Baltimore Ravens: WR Odell Beckham (ADP 162.4)

Odell Beckham finally has a home and it is in Baltimore. The WR got a contract of up to $15M per year after missing the entire 2022 season recuperating from injury. Now, he gets his wish as he goes to Baltimore and play with Lamar Jackson who got the bag as well. Even if they are known to be a run-first offense, the increase in weapons will make Lamar throw the ball more. One of the lucky recipients will be OBJ, who has an ADP of 162.4. Hopefully, OBJ can quiet the haters and have a comeback season.

Cincinnati Bengals: TE Irv Smith (ADP 197)

The Bengals are starting another TE with the addition of Irv Smith from the Minnesota Vikings. Irv had battle injuries the past few years but was more healthy last season. He enters a situation where he’ll be the TE 1 and can catch passes from Joe Burrow. Hayden Hurst had a good season last year with Joe Burrow and Irv can do the same. Look for him to be a threat in the redzone.

Cleveland Browns: WR Donovan Peoples-Jones (ADP 154.9)

The addition of Deshaun Watson to the team will push Cleveland to throw more passes in their offense. WR 1 Amari Cooper will get his share but another WR to look out for is Donovan Peoples-Jones. He has grown immensely ever since his rookie season. Now, he feels due for a breakout season. He ended the season with 61 receptions for 839 yards and three TDs. Look for a career year next season and establish his presence in Cleveland.

Pittsburgh Steelers: TE Pat Freiermuth (ADP 89.9)

My favorite pickup from last year’s draft is due for another great season. Pat Freiermuth, the Steelers TE, looks to build on a great season for Pittsburgh. He ended the year in the top eight among all TEs and he provides value in the middle rounds. He caught 63 passes for 732 yards and two TDs. Look for more TDs next season as he tries to lead the Steelers’ offense.

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By: Jake Rajala

There are a plethora of under-the-radar tight ends that are worth discussing heading into Week 3. With that said, I’m going to dive right into five TE sleepers to target.

David Njoku

The man of the hour, David Njoku, ousted nine grabs (on 10 targets) for 89 yards and a touchdown last night. Meanwhile, Donovan Peoples-Jones and David Bell combined for three catches against the Steelers. The scary part is that Njoku doesn’t even have Deshaun Watson at the helm. The Browns TE is owned in 33% of ESPN leagues & 51% of Yahoo leagues.

Tyler Higbee

There may still be room for the illustrious Rams TE Tyler Higbee on your roster (owned in 50% of ESPN leagues). Higbee garnered nine targets (after a whopping 11 targets in Week 1 against a deadly Bills defense) and ousted several receptions in Week 2. Ultimately, he’s second in TE targets at this point. Fantasy Pros has slotted him as the seventh-best TE moving forward.

Logan Thomas

Logan Thomas, also known as Taysom Hill before Taysom Hill, dazzled with a touchdown grab last week. He also had had 11 targets in the past two contests. Thomas registered 110 targets, 72 receptions, 670 yds, and six TDs in 2020. With Carson Wentz, he could certainly be in line to have a season at least as similar as his 2020 campaign. He is owned in 33% of Yahoo leagues & 39% of ESPN leagues, so there’s more than an “only hope” to get him off the bench.

Irv Smith Jr.

The Minnesota Vikings TE Irv Smith Jr. is only owned in 35% of ESPN leagues, but he’s starting to climb the ladder. He impressively hauled in a touchdown and three catches on eight targets last week. Don’t sleep on him due to his complete in-action in Week 1. The Vikings TE will feast when opponents focus on the potential OPOY Justin Jefferson.

Juwan Johnson

The New Orleans Saints TE Juwan Johnson (who is a bit of a deep sleeper) edged out Adam Trautman for the keys to the starting TE spot. Last week, he grabbed four catches for 40 yards. ESPN has projected Johnson to reel in 706 yards & 102 targets this season. At this point, Johnson has garnered a 69.2 grade by PFF for his work. It may be wise to target the TE in a week against a dreadful pass defense.

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By: Jake Rajala

The Minnesota Vikings will play with their hair on fire against their NFC North divisional foe in the Green Bay Packers this weekend. Over the prior 10 contests between the Vikings and Packers, the team that once featured the Purple People Eaters has won five games and tied one contest. With that said, I’m going to untwine five reasons why the Vikings can continue to have the upper ground on the Pack and come out with a victory this weekend.

• Danielle Hunter

“It is time” – Kevin Greene

The Minnesota Vikings fearless edge rusher Danielle Hunter was undoubtedly on pace for a career season in 2021. He registered six sacks, 10 QB hits, and 6 TFLs in seven match-ups last season. Unfortunately, the world ended for Hunter when he suffered a torn pectoral against the Dallas Cowboys. I trust in him mopping the floor against a Packers OL that has a somewhat rusty David Bakhtiari and Elgton Jenkins.

• Dalvin Cook

It may be easy to peg Dalvin Cook as a reason that the Viks can ruin the Packers day on Sunday. Nonetheless, I expect him to be heavily leaned on against a Packers defense that will be hard to defeat in the passing game. Cook is healthy (for now) and he can really deliver against a Packers defense that gave up 163 rushing yards and 3 rushing TDs to him not too long ago.

• Jalen Reagor

I love that the Vikings made a sneaky move to acquire Jalen Reagor. He may be an NFL bust at WR, but he could be an x-factor and a difference maker as a KR for the Vikings moving forward. Interestingly (to say the least), he scored a 73-yard punt return touchdown against the Packers in his career.

• Andrew Booth Jr.

I believe that Andrew Booth Jr. is already one of the most gifted CB3s in the league & he will establish his dominance against the likes of Randall Cobb and Christian Watson in their NFC North battle. Perhaps he will show on Sunday that he deserves to be in the DROY race.

• Irv Smith Jr.

Irv Smith Jr. is healthy (after missing the entire 2021 season) and ready to unleash hell against opponents. Irv Smith Jr. The Packers allowed the 11th most fantasy points to TEs last season and it’s clearly a superb opportunity for the Vikings TE to shine right away.

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By: Jake Rajala

The Minnesota Vikings tight end Irv Smith Jr. is unequivocally the biggest x-factor in the Vikings offense moving forward. Smith Jr. was MIA in his junior season ”“ as he suffered a meniscus tear in his third pre-season contest ”“ which ended his well-anticipated 2021 season. Nonetheless, it’s safe to say that the healthy and athletic gifted TE is gearing up for a stellar 2022 campaign in Kevin O’Connell’s flashy offense.

Irv Smith Jr. has expressed how he feels like a kid in the candy shop in the new offense. Per KSTP, Irv Smith Jr. stated, “In LA, the Rams did a lot of great things with the tight end, Tyler Higbee. He made a lot of plays and stuff. So seeing the film and what he’s done and using my skill set to what I’m capable of doing because we’re different players and everybody’s a different player. So this camp will be cool because he gets to see what I can do, and he’ll be able to see how he can implement me in different ways and implement all of us”. Higbee notched 560 yards and 5 touchdowns last season (as he ranked as the 14^th best fantasy TE), and I wholeheartedly believe O’Connell will have more fun utilizing Smith Jr. than his former TE1 in LA.

Greg Rosenthal of NFL.com dubbed the Vikings young TE as his breakout candidate on the Vikings in 2022. Rosenthal stated, “Vikings fans and fantasy heads have been waiting for Smith to break out for a few years now. There’s no reason he can’t thrive now. New offensive coordinator Wes Phillips was a tight ends coach in Los Angeles, and the offense the Vikings want to run asks a lot of the position. Smith profiles as a souped-up receiver who can take passes in stride and rack up yards after the catch.”

The hungry Irv Smith Jr. acquired a new (neck) tattoo to celebrate his health and positive vibe, as well. Per Vikings Wire, Smith Jr. stated, “I got a butterfly right here on my neck, and it’s like a new beginning. He elaborated, “All the things that I’ve done in the past I still reflect on, but I’m excited for the future and what the future holds for myself and for this team ”“ for this offense. And we’re just going to take it one day at a time. But it’s definitely a new beginning for me, I’d say”. Smith Jr, his new offensive-minded coach, and his impressive spirit should seek vengeance in the 2022 season.

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By: Jake Rajala

The Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins has really blossomed over the past two seasons. Cousins threw a career-high 35 passing touchdowns in 2020 and then unveiled 33 touchdowns (second-most in his career) in 2021.

Despite the Vikings QB unleashing superb numbers in 2021 (and 2020), he hasn’t garnered high praise from numerous well-reputable faces in the football community. Chris Simms of Pro Football Talk ranked Cousins as the 16th best QB (which is one spot behind Ryan Tannehill). I’m quite positive that Cousins is more lethal than Tanny – who threw 21 touchdowns to 14 interceptions in 2021. There have also been trumpets in Tennessee for Malik Willis to start as soon as possible.

I honestly love the outlook for the Vikings QB, as well. He gained an intense, creative HC in Kevin O’Connell this off-season – who will look to be the next young, offensive play-caller to jump-start his offense.

It should also be noted that Cousins has been impressive with even his play-makers out of the line-up. Adam Thielen, who hauled in 10 touchdowns in 2021, missed four games last season. Furthermore, his young tight end Irv Smith Jr missed four games a season ago. The Vikings QB missed numerous toys on a few occasions last season, but he was still eighth in passing touchdowns last season.

Justin Jefferson (who nicely went from 1,400 yards and 7 touchdowns as a rookie to 1,616 yards and 10 touchdowns in his second season) is also a popular choice to be the next WR to win OPOY.

There is an underrated factor in Cousins’s long-term outlook: the looming retirement of Aaron Rodgers. It would be an understatement to say that A-Rod has owned the NFC North in recent memory. The Vikings should already feel delighted that Davante Adams has exited the division. After Rodgers hangs up his cleats and makes a reservation to Canton in potentially 2023, Cousins and the Vikings should feel quite confident about being the new, annual NFC North champion.

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By: Jake Rajala

The Kirk Cousins-led Minnesota Vikings are more complex than the INFP personality type. Nonetheless, there is one thing clear in regards to the Vikings outlook in 2022 — the Vikings have a lot of talent and energy under Kevin O’Connell. With that said, I’m going to untwine three bold predictions for the Vikings in 2022 — as the sky might just be the limit.

Danielle Hunter is first-team All-Pro

The Vikings unearthly edge rusher Danielle Hunter ousted 14.5 sacks in 2018 (while making second-team All-Pro) and 14.5 sacks in 2019. I believe he was climbing the ladder last season, as he unveiled six sacks, 10 QB hits, and 38 combined tackles in seven games. Unfortunately, he suffered a season-ending pectoral injury during the Cowboys contest last season. I imagine a hungry, healthy Hunter with better pass-rushing opportunities will have his best season in 2022 — which should translate to second first–team All-Pro honors.

Irv Smith Jr. catches 10+ touchdowns

The young Vikings TE Irv Smith Jr. hauled in five touchdowns in 13 games during the 2020 season. Smith Jr. missed the entire 2021 season via a meniscus injury. I expect the Vikings TE to be out for blood in a more creative offense under O’Connell moving forward. The days of planning to run the ball down the defense’s throat have adjusted to a high-powered, creative passing attack with the former Rams offensive mind at the HC helm. I also expect the aging Adam Thielen (24 touchdowns in the past two seasons) to share some of his red-zone success with the healthy TE.

The Vikings will beat the Packers twice

The Vikings managed to beat their despised opponent in Green Bay once last season. Well, I believe it’s time for the Vikings to upset the Packers in each match-up in 2022. The Saints have been hell-bent on beating Tom Brady and I believe a Vikings defense led by Hunter will help the Vikings win in two likely shoot-out matches against Rodgers. Rodgers might thrive and be a pillar of consistency in the remainder of the schedule, but I believe the Vikings can attack the Packers’s weaknesses even better than last season.

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By: Jake Rajala

The Minnesota Vikings have new energy under first-year head coach Kevin O’Connell. With that said, I’m going to simply untwine three profiles to keep an eye on in OTAs – as they could turn heads in 2022.

Irv Smith Jr.

The Vikings 23-year-old TE Irv Smith Jr. hauled in five touchdowns (in 13 games) in 2020. Unfortunately, Smith Jr. missed the entire 2021 season via a meniscus injury. I really expect the athletic TE returns healthy, improve his tool-kit, and be quite involved under his creative HC. Per Vikings Territory, Smith has already had great communication with Cousins and he also feels that he will be targeted a lot in the offense. Smith Jr. should honestly have superb match-ups with Justin Jefferson, Adam Thielen, and Dalvin Cook mostly hogging the attention of opposing defenses.

Christian Darrisaw

The Vikings 2021 first-round draft pick Christian Darrisaw had a roller-coaster rookie season. Most importantly, he progressed as the season 2021 season evolved. PFF graded his five best games in the final six games of the season. The high-powered offense will desperately need consistent, blind-side protection and the confident Darrisaw should continue to build off his recent rookie performances.

Cameron Dantzler

The third-year CB Cameron Dantzler is off to a good start in 2022. Per Inside the Vikings, Dantzler has added more weight to his frame this off-season. He’s also gotten stronger and quicker. His weakness was his size, but it’s clear that he really became well-rounded this off-season. With Patrick Peterson at CB1, the young CB could aspire to bully WR2s on a frequent basis moving forward.

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By: Jake Rajala

The young and new faces on the Minnesota Vikings will look to jell in OTAs. One of the exciting, youthful faces that will look to be an x-factor is Kene Nwangu. Per Vikings.com, the Vikings special team coordinator Matt Daniels stated that he planned to meet with the young KR to “get a better understanding of what he likes to run, whether it’s sidelines, counters, bounces, is he a middle guy?”

Outside of special teams catching proper intrigue, it appears that the offense is quite impressive at this point. Per Daily Norseman, the defensive coordinator Ed Donatell expressed “One of the great things is the offense we get to see every day. Our offense has cutting-edge schemes and formations. And that helps us get better. What Kevin and Wes have put together, it can only help us get better”.

It’s clear that the Vikings offense has that “Chip Kelly aura”, as Kevin O’Connell aims to be utterly creative and intense. The Vikings will look to improve Kirk Cousins even after his 2021 season that showcased 33 passing touchdowns, 7 interceptions, and 4,221 passing yards.

Irv Smith Jr. will look to be a force for his QB in 2022, so it’s important that the QB-TE duo can get in sync in May. Of course, the beloved TE missed all of last season and it’s safe to say that he will have excellent match-ups for Cousins. He was able to be somewhat productive in the red zone in 2020 (5 touchdowns), so Smith Jr. and Thielen (24 touchdowns in the past two seasons combined) will really look to torch defenses in the red zone. Expect the Vikings to continue to keep striving to be more well-rounded, create strong chemistry, and keep the pedal to the metal in the summer.

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By: Jake Rajala

Kirk Cousins clearly liked his 2021 season, as he threw 33 touchdowns, unleashed 4,221 passing yards, and only tossed 7 interceptions. I firmly believe Captain Kirk and his new partner in crime, Kevin O’Connell, will take the next step in 2022. With that said, I believe the outlook for Cousins suggests that he is one of the biggest darkhorse MVP candidates at this moment. Here are three reasons why Cousins could surprise the world and win MVP gold at 33 years old next season.

Healthy weapons

It’s impressive that Cousins threw 33 touchdowns in 2021, but it’s forgotten that Cousins was a TD machine without Adam Thielen for four games and Irv Smith Jr. for the entire 2022 season. The former UDFA Thielen hauled in 10 touchdowns last season, so it’s clear he still has a lot left in the tank. Meanwhile, the young TE in Smith Jr. will reportedly be very involved in the Vikings offensive attack, per NBC Sports. The Vikings 23-year-old TE is clearly one of the biggest dynasty TE sleepers.

NFC North competition

The Vikings are fortunate to reside in a porous NFC North division. The Detroit Lions ranked 31st in PPG allowed and the Chicago Bears ranked 21st in PPG allowed a season ago. Plus, the Vikings were able to pour it on the Packers defense in Minny last season (as the Vikings won 34-31). Although, they were stifled in their second contest against the Pack (with GB winning 37-10). Nonetheless, the Vikings should feel very confident in their match-ups against the DET, CHI, and GB defenses next season. Perhaps the Vikings will run up the score against CHI or DET late in the season, so Cousins and Jefferson can have a stronger 2022 outcome.

The rise of Justin Jefferson

Kirk Cousins may have a very productive 2022 season, but the Vikings most gifted player will always be Justin Jefferson. The former LSU WR has nicely climbed the ladder over the past two seasons. Jefferson had career-high marks in targets (167), receptions (108), yards (1,616 yds), and touchdowns (10). If Jefferson can have a slightly more productive season in 2022, while helping his QB in prime-time games, he may help Cousins be utterly productive and help his team oust a playoff berth (and potentially a divisional title). It would be poetic if Jefferson won OPOY, while his QB won MVP.

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By: Brady Akins

NFL TEs are among the most confusing positions in all of fantasy football.

It’s far from glamorous. Just about every player at the position, with the exception of Kansas City’s Travis Kelce and Las Vegas’ Darren Waller on a good day, can’t come close to matching the production of other skill position players.

And yet, if you miss out on the top two or three players at the position, you’ll likely spend your season frustrated at inconsistent play and repeated low-scoring weeks. This is why finding sleepers is crucial when it comes to tight end.

Load up on running backs and receivers, wait until Round 12 or 13 to draft either of these two sleeper superstars and watch their surprisingly strong play reward your patience. 

Tyler Higbee, Los Angeles Rams (Average Draft Position — TE10)

As if the Rams’ offense wasn’t spoiled for skill position riches with their running backs and wide receivers in 2020, Los Angeles also had a deep and talented cast of tight ends, with Tyler Higbee and Gerald Everett headlining a bunch that was difficult to comfortably bet on last season due to their tendency to take targets from each other. 

Between Higbee and Everett, the tight end duo combined for 122 targets last season– with the target share being nearly 50/50 (Everett with 62 targets, Higbee with 60). 

In a cruel twist of fantasy football fate, the tight end-dependent passing game of the Rams didn’t have a star fantasy player at the position. But two major changes in the status quo should change that.

The most important factor being, that once deep group of tight ends has significantly shallowed up. Higbee remains, but Everett is gone– leaving 62 targets and 41 catches unclaimed. Higbee will only benefit from having less talent around him at the position.

And, of course, the headline-grabbing factor, Los Angeles’ starting quarterback from last season is out, traded along with a handful of draft picks for the Lions’ Matthew Stafford, who should, in theory, be an upgrade at the position.

Between the absence of Everett and the addition of Stafford, Higbee should be in line for a masterpiece fantasy football season. One that exceeds the expectations of a TE10.

Irv Smith Jr, Minnesota Vikings (Average Draft Position — TE13)

Similar to Higbee, Minnesota’s Irv Smith Jr should be in line for a massive bump in production, thanks to some competition being drained from the Vikings’ tight end pool.

Gone from the Vikings roster this season is the Pro Bowl veteran anchor of the offense, Kyle Rudolph. Rudolph was the go-to for Minnesota in the games he played in 2020. Really, Rudolph has been the go-to at the Vikings’ tight end position since 2011. Now, he’s on the Giants roster, leaving the door open for Smith Jr. to take full control.

Smith Jr. has earned the ire of a few in the fantasy football community for not breaking out sooner. Between his high second-round draft status and his strong showing in college playing for the NFL skill-position factory Alabama Crimson Tide, many thought that Smith Jr. would be a star from the moment he stepped onto the field.

But Smith Jr’s 36 catches in his rookie season weren’t impressive to many, nor were his 30 catches in his sophomore season. And now, the Vikings’ tight end has fallen down draft boards– despite his newly favorable offensive situation. 

But this could be the breakout year that Smith Jr has needed, as the former Alabama star has set a precedent for thriving without Rudolph in the mix. Through the final four weeks of 2020, the only four games that Rudolph has been inactive since Smith Jr arrived in 2019, the current Minnesota TE1 thrived to the tune of finishing as the overall TE4 in PPR leagues, and the TE3 in standard-scoring formats. 

In those final four games, Smith Jr. recorded half of his total catches for the season, more than half of his yards, and saw a career-high for targets in a game with nine in Week 16 against the Saints, where the Vikings tight end rewarded his offense for the increased opportunity with two receiving touchdowns.

All is set for Smith Jr. to finally reach his potential of a definitive TE1 in any fantasy scoring format– and you could add him to your roster in the very late rounds of your league’s draft.

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