Owning a big points edge at the tight end position could be the difference between winning and losing a close fantasy football contest. Here are three match-ups we’re looking at as quality starts for tight ends, who you can also find on the waiver wire.
Larry Donnell
Remember New York’s first Sunday night game last year? Maybe not, but I’m sure Donnell does. He tallied three touchdowns in a Sunday night blowout of Washington early last season.
The circumstances will be different against the Dallas Cowboys in the opening week, but the Donnell should get his fair share of targets in this Sunday night game. Wide receiver Victor Cruz is unlikely to be at full health, and quarterback Eli Manning can only target Odell Beckham Jr. so much.
Donnell should improve upon his 92 targets from a year ago. He did finish with six touchdowns, but as mentioned earlier, three of those came in one game. And while Dallas’ defense was much improved last season, the Cowboys allowed a league-leading amount of fantasy football points to tight ends last season.
And it wasn’t as if it was just a bunch of fluke touchdowns that resulted in those points. Teams against the Cowboys targeted their tight ends 153 times, 17 more than the team with the second-most targets against.
The biggest issue with Donnell is that he has to share some of his targets with NFL veteran Daniel Fells. However, fantasy football owners should be confident that Donnell will feature more of the targets.
Richard Rodgers
Green Bay tight ends don’t always feel the love from quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
Pretty much everyone else on the offense gets a big boost in fantasy football value from Rodgers, but the tight end position hasn’t been one of them. Last year, Richard Rodgers and Andrew Quarless combined for 80 total targets in the season for 51 catches.
Aaron Rodgers completed 341 passes last season.
However, with injuries to Jordy Nelson, and now uncertainty about Randall Cobb, there could be enough of an issue at the wide receiver position that Aaron Rodgers starts to target his tight ends more, which would mean a boost to Richard Rodgers’ value.
It doesn’t hurt that Green Bay opens against the Chicago Bears, which allowed the second-most points to tight ends last year and featured a defense incapable of stopping most offenses.
With Richard Rodgers’ average draft position currently at 21 among tight ends, he may be available on the waiver wire, too.
Josh Hill
The New Orleans Saints will have to shift its focus from a more passing game to a running game this season. So why does that help Josh Hill’s value in week one?
Arizona will focus more on the wide receiver position with its talented cornerbacks in the passing game. If the Cardinals have to respect the running game, too, that leaves some space in the passing game for the tight end position. And while Benjamin Watson is currently listed as the No. 1 tight end, Hill should get the majority of the targets in the passing game.
Hill stole several touchdowns away from Jimmy Graham fantasy football owners last year, so it’s likely he will assume that same role on the goal line this year for the Saints. It’s also very likely his role will increase in other areas of the field, especially if the Saints are trailing early and must go to the air.
With an ADP at No. 20 for tight ends, Hill may be available in your fantasy football league.
