The game of fantasy football has evolved over the years. We’ve gone from non PPR scoring and single quarterback leagues being the “default” settings to a wide range of scoring and lineup options. Fantasy leagues have replaced team defenses/special teams for individual defensive players (IDP), kickers in an extra flex spot, and even a second matchup every week against the median score.
One of the more popular scoring changes has been the introduction of TE premium scoring leagues. This scoring change is more prevalent in dynasty than home redraft leagues. However, it has grown in popularity, mainly thanks to the Scott Fish Bowl.
So how much does the scoring bump for tight ends impact your fantasy draft plans? More than you would expect.
What are TE Premium Leagues?
TE premium leagues give a scoring bonus to players listed at tight end. However, there isn’t a consensus scoring bump for these leagues. In the Scott Fish Bowl, tight ends receive an extra 0.5 fantasy point per reception and an additional 0.5 fantasy point per first down. While the Scott Fish Bowl is one of the best experiences in fantasy football, its scoring system is more complex than the standard redraft league.
The game of fantasy football has evolved over the years. We’ve gone from non PPR scoring and single quarterback leagues being the “default” settings to a wide range of scoring and lineup options. Fantasy leagues have replaced team defenses/special teams for individual defensive players (IDP), kickers in an extra flex spot, and even a second matchup every week against the median score.
One of the more popular scoring changes has been the introduction of TE premium scoring leagues. This scoring change is more prevalent in dynasty than home redraft leagues. However, it has grown in popularity, mainly thanks to the Scott Fish Bowl.
So how much does the scoring bump for tight ends impact your fantasy draft plans? More than you would expect.
What are TE Premium Leagues?
TE premium leagues give a scoring bonus to players listed at tight end. However, there isn’t a consensus scoring bump for these leagues. In the Scott Fish Bowl, tight ends receive an extra 0.5 fantasy point per reception and an additional 0.5 fantasy point per first down. While the Scott Fish Bowl is one of the best experiences in fantasy football, its scoring system is more complex than the standard redraft league.
You should always know the ins and outs of your league’s scoring system before your draft. How you approach the draft will depend on the scoring system. Most TE premium leagues reward an extra half-point per reception for tight ends if the base scoring is PPR. If you play in a 0.5 PPR scoring system, your league might only reward 0.25 extra fantasy points per reception for tight ends. Other leagues might have a heftier bonus for tight ends, awarding an additional point per reception. There are no consensus scoring rules for TE premium leagues, so read the rules before your draft.
Size Does Matter?
The answer to this question is yes and no. The more teams in your league, the sooner you will want to consider drafting a tight end. However, it is not like Superflex leagues. Not every team in your league will draft 2-4 tight ends like they would quarterbacks in a Superflex league.
Typically, TE premium leagues only have one starting tight end slot. Therefore, you don’t need to draft multiple tight ends if you have a plug-and-play superstar. However, keep in mind your league’s scoring and lineup requirements. Some TE premium leagues require two starting tight ends. In the ones that give massive scoring bumps to tight ends, it is a smart move to start one in your flex position some weeks.
Usually, fantasy football experts recommend waiting till the later rounds to draft a tight or to stream the position. That is still an option in TE premium leagues. However, it isn’t ideal. Depending on the league size and scoring boost, you could struggle to stream the position off the waiver wire. Even with a TE premium scoring boost, Ricky Seals-Jones and Ian Thomas aren’t tight ends you want in your fantasy lineup.
Different Types of TE Premium Draft Strategies
Pay the Price for a Superstar
While streaming the tight end position is a popular move in redraft leagues, it’s not the only option. Spending an early pick on an elite tight end might not feel great during the draft. However, it is often one of the safer moves you can make in fantasy football, especially in TE premium leagues. Last year, Travis Kelce was the unanimous TE1 heading into the season. He ended the year as the TE2, averaging 16.4 PPR fantasy points per game. His 16.4 fantasy points per game average would have made him the WR11 on a per-game basis last season.
However, with a TE premium extra half-point per reception, Kelce averaged 19.3 fantasy points per game and would have finished as the WR5 in 2021. Grabbing a stud in the first two rounds like Kelce or Mark Andrews will give you a weekly advantage over your opponent. It will also help you avoid the waiver wire competition at the position.
The Yin & Yang Pair
This strategy is somewhat like hedging for those familiar with sports betting terms. You can use this strategy in either the middle or later rounds, but ideally, you want to use it in both. With this strategy, you want to grab a “safe” tight end with a solid floor but limited upside (Yin). Then you take a “risky” tight end with a low floor but top-five upside (Yang).
If you used this strategy last year, an ideal pairing would have been Dawson Knox and Hunter Henry. Knox wasn’t the most consistent tight end for fantasy teams, scoring under eight PPR fantasy points in a third of the games in 2021. However, he had massive performances, too, scoring at least 14 fantasy points in a third of the games. Meanwhile, Henry was more consistent. He scored 8.5 or more PPR fantasy points in over half the games last season.
Another way you can approach this strategy is to grab a safe floor tight end earlier on and then draft a pair of late-round upside options. Potential floor options include Zach Ertz and Dallas Goedert, while late-round upside targets include David Njoku and Cole Kmet. Depending on how many bench spots you get in your league, this strategy might be your best bet.
Load Up Late
Traditionally, fantasy experts recommend waiting until the later rounds to draft a tight end or stream the position. While that’s for non-TE premium scoring leagues, you can still use that approach in TE premium leagues. The only difference is you should load up on dart throws or high upside tight ends late in your draft. Instead of drafting one tight end for their Week 1 matchup, use your last 2-3 picks (depending on your bench size) on the position. Grab tight ends with upside for Week 1 and the entire season. A few good late-round targets for this year include Njoku, Kmet, Irv Smith, Robert Tonyan, and Brevin Jordan.
Don’t be shy about cutting the tight ends you drafted early in the season if you use this strategy. According to Fantasy Football Calculator, Evan Engram, Adam Trautman, Jared Cook, and Gerald Everett were late-round flyers drafted last year. However, Cook was the only one to finish as a top-20 tight end (TE18) in PPR scoring in 2021.
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Mike Fanelli is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Mike, check out his archive and follow him @Mike_NFL2.
