Quarterbacks

Kyler Murray – (47.3% Owned)

As of now, it looks like Kyler Murray will make his 2023 season debut in week 10. Murray is coming off an ACL injury but has been looking good in practice the last few weeks. If he gets the start Murray is always a threat to put up big numbers despite the limited Cardinals offense. If he is available on your waiver wire now is the time to pick him up.

Running Backs

Keaton Mitchell – (3.0% Owned)

The Baltimore Ravens ran all over the Seattle Seahawks this past Sunday. Leading the way for the Ravens was surprising rookie Keaton Michell. He exploded for 138 rushing yards on just 9 carries including a 40-yard touchdown. It’s hard to ignore Mitchell’s upside as he is clearly the most explosive back in Baltimore. Starting him will always be a risk in this crowded backfield but he is definitely worth stashing on your roster.

Wide Receivers

Tank Dell – (52.4% Owned)

How about the Houston Texans offense? The Texans and sensational rookie C.J. Stroud put up 496 total yards of offense against Tampa Bay last Sunday. Almost all of it came through the air as Stroud had 470 passing yards and 5 touchdowns. It was an impressive day for this offense that many thought would be the weakness of the team. Wide receiver Tank Dell caught 2 touchdowns including the game-winner. He is worth grabbing now as the Texans have some favorable matchups coming up.

Tight Ends

Jonnu Smith – (27.6% Owned)

Is Jonnu Smith the best tight end option in Atlanta? Kyle Pitts owners don’t want to hear this but Smith has been the more consistent option. On Sunday Smith had 100 yards receiving including a 60-yard touchdown. He also had 6 targets and has regularly been a part of the offensive game plan. If you need a tight end streamer for week 10, grab Smith as he has a favorable matchup against Arizona.

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Las Vegas Raiders

One of the biggest moves of the day was the Raiders signing quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. This move made sense for a bunch of reasons. The obvious one is the connection with head coach Josh McDainels. On top of that the Raiders offense is full of weapons. Josh Jacobs is coming back on the franchise tag. You have one of the best receivers in the game in Davante Adams and if Darren Waller is healthy watch out. The Raiders also made another sneaky good move this morning acquiring former Patriots stand out Jakobi Meyers. Adams, Meyers and Hunter Renfrow on paper can be one of the best wide receiver groups in the league.

Chicago Bears

The Bears are having an excellent offseason. Not only did they get a haul of picks for the #1 pick in this year’s draft they also acquired stud WR D.J. Moore in the deal. On Monday the Bears worked to sure up one of their biggest weaknesses by acquiring two stud linebackers. Tremaine Edmunds was arguably the best linebacker available and he signed a 4 year deal with Chicago. They also signed LB T.J. Edwards who was a solid piece for the Eagles defense last year. I still expect the Bears to pick up some offensive lineman in the coming weeks.

Atlanta Falcons

Another team that impressed on day 1 of NFL free agency was the Falcons. Early in the day they acquired TE Jonnu Smith from the Patriots while only giving up a 7th round pick. I am really intrigued on how Smith will fit with Kyle Pitts and expect the duo to work well together. Later in the day the Falcons signed former Bengals S Jessie Bates. Bates is underrated in my opinion. He is an excellent safety whom is great against the run. The Falcons were not done as early this morning they picked up QB Taylor Heinicke on a 2 year deal. Heinicke showed in Washington he is an excellent back up that can be called upon if needed to win big games.

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By: Jake Rajala

The dust of the beginning of the 2021 NFL season has settled down and three weeks of NFL action is nearly completed. It’s starting to become clear who the pretenders and contenders are in the NFL. There’s a lot of promise for the clear contenders in the league, while there’s a lot of uncertainty and dim looks for the pretenders in the league. For the pretenders in the league, questions surely loom. 

The biggest question marks will rest with the head coaches, also known as the leaders of the struggling organizations. With that being said, I’m going to outline the coaches that deserve the most scrutiny around the league. 

Robert Saleh

The New York Jets first-year head coach has put on a stingy defense in New York, but he hasn’t been able to have his defense stand out in takeaways or bail out their league’s worst offense. I never liked the popular hire of Robert Saleh, who didn’t forecast a ferocious defense last season and didn’t seem like the best fit for New York. 

Everybody is talking about Sam Darnold going 3-0 without Adam Gase, but nobody is talking about the Jets looking the same this season without Adam Gase. The Jets got absolutely embarrassed by the Denver Broncos in a 26-0 loss today. 

The lop-sided loss that New York encountered today marked the third defeat that New York has consumed this season. In back-to-back weeks, the prized Zach Wilson hasn’t just been awful, but Saleh’s new-look defense has been soft and blatantly unacceptable. If Saleh doesn’t put on a fighting chance for NY this season, he will be yet another former NFL defensive coordinator to run back to his previous prized program (Matt Patricia being the most recent). 

Bill Belichick 

Yes, Patriots HC Bill Belichick has “two hand fulls” of Super Bowl rings. Yet, the Patriots leader has started his team without former longtime Pats QB Tom Brady in the losing category for the second season in a row. 

The Pats, who were led out by the rookie QB Mac Jones, got controlled by the New Orleans Saints in a 28-13 loss, which places them at 1-2 on the season. The worst part of the Pats loss is that they had a very uncharacteristic loss. The Pats allowed a punt to be blocked and they also had numerous special teams penalties. Their big free-agent signing Jonnu Smith also had two terrible drops. The Pats need a strong and quick turnaround if they want to avoid starting 1-3 at the hands of the motivated, 44-year-old Tom Brady next week. 

Pete Carroll 

It’s evident that Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll has succeeded in upsetting Russell Wilson in 2021. The Seahawks legendary QB was furious over the lack of support he’s garnered in his tenure as a Seahawk. Well, it’s becoming more obvious why the great Seattle QB was upset with his situation. The timid 1-2 Seahawks don’t have a competitive pass defense, rushing attack, and the pass protection isn’t quite what it should be for a team holding a generational talent at QB. 

Carroll, who is also the oldest NFL head coach, failed to bring Seattle back to the Super Bowl when the Legion of Boom (LOB) was intact and now it’s looking more and more like he will be unable to bring dangeruss back to the promised land with him in the building. The Seahawks now sit at fourth place in the juggernaut NFC West division with a 1-2 record. Pete Carroll’s team has more talent than the two other squads mentioned on this list, but he will need to find some juice and potentially players if he wants to keep Wilson happy and his team alive in this year’s playoff pursuit.

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By Levi Ellis

When looking at tight end rankings in fantasy football you will find it’s a dim look after the top three to four players.  Rankings are all over the place and you can just as easily make an argument that one guy’s fifteenth ranked tight end could be another guy’s fifth-ranked tight end. 

If you’re reading this article it’s likely that you don’t own one of the top three guys so the most important thing for me when deciding to trade for a player is to find value.  I rarely ever go after a player and give a team a king’s ransom.  I like to look for players that can be scooped up for a value.  Below you will find three players that I believe are currently a value at the tight end position.

The first player on this list is Dallas Goedert.  While Goedert certainly will come with a cost I think his current situation makes him a value.  Many people are worried about the long-term future of the Eagles quarterback situation and that they are likely to be a run first team this year.  The team also just drafted wide receivers in the first round of back to back drafts (Jalen Reagor and Devonta Smith) and Zach Ertz is still on the roster.  All of these things bring uncertainty however one thing is for certain and that is Goedert is a heck of a player.  I believe Ertz will be traded or cut soon and there are rumors that the Eagles are after Deshaun Watson.  Whether the Watson rumors are fact or fiction doesn’t change a lot for me.  I happen to be a firm believer in Jalen Hurts talent and while he is definitely not at Watson’s level I think Hurts can be a solid starting quarterback in the NFL.  The Eagles have also shown in the past that they will be aggressive in acquiring talent so if Hurts doesn’t work out I have no doubt they will find another quarterback.  Goedert will also be a free agent after this season so he could just as easily sign with another team this offseason.  Imagine if Goedert were to leave via free agency next season and sign with a team like Seattle, Buffalo or the LA Chargers.  Goedert may not be a top five tight end this season but if you’re playing in dynasty he has all the tools to be a consistent top ten player year in and year out and his value is likely to never be lower than it is right now.  

Another tight end that I believe is at a great value right now is Jonnu Smith.  Smith flashed quite a bit early last season before falling out of the game plan in Tennessee.  Smith has a ton of talent and is special with the ball in his hands.  I think a lot of people are concerned about Smith because he and Hunter Henry both signed with New England this offseason, however that is exactly why I like him even more.  New England has shown the dedication and willingness to involve the tight end in the offense and they have proven experience with running two tight end formations and were extremely successful in doing so.  I believe that Smith will play the Hernandez role while Henry will play the Gronk role.  I know that analogy doesn’t seem to make the case for Smith as much as it does for Henry but my point is both tight ends were special in that offense and I think Smith will be the big play vertical guy while Henry will be the more inline blocker and middle of the field guy.  Also, take into consideration that New England does not have a bonafide top wide receiver on the roster that will demand ten plus targets a game.  Smith and Henry can also both be special regardless of which quarterback plays.  Cam likes to throw to the big-bodied players which is great for both Smith and Henry and if Cam’s accuracy really is as bad as what we saw last season he isn’t likely to sling it to the outside as much which means he will be looking for the dump-offs which just happens to be what Smith excels at.  If Mac Jones comes in at some point this also should work out well for Smith.  Rookie quarterbacks tend to lean on the tight end position to serve as a security blanket and Jones would have two of them. I think New England would then build the offense to get the ball out of Jones’s hands quickly, something that he’s great at, and again that works out well for Smith with screens, dump-offs, and slants.  Regardless of Henry or which quarterback plays, Smith is destined to be involved in the offense and he has the talent to succeed and you may not get a better time to buy than now.

I have been pounding the table all offseason to buy this next guy because his value has taken such a hit that he is an incredible value and that guy is Zach Ertz.  Look I don’t expect Ertz to be a top-three tight end this season but I do expect him to be a top ten guy and likely more in the five to seven range.  Although Ertz hasn’t yet been traded or released I think the time is coming and will happen before the season starts.  Philadelphia needs to move on both for cap space as well as to let Goedert out of his cage.  I expect Ertz to land with a team like Buffalo or Indianapolis and I believe he would be a focal point of either offense.  If he did join Indianapolis he would also be reunited with his old quarterback, Carson Wentz and we know that they already have a connection.  By all accounts, Ertz is now healthy and you better believe he will be ready to prove that he still has it.  It feels like the consensus in the fantasy community is that Ertz is washed up but the guy is just thirty years old and only one year removed from an 88 catch season.  The talent is still there and if a zip code change is in store you better believe there will be a chip on his shoulder this season.

If you’re shopping for a tight end this offseason these are three great players to buy if you can get good value from their current owner and while there are other tight ends out there that I like, I believe these three may be at the best bargains.  Good luck on your search and remember to always buy at a value!

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By: Chris Thomas

The Tennesee Titans prioritize signing defensive playmakers like Bud Dupree and Denico Autry early in free agency. However, in the process of signing those players, they lost two of their top pass catchers from a season ago.

After a breakout season in 2020-21 former fifth overall pick, Corey Davis signed a 3 year $37.5 million deal with the New York Jets. Former Titans starting tight end Jonnu Smith also left the team for the New England Patriots. Smith signed a 4 year $50 million deal making him the richest tight end in NFL history.

When both Corey Davis and Jonnu Smith’s production from a season ago is accounted for the Titan’s offense has lost 106 receptions for 1,432 yards and 13 touchdowns in free agency. Removing that type of production will impact an offense the following season. It will also impact the fantasy values of the players on that offense.

Here is how the removal of Corey Davis and Jonnu Smith from the Titans offense impacts their fantasy-relevant offensive players.

Ryan Tannehill 

Last year was Ryan Tannehill’s first full season as the Titans starting quarterback. Despite a dip in production between weeks 7 and 10 where he only averaged 15.26 points per game against some tough opponents, Tannehill finished the year as the seventh-highest scoring fantasy quarterback. He averaged 21.9 points per game last year. 

Unless the Titans replace Corey Davis and Jonnu Smith with available free agent veterans or early in the draft, it is more than likely that Tannehill’s production will drop. Davis and Smith made up 37.6% of Tannehill’s completions, 43.5% of Tannehill’s passing yards, and 39.4% of his passing touchdowns in 2020-21. 

That production won’t be completely lost. Other pieces in Tennessee should take on a chunk of that production. But the less talented weapons that Tannehill will have this upcoming season won’t be able to replicate the production Davis and Smith have done in this offense the past few seasons. 

From a fantasy standpoint, Ryan Tannehill drops out of the weekly starting territory in standard ten team leagues. Instead, he becomes a bye-week replacement quarterback that is likely on the waiver wire for most of the season like Kirk Cousins, Derek Carr, or Matt Ryan. Tannehill should finish in-between the range of QB12-15.

Derrick Henry

Derrick Henry was one of the only first-round fantasy running backs that did not disappoint last season. Henry was taken in the middle of the first round in most standard leagues and finished the year with 331.1 PPR points which was third among running backs only behind Alvin Kamara and Dalvin Cook. Henry averaged 20.8 points per game and had four performances with over 35 PPR points per game.

Since Corey Davis and Jonnu Smith have left the Titans Henry becomes even more important to the Titan’s success because he is one of their only playmakers. New Titans offensive coordinator Todd Dowling may actually put more of an emphasis on the running game than they did under Arthur Smith. That is crazy to think about considering the Titans were second in the league in team rushing yards, rushing touchdowns, and rushing attempts. On top of that, they were also second in the league in rushing yards per carry with 5.2 yards per attempt.

The only downside to Henry having a larger role in the offense is that teams will be able to stack the box against Henry more frequently and could have more success. Due to the lack of playmakers that have surrounded Henry over the last couple of seasons defenses will put more focus on Henry and will stack the box with defenders to limit Henry’s production. Defenses will want to take their chances on leaving Titans playmakers (outside of A.J. Brown) in single coverage on early downs and short-yardage situations in order to try to keep Henry at or behind the line of scrimmage.

So overall the impact of Corey Davis and Jonnu Smith leaving Tennesee on Derrick Henry is that he should receive more carries than he has in previous years. But his yards per carry could go down because defenses now do not have to worry as much about the Titans passing attack beating them if they focus solely on Henry. This leaves Henry in a similar position as he was before Tennesee lost Davis and Smith. Henry should still be drafted in the first round in fantasy drafts and should be an RB1 in all leagues. He will still be in similar fantasy territory as Dalvin Cook, Christian McCaffrey, and Alvin Kamara next season.

A.J. Brown

In his second season, A.J. Brown continued to show the big play ability he showed during his rookie season. However in 2020-21, Brown was more consistent with his production. Fantasy owners felt more comfortable playing Brown every week knowing he would likely put up between 12-21 PPR points per game when he was healthy. Despite playing in only 14 games last year Brown scored the 12th most fantasy points among wide receivers last season. His 17.7 PPR points per game was sixth among wide receivers.

Brown has the most to benefit from former teammates Corey Davis and Jonnu Smith signing elsewhere. Now that Brown is far and away the most dangerous weapon in the Titans passing attack he could be in line for a career year. Secondaries may pay Brown more attention. But it shouldn’t affect his overall production considering the defenses already paid Brown the most attention out of the Titans pass catchers when Davis and Smith were on the team. Brown should definitely see a major increase in targets which should lead to an increase in total production.

It is insane to think about what Brown’s numbers could jump to in 2020-21. He already led the team in targets, catches, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns. Now that the Titans second and third highest producing players in each of those categories are gone Brown should receive a large percentage of that production go his way.

If the Titans do not add any other major playmakers and Brown could stay healthy for the 2021-22 NFL season he could easily rise to WR1 conversation in fantasy in standard leagues. It would be hard to imagine Brown not exceeding his 17.7 PPR points per game from a season ago. Last year he was able to put up that type of production with only one game where he reached double-digit targets and receptions. That game was Week 17 against the Houston Texans where he had ten catches on eleven targets for 151 yards and a touchdown.

Next season A.J. Brown could reach the upside and production of other star wide receivers like DeAndre Hopkins, Stefon Diggs, and Calvin Ridley. All of which should be drafted as WR1’s next year in fantasy in all formats.

Josh Reynolds

In order to soften the blow of losing Corey Davis, the Tennesee Titans signed former Los Angeles Rams receiver Josh Reynolds to a one-year $1.75 million deal. For the last couple of seasons, Reynolds has been the fourth wide receiver in Sean McVay’s offense. He was able to fill into any receiver’s role in the Rams offense whether it was being the team’s deep threat or creating plays over the middle in the slot.

His versatility has made him a great insurance policy for when Cooper Kupp was hurt in 2018, Brandin Cooks was hurt in 2019, or 2020 second-round pick Van Jefferson wasn’t ready to become one of the Ram starting receivers. During his eight starts in 2018-19, Reynolds had 29 catches for 402 yards and five touchdowns. This past season Reynolds had career highs with 52 receptions on 81 targets for 618 yards during thirteen starts.

Automatically Reynolds is considered the second receiver on the Titans depth chart. He is not only the team’s second receiver but could also be considered the team’s second option in the passing game. Reynolds has never been more than a team’s third-option offense. It is very possible that Reynolds could have the best season of his career during the 2020-21 season in Tennesee.

Due to the lack of consistent fantasy-relevant production in the past and depth at the wide receiver position, it is hard to expect much out of Reynolds in a standard ten-team league. However, in a 12 team or deeper PPR league’s Reynolds could be a sleeper due to the number of targets he will see. Reynolds shouldn’t be drafted in standard leagues but could be a player to take a flier on in deeper leagues as a sleeper. If Reynolds thrives in his new role in Tennesee he could creep his way into flex territory in deeper leagues. If that was the case Reynolds would be in the same range as wide receivers like Randall Cobb, Denzel Mims, and Allen Lazard.

Anthony Firkser

The Tennessee Titans managed to retain one of their pass-catching tight ends Anthony Firkser on a one-year deal. Now that Jonnu Smith is a member of the New England Patriots, Firkser will likely be the Titans starting tight end last season. Last season when Smith missed Weeks 12 & 13 Firkser became a popular fantasy pick-up. Even though he disappointed in Week 12 against the Colts he showed promise filling in for Smith Week 13 against the Browns. He had five catches on seven targets for 51 yards. That was good for 10.1 PPR points, which many will take from their starting tight end considering the lack of depth and talent at the position.

Firkser has a great relationship with new Titans offensive coordinator Todd Downing because Downing has been the Titan’s tight end coach since 2019. Since Downing is so familiar with Firkser he may plan on making him a featured player in the Titans offense next season. Firkser’s only competition for the team’s second option in the passing game is Josh Reynolds.

Even though production from the tight end position in fantasy has been scarce over the last number of years there are still better options than Firkser who should be drafted in standard 10 team fantasy leagues. Firkser should be considered a fringe TE2 in fantasy leagues. He should be valued between TE15-25. Other tight ends within that range include Dan Arnold, Eric Ebron, and Jimmy Graham. However much like the players previously mention Firkser has the upside to finish within the top-10 if he has a breakout season.

When both Corey Davis and Jonnu Smith’s production from a season ago is accounted for the Titans offense has lost 106 receptions for 1,432 yards and 13 touchdowns in free agency. Removing that type of production will impact an offense the following season. It will also impact the fantasy values of the players on that offense.

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