One of the hardest positions to evaluate year in and year out is the tight end position. And unless you’re drafting one of the truly elite, there’s no clear-cut choice as to who the next breakout player will be. The same especially holds true in dynasty leagues. The 2019 fantasy football season may be a bit easier than seasons past.
Because there is no NFL tape on these players, we must project based off of outside factors like scheme fit, college production, coaching, and much more. Lucky for us, 2019’s rookie class is loaded at the tight end position.
Let’s take a look at my top-10 tight ends in dynasty this season.
2019 Fantasy Football Top Dynasty Tight Ends
T.J. Hockenson, Detroit Lions (ADP: 8)
For most of the offseason, I avoided T.J. Hockenson like the plague. And then I remembered Matt Patricia is a New England Patriots’ disciple. And throughout the draft process, one tight end has been compared to the future Hall-of-Famer Rob Gronkowski. Yep, you guessed it. His name is T.J. Hockenson, and he’s my TE1 in 2019 fantasy football dynasty leagues. And no, he might never be as dominant of a player as Gronk once was, but he possesses all the traits to be one of the league’s top tight ends, sooner rather than later. If your team is in dire need of a TE, look no further than the two prospects from Iowa.
Noah Fant, Denver Broncos (ADP: 10)
Some might argue that Noah Fant is the best tight end in the draft, and it’s hard to find any fault in that. After all, he had more touchdowns last season at Iowa than the aforementioned tight end. So to say he’s a playmaker would be a vast understatement. Fant has all of the skills to be a big-time tight end in the NFL. And with a young QB like Drew Lock to grow with, his dynasty value is on-par with Hockenson. The Hawkeyes developed two elite tight end prospects.
Josh Oliver, Jacksonville Jaguars (ADP: 44)
Nick Foles was pretty good during his time in Philadelphia. And although the rest of his career is an unknown, one thing is for certain, Foles loves his tight ends. Now Josh Oliver is no Zach Ertz, but very few are. Oliver’s production during his time at San Jose State won’t knock you off your feet either. After all, he only put up 98 receptions for 1,067 yards and 6 touchdowns in his four college seasons. The production might not wow you on paper, but he has the chance to have an immediate impact in an offense searching for a playmaker.
Irv Smith Jr., Minnesota Vikings (ADP: 21)
When the Minnesota Vikings selected Irv Smith Jr. with the 50th-overall selection in April’s draft, it sent a clear message to Kyle Rudolph. The move had many wondering if Rudolph would be on the move. In the end, the Vikings elected to re-sign Rudolph, but the message Minnesota sent was that we’re going to bring in this young, explosive talent to complement your skill-set. And that’s exactly what they did. Now if I’m being honest, I liked Irv Smith Jr. a lot more before the Kyle Rudolph extension, but I still see a role for him developing into a legit target over time. Could he have an impact in 2019? Absolutely.
Jace Sternberger, Green Bay Packers (ADP: 26)
Jimmy Graham is no longer the dominant, unstoppable force that everyone saw in New Orleans. In fact, he’s quite the opposite now. And after a sub-par 2018 season, it is fair to believe that rookie third-round pick Jace Sternberger could have a role in Matt LaFleur’s offense. Last season at Texas A&M, the 6’4 tight end recorded 48 receptions, 832 yards, and 10 touchdowns. He may not have an immediate impact, but with a quarterback like Aaron Rodgers that likes to spread the ball to his receivers, the opportunities will present themselves, and they could come as early as this 2019 fantasy football season.
Other notable tight ends
Drew Sample, Cincinnati Bengals
Caleb Wilson, Arizona Cardinals
Foster Moreau, Oakland Raiders
Zach Gentry, Pittsburgh Steelers
All ADPs were taken from FantasyPros.com
Josh Houtz is the Fantasy Football Director and Lead Writer for PFN. You can follow him @houtz on Twitter.