11 Tight End Values

Photo: USA Today Sports

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A fantasy draft is all about obtaining the most value with each selection. There is value available throughout a draft, and grabbing it is one of the most important keys to a successful fantasy team. In an attempt to point out this value, we asked our staff to look through the Top 150 and identify players that should outperform their draft position.

Here are the players who received the most votes:

• Cole Kmet
• Dalton Schultz
• Zach Ertz

And here are all of the players mentioned and the reasons why.

Player Receiving 6 Votes

Cole Kmet, Bears

Chad Parsons: Zero touchdowns. Despite being a regularly-targeted NFL starting tight end, Kmet did not manage a trip to the end zone during the 2021 season. That is tough to achieve and one of the glaring regression candidates for the position. Also, besides Darnell Mooney, where will the ball go in the Chicago passing game? Kmet will have the volume and touchdown regression fortune to hit the top-10 of the position and easily beat his positional ADP standing.

Gary Davenport: The idea of rolling Cole Kmet out as a weekly starter at tight end does not inspire the warm and fuzzies. But what about the Chicago passing game does in 2022? Someone on that offense will have catch passes when the Bears are playing from behind, and Kmet was second on the team in targets last season by a fair margin. That Kmet somehow managed to catch 60 passes last year without accidentally falling into the end zone is one of the weirder stats you'll see, but it's not going to happen twice. If his receiving numbers get a slight bump and he scores, say, four times, Kmet is sniffing the back of the top-10. If you punt tight ends this year, Kmet is the fair catch.

Ryan Hester: Tight ends on low-scoring teams typically don't profile as league-winners (and sometimes aren't even solid contributors). But Kmet is a young, ascending player who showed chemistry with his quarterback last year. A new offensive coordinator, lack of Jimmy Graham to steal end zone targets, another year of experience, and a total void of target competition outside of Darnell Mooney means that Kmet can be second on this team in targets. And he could lead them in touchdowns as well.

Nick Whalen: Kmet had 93 targets in 2021, and that number should only increase in 2022 with Chicago not adding premium pass catchers to pair with Darnell Mooney in the off-season. Justin Fields has been having highlight passes to Kmet in most practices, and this pairing has an easy path to beating ADP and producing well in 2022.

Jordan McNamara: Cole Kmet is not a big difference maker but has a clear chance to be among the volume leaders at the position. Logan Thomas in 2020 was the volume-based top-five tight end on league-average efficiency that Kmet could see, especially with an offense with no established passing game threat outside Darnell Mooney.

Victoria Geary: Kmet averaged 5 targets and 36 yards per game last season but scored zero touchdowns. Now that Jimmy Graham, Allen Robinson, and head coach Matt Nagy have all left Chicago, Kmet has a legitimate chance to be the No. 2 option in this passing offense outside of wide receiver Darnell Mooney. He averaged a healthy 17% target share in 2021, sixth among the tight end position. Kmet is also entering his third season, often when we see tight ends breakout for fantasy.

Player Receiving 5 Votes

Dalton Schultz, Dallas

Christian Williams: With the recent injury to James Washington and a lack of effective pass-catching options in Dallas, Dalton Schultz could be in line for a productive first few weeks of the season. Schultz's TE5 finish in points per game came without flukey circumstances; his 16% target share ranked 8th in the NFL. Schultz was effective and seized the opportunity, and Dak Prescott should welcome consistency with the absence of Amari Cooper in 2022. Schultz has a top-three upside yet sits at TE6 in ADP.

Gary Davenport: If you want a reliable weekly starter at tight end but don't want to pay up for a Travis Kelce or Mark Andrews, then Dalton Schultz is the guy you should target. Schultz was one of six tight ends to see triple-digit targets in 2021. He was third at the position in receptions. Sixth in receiving yards. Second in touchdowns. And third in PPR points. The Cowboys traded Amari Cooper. Michael Gallup won't be ready for Week 1. And now James Washington is hurt. Given all that, it's more likely that Schultz improves on last year's numbers than regresses, and he has an excellent chance of out-pointing Kyle Pitts, George Kittle, and Darren Waller…again.

Ryan Weisse: Schultz should be the only target for those that gamble on middle-round tight ends. Amari Cooper and his 103 targets are gone, Michael Gallup won't be ready for Week 1. and James Washington will miss at least all of September. Dalton Schultz was second in targets and first in receiving touchdowns last season. Dak Prescott is going to lean on the guy he already trusts. Schultz was already the No. 3 fantasy tight end last year, and he could end up with Mark Andrews' 2021 volume and make a run at the top spot this season.

Will Grant: Amari Cooper has moved on, and Michael Gallup will start the season on the PUP. That should elevate Schultz to the No. 2 receiving option on a team that could throw for 4800 yards this season. Schultz hoped to sign an extension, but he and the Cowboys couldn't agree. He has all the financial incentives to exceed expectations this year, and the Cowboys will need him - especially in the early part of the season.

Victoria Geary: Schultz will be a busy man this season, considering wide receiver CeeDee Lamb is the only pass catcher on the Cowboys who has scored an NFL touchdown! Schultz quietly finished as the TE5 in points per game in 2021, scoring double-digits in 11 out of 17 games. He has top-three upside at the position, but you can snag him at a Round 6 price.

Player Receiving 4 Votes

Zach Ertz, Arizona

Sigmund Bloom: Ertz was barely in the fold last season after a mid-campaign trade to the Cardinals when DeAndre Hopkins went down. The third game without Hopkins produced an 8-88-2 line for Ertz, and he averaged over 13 PPR points per game with no fewer than 11 in the last four games that Hopkins missed. Hopkins will miss the first six games this season due to a suspension, so Ertz should be able to give you starting tight end numbers for at least the first half of your regular season at a low TE1 cost.

Justin Howe: Ertz is no longer young and no longer a particularly sought-after fantasy asset. But he's still a linchpin for many of my drafts: a legit top-tier tight end I can consistently scoop up in the middle rounds. While others fight and claw after the allure of sexier options, I prefer comfortably banking on at least a startable fantasy tight end season, something like 80 catches, 800 yards, and 5-7 touchdowns - all from a palatable mid-round draft slot. If you're thinking that seems high for an aging tight end, I'll remind you that Ertz's 11 games as a Cardinal from last year would extrapolate to 88-884-5. And he'll open the year with a volume boost while DeAndre Hopkins sits on the shelf for six weeks. Altogether, he's a great way to buy in cheaply on the Cardinals' high-octane offense.

Ryan Hester: Older players aren't exciting, but electric offenses are. Ertz vibed with Kyler Murray last year despite joining the team midseason. He was especially effective without DeAndre Hopkins, who will be suspended for six games this season. Ertz might disappoint late following Hopkins' return, but he'll provide a handful of startable weeks early in the year -- something well worth his current price.

Jeff Bell: Ertz took over the red zone role when he arrived in Arizona; his 14 targets after week seven finished third, but extrapolated to an entire season, the total of 21 would lead the team by five. The suspension of DeAndre Hopkins leaves the team light on big-bodied targets, and Ertz has a fantastic opportunity to grow his role throughout the whole field.

Players Receiving 3 Votes