Before we look at who you should target with the TE0 strategy in 2022, let’s take a refresher course on what exactly that is. This plan of action sees you focus on other positions early in the draft and then grab your tight end much later, usually from the 12th round onward.
In both 2018 and 2019, two of the top four scorers at the tight end position qualified as TE0 strategy players. Three of the top-10 TEs in 2020 were late round/undrafted guys while Dalton Schultz and Zach Ertz came out of nowhere to post 2022 positional finishes of third and sixth, respectively. What’s more, scores are increasingly bunched together once you get past the elite tier.
Less than 30 points separated TE5 and TE15 last season. Similar story in 2020 where TE4 and TE15 were within the same margin. With this being the case, it makes far sense to prioritize sleepers and handcuffs before taking a tight end if the top ones are off the board.
It is important to have an idea of who to take, however. Here is who you should target with the TE0 strategy in 2022.
More TEs: A look at quarterbacks who converted to tight end
Who should you target with the TE0 strategy in 2022?
1) Robert Tonyan
Robert Tonyan was a TE0 success story for the Green Bay Packers in 2020, going from afterthought to a top-three finish. That was followed by an absolutely awful 2021 where he did nothing for eight weeks before tearing his ACL. Now he’s off the radar once again.
However, Aaron Rodgers must throw the ball to someone and Tonyan is without a doubt the team’s best red zone threat. The State Farm pitchman doesn’t mess with rookies, Randall Cobb can’t stay healthy and Sammy Watkins is…well…Sammy Watkins. This is a flier but there are much riskier propositions at the position.
2) Irv Smith Jr.
Tyler Conklin’s 61/593/3 stat line with the Minnesota Vikings in 2021 didn’t move the needle for most fantasy football managers. However, it could be a precursor to an Irv Smith Jr. breakout this season. That was actually supposed to come last year, but a knee injury caused the former Alabama tight end to miss the season. He’s healthy and ready to go, although his current ADP leads you to believe Smith Jr. is being slept on.
3) Evan Engram
Evan Engram has everything you could want in a TE0 dart throw: skills, opportunity and coaching situation. And while he never put it altogether with the New York Giants, there is a case to be made for him in 2022.
New Jacksonville Jaguars Head Coach Doug Pederson loves using tight ends and Trevor Lawrence showed a willingness to target whoever was playing at the position. It doesn’t get any better than that. You can read more about Evan Engram being worth a late round pick here but long story short, he’ll have a chance to post top-10 TE numbers.
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