season we saw some low-end TE1s hover on the waiver wire for several weeks throughout the year, and I would expect a similar scenario given how deep the position appears to be again in 2018. Players like Charles Clay, Cameron Brate, and Jared Cook are steady veterans with a cheap price tag that you can plug and play in favorable matchups.

Quick Hits

• Jordan Reed led all TEs in FPPG in 2015 and 2016 and has league-winning potential if he can find a way to stay on the field.
• Greg Olsen has an ECR of TE4 despite finishing 2017 as the 29^th ranked TE in FPPG.
• Delanie Walker has quietly produced top-five numbers in three-consecutive campaigns.
• Gronkowski and Kelce scored 20-plus points in at least 33 percent of their games in 2017; the next highest percentage was Jordan Reed with 17.
• Ertz was the most consistent tight end last season, scoring 12 or more points in 79 percent of his matchups.

Best Values

1) Jordan Reed (WAS)
There aren’t many TEs who can completely dominate and win you your league, but Reed is one of the select few who can. As mentioned above, Reed led all TEs in FPPG in both 2015 and 2016. His biggest challenge has been staying healthy, as the 28-year-old has never played a full season in his five-year career. 2018 is a new year, though, and Reed has said that he feels “100 times better” after having several surgeries to remove bones in his toes.

Another positive for Reed’s fantasy outlook is the free agent acquisition of quarterback Alex Smith. Smith has regularly produced top-tier fantasy tight ends throughout his career in San Francisco with Vernon Davis and Kansas City with Kelce. There is absolutely some risk here, but the return on your investment in Reed could be huge, even if he only plays in 10 games. Lastly, remember that there are a lot of capable starters, so even if Reed misses time, you should be able to plug in a player that is comparable to many of your opponents’ starting tight ends.

2) Cameron Brate (TB)
The presence of O.J. Howard is a legitimate concern, but Brate still presents exceptional value with an ADP in the late 13^th or early 14^th round. Tampa Bay will likely use both tight ends similarly to last season, where Brate posted TE1 numbers and scored 12-plus points in 38 percent of his games played. The Harvard Crimson product has established a strong rapport with quarterback Jameis Winston and has proven to be a legitimate red zone threat with 14 touchdowns in the past two seasons.

3) Austin Seferian-Jenkins (JAC)
Seferian-Jenkins has shown some flashes through his first five seasons in the NFL, but has struggled to stay healthy and out of trouble. On the flip side, the 25-year-old tight end posted career-highs in receptions and yards in 2017 despite playing for a struggling New York Jets football team. Seferian-Jenkins’ outlook appears to be even brighter in 2018 after signing with the Jacksonville Jaguars. The upgrade at quarterback from Josh McCown to Blake Bortles and a more stable offense should contribute to a statistical increase. Seferian-Jenkins is more of a TE2, but should be able to outproduce his ECR of TE20, which is something he’s already done twice in the past three years.

4) George Kittle (SF)
Kittle was enjoying a solid camp before injuring his shoulder in the team’s first preseason game against the Cowboys. Luckily for fantasy owners, Kittle’s injury is not expected to keep him out for any regular season action and has slowed down his rising ADP. The tight end position is known for being one of, if not the most, difficult positions for a rookie to develop at, making his rookie campaign that much more impressive in 2017. His numbers don’t jump off the charts, but keep in mind that Kittle played the majority of the year with Brian Hoyer and C.J. Beathard as his starting quarterback. Despite that, the 49ers tight end posted respectable numbers with 43 receptions and 515 yards.

Once Jimmy Garoppolo stepped in as the starter, Kittle turned into a top-10 fantasy option with nearly 44 fantasy points in the final five weeks to show for it. I fully expect the Iowa product to breakout in his second year. He has top-five potential and is a bargain in the 10^th round.

5) Jack Doyle (IND)
Here is another tight end that impressed in 2017 even though he was playing with backup-caliber quarterbacks for the entire season. The addition of Eric Ebron to Indianapolis has kept Doyle’s value in check. However, with limited quality receiving options outside of T.Y. Hilton, that simply should not be the case. Yes, Ebron will see playing time and targets, but not at the expense of Doyle. The Colts could use more two-tight end sets to offset the lack of wide receiver depth they have. Doyle’s ECR of 11 has him dropping five spots from last season, but the more realistic scenario is an increase in fantasy points with Andrew Luck back under center.

• The Quarterback Super Chart 
• The Running Back Super Chart  
• The Wide Receiver Super Chart 

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Mike Dente is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Mike, check out his archive and follow him @1ststopfantasy.