Drafting a late round TE
If you have been a follower of ours the past 2 years, you know by now my damn deal when it comes to drafting a Tight End. I have come to grips this season (somewhat) on why some may want to draft Kelce/Waller/Kittle with an earlier pick. While I still won’t go down that route, I want to point out that the dominance specifically from Travis Kelce is noted.
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A huge reason to wait on a Tight end is because the top 12 Tight ends usually drafted don’t finish in the top 12. Of the Top 12 Tight ends drafted in 2020 judged by ADP, only 6 of them finished as top 12 for FPPG. 2019 called for the exact same trend with just 6 finishing in the top 12. The trend continues each year. We always know the Travis Kelce/George Kittles of the world will get targets and be fantasy monsters but investing in several of the top 12 guys at a critical part of the draft can damaged your roster.
To me depth at the RB/WR position is more vital. If your top RB goes down, how are you going to make up that value? If your starting TE goes down, yes of course it will hurt but chances are you can find a halfway decent option on the waiver wire or streaming options. My clear advice, draft WR/RB at least for the first 5-6 picks before you even think twice about a QB/TE. Once the studs are gone, fantasy managers go into panic mode and overvalue the position. Do not be that person.
I have struck gold at Tight end for years late in the draft as well as off the wire. In 2019 I snagged Darren Waller after Week 1. He finished the season as TE3. 2018 I drafted George Kittle 12th round and he finished as the TE3. 2017 was Delanie Walker in the 8th round who finished as TE4. Last season I pegged Noah Fant as one of my late round targets. He didn’t light up the scoreboard but finished as TE9 after drafting him in the 12th round. That’s a win in my book.
If you do your research, you can find a valuable Tight end later in your draft. I promise you there is value later on in drafts. Most people punt in the last 6 rounds. You need to have your sleepers and late round targets ready to go. That’s the difference between a casual and a champion mentality. In the next day or 2 we will be releasing our TE rankings podcast and I will cover all of your late round targets.