Fantasy Football Player Notes
2021 Rest of Season Rankings
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1.
Travis Kelce
KC (at DEN)
Kelce remains the undisputed TE1 in fantasy entering Week 6. However, his target share is something to keep an eye on moving forward. His targets per route run (TPRR) has been below 20% in Weeks 4-5, which is unusual for a player of his caliber. This should correct itself quickly. Again, it's just something to keep an eye on against Washington this Sunday.
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2.
Mark Andrews
BAL (vs . PIT)
It has been a frustrating two weeks for those who selected Andrews in fantasy drafts. Fear not. He has run a route on 91% of Baltimore's passing plays through two weeks. That usage is, dare I say, quite dominant. A blowup game is coming.
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3.
George Kittle
SF (at LAR)
Kittle's talent is undeniable. His biggest issue from a fantasy perspective is the run-heavy nature of San Francisco's offense, in addition to his elite blocking abilities. Kittle found the end zone in three straight games entering Week 12, but he was given just two targets against Minnesota. It's a reminder of his floor in the 49ers' offense, but fantasy managers should hold strong. This type of usage can happen, but it won't be common. With some other upper echelon tight ends currently struggling, Kittle has re-cemented himself as one of the most elite options.
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4.
Darren Waller
LV (vs . LAC)
Waller is an elite buy-low option entering Week 7. All of the under-the-radar utilization appears as promising as ever; 89% routes, 24% target share, 21% TPRR, and a 10.3 ADOT. A monster blowup performance is coming soon, and it could very well occur in Week 7 against the Eagles.
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5.
Rob Gronkowski
TB (vs . CAR)
Including playoffs, Gronk now has 11 touchdowns over his past 16 games. In his past three contests, he has secured 15-of-16 targets for 186 yards and four TDs. That's fantastic, but the future Hall-of-Famer is still fighting the age model in a crowded receiving corps. It was tempting to tag him as a "sell", but the Week 1 results are just impossible to ignore.
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6.
Mike Gesicki
MIA (vs . NE)
Entering Sunday night, Gesicki has been a top-seven PPR tight end in three of his last four games. It's especially encouraging that he once again produced despite the offense shifting from Jacoby Brissett back to Tua Tagovailoa. Gesicki is likely benefiting from the absences of both DeVante Parker and Will Fuller, but with bye weeks coming up he's a sure fire TE1 until further notice.
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7.
Dawson Knox
BUF (vs . NYJ)
Through five weeks, Knox's share of targets per routes run doesn't support the production he has been registering. However, he's attached to a high-end passing attack in an elite offense, so low-end TE1 numbers are doable moving forward.
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8.
Kyle Pitts
ATL (vs . NO)
The 21-year-old has now been held to 62 receiving yards or less in each of his past four games. For the season he's still at just one touchdown. Pitts looked to be emerging as a top-four fantasy tight end when he posted 119+ yards in back to back games after Week 7, but the absence of Calvin Ridley has led to a ton more defensive attention on him. It's important to remember that he's still a rookie playing in a playmaker-depleted offense. More importantly, the utilization remains fantastic. Pitts draws the Jaguars and Bucs in Weeks 12-13. The talent is still worth betting on.
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9.
T.J. Hockenson
DET (vs . GB)
Even at his best this year, Hockenson wasn't performing as a difference-maker in fantasy. Then game Week 10's goose egg against the Steelers, which was mostly driven by Detroit's anemic passing performance. That is the issue, though. Hockenson plays on one of the worst offenses in football and is reliant on massive target numbers to post strong TE1 results. In actuality, he's closer to the bottom of the TE1 rankings than he is the elite tier.
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10.
Dalton Schultz
DAL (at PHI)
The return of Michael Gallup could wind up having a major impact on Schultz, who took a backseat in the receiving game in Week 10. Schultz saw just 6.1% of the targets after being at 19.8% from Weeks 2-9 sans Gallup. Game script was weird in this one as Dallas didn't need to do much in the second half, but this isn't what Schultz managers were hoping for. He's still tied to an elite offense, which keeps him in the low-end TE1 conversation, but expectations should be tempered with all of the Cowboys pass catchers healthy at the moment.
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11.
Dallas Goedert
PHI (vs . DAL)
Goedert has yet to fully pop in the box score, but his underlying usage has been fantastic since the Zach Ertz trade. On Sunday against the Saints he caught 5-of-8 targets for 62 yards. He had a 33% target share. The Eagles have transformed into a run-heavy offense over the past month, which limits Goedert's ultimate upside. Still, the profile is that of a mid-tier TE1.
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12.
Pat Freiermuth
PIT (at BAL)
Eric Ebron returned in Week 10, but it didn't stop Freiermuth from maintaining the strong target shares he was putting up in the past three weeks. A high-end prospect coming out of college, Freiermuth is worth rostering everywhere as a low-end TE1 moving forward.
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13.
Zach Ertz
ARI (vs . SEA)
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14.
Logan Thomas
WAS (at NYG)
Fresh off a three-year, $24 million extension he signed entering training camp, Thomas enters '21 with a more locked-in role in Washington's offense. In fact, Thomas played 93% of the team's offensive snaps last season, and he was in on 37-of-37 snaps with Ryan Fitzpatrick this preseason. On those 37 snaps Thomas ran a route on 22-of-22 "Fitzmagic" drop backs. Thomas' ceiling/floor combo isn't as high as the top six tight ends, but he has a strong case as "the next best option" following that tier drop.
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15.
Noah Fant
DEN (vs . KC)
Denver was finally trailing for most of the game in Week 4, which led to Fant putting up a 28% target share while catching six passes for 46 yards and a score. He remains an efficient player, but the Broncos simply don't like to throw the ball while leading. Moving forward, Fant should only be considered a strong start in games where we expect Denver to be playing catchup.
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16.
Hunter Henry
NE (at MIA)
Henry continues to run more routes entering Week 7, and he leads the Patriots with a 67% end zone share for the season. That's enough to make him a TE1 streamer while bye weeks are piling up.
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17.
Tyler Higbee
LAR (vs . SF)
Over the Rams' past two games, Higbee has played 100% of the offensive snaps while running a route on 92% of Matthew Stafford's dropbacks. He has an 18.6% target share during this time and is someone to target moving forward.
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18.
Tyler Conklin
MIN (vs . CHI)
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19.
Dan Arnold
JAC (vs . IND)
Arnold has 7+ targets in four of his last five games. In the Jaguars' three contests since their bye week, Arnold has a superb 24 targets. It was another serviceable, low-end TE1 performance in Week 10. Arnold hauled in five receptions for 67 yards and a two-point conversion. He isn't a league-winner, but he simply needs to be rostered in most leagues.
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20.
Jared Cook
LAC (at LV)
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21.
Evan Engram
NYG (vs . WAS)
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22.
David Njoku
CLE (vs . CIN)
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23.
C.J. Uzomah
CIN (at CLE)
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24.
Cole Kmet
CHI (at MIN)
Kmet's route rate eclipsed the 80% threshold in Week 3. If Chicago's offense ever gets on track then the second-year tight end could flirt with streaming status.
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25.
Jonnu Smith
NE (at MIA)
Smith saw just two targets in Week 5 and was held to 27 yards. The Patriots appear mildly interested in using him around the goal-line as a potential TD threat, but the offense overall just isn't creating enough explosiveness for him to be a TE1 in fantasy land. Consider Smith a mid-range TE2 until further notice.
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26.
Albert Okwuegbunam
DEN (vs . KC)
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27.
Gerald Everett
SEA (at ARI)
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28.
Austin Hooper
CLE (vs . CIN)
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29.
Josiah Deguara
GB (at DET)
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30.
Ricky Seals-Jones
WAS (at NYG)
"RSJ" was a popular tight end streamer this week and he produced for fantasy managers who employed him. Seals-Jones hauled in 4-of-6 targets for 58 yards and a score in Sunday's loss to the Chiefs. More importantly, the utilization was fantastic. RSJ was in on 100% of Washington's offensive snaps while running a route on 95% of the team's dropbacks and receiving an 18% target share. He faces the Packers in Week 7 and will once again be on the streaming radar with Logan Thomas sidelined.
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31.
Mo Alie-Cox
IND (at JAC)
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32.
Donald Parham Jr.
LAC (at LV)
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33.
Juwan Johnson
NO (at ATL)
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34.
Ryan Griffin
NYJ (at BUF)
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35.
Jack Doyle
IND (at JAC)
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36.
Anthony Firkser
TEN (at HOU)
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37.
Hayden Hurst
ATL (vs . NO)
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38.
Foster Moreau
LV (vs . LAC)
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39.
Brevin Jordan
HOU (vs . TEN)
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40.
Cameron Brate
TB (vs . CAR)
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41.
Tommy Tremble
CAR (at TB)
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42.
Durham Smythe
MIA (vs . NE)
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43.
O.J. Howard
TB (vs . CAR)
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44.
Will Dissly
SEA (at ARI)
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45.
Blake Jarwin
DAL (at PHI)
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46.
MyCole Pruitt
TEN (at HOU)
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47.
Adam Trautman
NO (at ATL)
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48.
John Bates
WAS (at NYG)
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49.
Kyle Rudolph
NYG (vs . WAS)
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50.
Geoff Swaim
TEN (at HOU)
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51.
Harrison Bryant
CLE (vs . CIN)
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52.
Eric Ebron
PIT (at BAL)
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53.
Jimmy Graham
CHI (at MIN)
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54.
Ian Thomas
CAR (at TB)
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55.
Adam Shaheen
MIA (vs . NE)
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56.
Jordan Akins
HOU (vs . TEN)
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57.
Marcedes Lewis
GB (at DET)
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58.
Jesper Horsted
CHI (at MIN)
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59.
Tommy Sweeney
BUF (vs . NYJ)
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60.
Tyler Kroft
NYJ (at BUF)
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61.
Ross Dwelley
SF (at LAR)
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62.
Jacob Hollister
JAC (vs . IND)
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63.
Pharaoh Brown
HOU (vs . TEN)
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64.
Chris Herndon IV
MIN (vs . CHI)
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65.
Kylen Granson
IND (at JAC)
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66.
Drew Sample
CIN (at CLE)
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67.
James O'Shaughnessy
JAC (vs . IND)
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68.
Hunter Long
MIA (vs . NE)
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69.
Jacob Harris
LAR (vs . SF)
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70.
Josh Oliver
BAL (vs . PIT)
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71.
Nick Boyle
BAL (vs . PIT)
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72.
Jace Sternberger
PIT (at BAL)
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73.
Tre' McKitty
LAC (at LV)
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74.
Brycen Hopkins
LAR (vs . SF)
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75.
Luke Farrell
JAC (vs . IND)
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76.
Darren Fells
TB (vs . CAR)
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