Mark Andrews was once heralded as possibly the tight end one overall in dynasty fantasy football. Now, with an influx of young talent and some other aging performers, where does Mark Andrews sit on the pantheon of dynasty tight ends?
Mark Andrews Dynasty Outlook – Fantasy Football
The History
Andrews dealt with injury in 2023, and it was his first season outside the top 12 fantasy tight ends since 2018. He was still solid on a points-per-game (PPG) basis but was unavailable for the back half of the season. He’s been a steady tight end one for dynasty teams and is the Baltimore Ravens number-one option most seasons. Even with the emergence of Zay Flowers this past season, Andrews led the team in receiving yards per game.
Compared to other tight ends in the league, Andrews has been crushing it. In spite of his injuries, he’s third among tight ends in receiving yards the past five seasons. Considering the two in front of him (Travis Kelce and George Kittle) are both on the wrong side of 30, Andrews should have a good argument to be a top dynasty tight end option. However, he’s currently valued as the tight end seven on keeptradecut.
The Situation
This is where the conspiracy theorists come out. Or the Isaiah Likely truthers. Or both. Andrews is only under contract through 2025, and most major outlets list a “possible out” for Andrews ahead of the 2024 season. The issue with that idea is that it would come with an almost $12 million dead cap hit, and they have no reason to take that on and lose their number one receiving target. If anyone tells you Andrews is likely gone, they don’t know very many Ravens fans. If he does leave, it would be via a surprise trade or the end of his contract in 2025, the team is extremely unlikely to cut him.
The Ravens are being mocked with a receiver on the majority of mock drafts. The important question is whether this receiver will out produce Zay Flowers and steal targets from Andrews. They pick far enough back that it’s unlikely. But, this class is talented and he could face some increased competition in 2024.
What To Do With Mark Andrews in Dynasty
Competing, Rebuilding, or Middle of the Road
Normally this is split up depending on team build, but unless your squad is a rebuild that’s three years away from competing, the advice is the same. All teams should either hold Andrews, or move to him from their current tight end option. His price is tolerable that moving up from Jake Ferguson for a mid round second would be a smash accept. Even tiering down from Sam LaPorta or Dalton Kincaid could provide some meaningful value. Whether it’s to grab ammo for your rebuild or upgrade a competing team, there are some simple moves that make sense.
On a PPG basis Andrews was still a top dog in 2023, but you can get a late first or a Mike Evans type player to move down from LaPorta. It’s not that LaPorta and Kincaid are bad. It’s that you can get a plug and play tight end one and a plug and play WR1 for the price of a young exciting tight end. Taking advantage of this price inequality is a great way to extend competing windows. Or maybe it will move you into one from a middle of the road team.
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Main Photo Credit: Jessica Rapfogel-USA TODAY Sports
