Believe it or not, there are many hardships for fantasy football players. Whether it is a one-point loss, an injury to their best player, or having the second-highest scoring team only to play the highest scorer, fantasy football presents tough situations. There might not be a tougher endeavor than finding a starting tight end after the season has started. In a 12-team league, there will likely be at least four teams that struggle to find a viable option for their tight end slot. When you cannot find the answer, chase the players that are given opportunity. Below are undervalued tight ends that receive ample opportunity worth targeting in fantasy football.
O.J. Howard, Eric Ebron Headline Undervalued Fantasy Football Tight Ends
One of the season’s surprises has been the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and their explosive offense. Led by Ryan Fitzpatrick, the Buccaneers are averaging 34 points and 473 yards per game through the first three weeks of the season. Fantasy football’s fourth-ranked tight end, O.J. Howard, has been a beneficiary of the potent offense. Averaging a monstrous 20.2 yards-per-catch, Howard is one of only three tight ends to surpass 220 yards this season. Already with 39 fantasy points, Howard is on pace to crush his 2017 scoring totals and TE20 finish. With three games in the books, the second-year pro is poised for a top-12 finish in 2018.
A key component of Howard’s success this season is fellow tight end Cameron Brate‘s lack of success. After signing a six-year, $40.8 million extension this off-season, Brate has been a non-factor. Through three weeks, Brate has three catches on six targets while playing less than 40 percent of the offensive snaps. In that same span, Howard has received 14 targets for 11 catches and 222 yards on 72 percent of the offensive snaps. Currently second in snaps and third in targets on the team, it is apparent Howard has taken over starting duties.
While Howard’s target share will continue to hover around 13 percent, his big-play ability is rare at the tight end position. In the last two seasons, Howard leads all tight ends with at least 10 catches in yards per reception with 17.7 yards per catch. Howard will likely rely on yardage, rather than targets and volume, to finish as a TE1. Based on his first three games, Howard is worth targeting as a high-upside backup or low-end starter in fantasy.
Only one TE in the NFL has 50 or more receiving yards in every game this year: #Bucs OJ Howard.
— Joe Dolan (@FG_Dolan) September 25, 2018
Trey Burton, Chicago Bears
Thus far in 2018, Chicago Bears‘ newly acquired tight end Trey Burton has disappointed after being chosen by head coach Matt Nagy for the “Travis Kelce role” in his offense. That said, the lack of success does not fall all on Burton’s shoulders. The Bears offense as a whole has struggled, as they rank 22nd in yards per drive this season. Fortunately, they have run the sixth most plays per drive and the ninth-most plays in the league. Once Chicago’s offense starts to sustain drives, there will be more opportunity for targets, catches, and fantasy points for Burton.
To get opportunities, the player has to be on the field and Burton does just that. Through three games, Burton has played 86 percent of the total offensive snaps, despite not being known for his blocking. The substantial playing time has led to 15 targets, good for 11th place among tight ends. In the last two games, Burton has hauled in eight of nine targets (89 percent catch success) for nearly 20 fantasy points after posting 2.5 points and a 17 percent success rate in week one. With receiver Anthony Miller injuring his shoulder, Burton could receive even more work in the foreseeable future. As of now, Burton is a low-end starter that has the potential for weekly double-digit performances.
Eric Ebron, Indianapolis Colts
Still available in 44 percent of ESPN leagues, Eric Ebron has exceeded expectations in his first season with the Indianapolis Colts. In the first two weeks of the season, with Jack Doyle in the lineup, Ebron still managed nine targets for seven catches and two touchdowns. With Doyle inactive in week three, Ebron was targeted 11 times, including four red zone targets, for five catches. Despite working alongside Doyle and accounting for only 52 percent of total offensive snaps, Ebron has emerged as a vital part of the Colts passing game, especially in the red zone. Including preseason, Ebron has caught a touchdown from Andrew Luck in three of the last four games and had an opportunity for four straight games, if it were not for a lack of concentration.
The former first-round pick was brought to Indianapolis for his receiving abilities and to play in Frank Reich‘s two tight end sets. In an offense that throws the ball 67 percent of the time, Ebron’s lack of snaps is not of much concern. Though Ebron has played half of the offense’s snaps, he has accounted for 16 percent of Luck’s targets. Those 20 targets only trail T.Y. Hilton on the Colts and three other tight ends in the entire league. In an offense that will be forced to throw the ball, Ebron is a quality backup with starter potential if Doyle is forced to miss additional time.
Thru Three Weeks, here is each teams breakout of receiving yards to each position. #PartyFFavors pic.twitter.com/J0xCHH3CxQ
— Anthony Staggs (@PyroStag) September 26, 2018
David Njoku, Cleveland Browns
On Baker Mayfield‘s second pass attempt of his career, the first overall selection found Cleveland Browns tight end David Njoku for a 17-yard completion. Later in the game, Mayfield connected with Njoku for another 19-yard gain. Those two receptions accounted for more than half of Njoku’s receiving yards on the season. In the previous two games, former starting quarterback Tyrod Taylor completed 50 percent of his passes aimed at Njoku for less than five yards per catch.
After only playing on 47 percent of the total offensive snaps in 2017, Njoku has been on the field for 77 percent of snaps this year. The increase in snaps has led to 16 targets for Njoku, good for ninth-best among tight ends. Despite the high target total, Njoku has failed to score over six points in a single game this season. With Mayfield taking over the starting duties and the departure of receiver Josh Gordon, Njoku receives a boost in value. Njoku is currently a high-upside backup that should be left on the bench until a connection with Mayfield has been fully established. If the former Miami Hurricane is available in your league (65 percent ownership in ESPN), he is worth the stash if your team is in need of tight end help.
