No position in fantasy football is more frustrating than tight end.
OK, maybe that’s just one man’s opinion — one man who blames his decision not to sign Jason Witten (Cowboys) off waivers before Week 1 for being 0-2 instead of 2-0.
Still, TE is a tough position to evaluate. They’re rarely the focal point of an offense, and projecting which defenses truly are vulnerable to or tough against the position is one of the most inexact sciences in fantasy.
Nobody expected Witten, a Hall of Fame-caliber TE but one approaching the end of his career, to be leading the position in points by a mile through two weeks. He is still on waivers in my league (not for long) and was available in more than 25 percent of ESPN leagues Tuesday. Whichever owner in your league drafted Greg Olsen (Panthers), on IR with a broken foot, likely will make a mad dash for the Dallas tight end.
Monitoring a TE’s targets can often be the best way of deciding which TE to sign, cut, or stick with. Witten leads the position with 22 targets. While well-regarded TEs Zach Ertz (Eagles) and Travis Kelce (Chiefs) rank second and fourth, respectively, Zach Miller (Bears) is tied with star Rob Gronkowski (Patriots) for fifth. Miller was owned in 1.4 percent of ESPN leagues Tuesday, so he’s readily available and a potential upgrade.
But be wary of playing TE roulette. I drafted Eric Ebron (Lions) with a late pick and received next to no production Week 1. After Charles Clay (Bills) posted a great day against the Jets, I signed him in place of Ebron. Clay laid an egg in Week 2, while Ebron’s line looked almost identical to Clay’s first-week performance. Learn from my impatience, and give the guy you drafted a little rope.
