The 2022 fantasy football season is nearly upon us again, and for sure there will be big names and overrated players whom managers will draft. On the opposite end of the spectrum, there are also those who are quite underrated. Here, we'll focus on three undervalued fantasy football tight ends based on their 2022 average draft position. We'll incorporate top fantasy football ADP values as well.
Many people, of course, would rather pick a stud tight end like Travis Kelce or Kyle Pitts. Drafting a ready-to-play tight end in the first few rounds offers some advantages. Spending considerable draft capital on a tight end rather than a great running back or wide receiver, on the other hand, might be troublesome. Another possibility is to choose two tight ends in the late rounds. This means that drafting your TEs can potentially make or break your roster.
The greatest tight end draft approach is perhaps “great or late,” in which you either pay the premium to choose a stellar tight end like Kelce or even George Kittle. On the flip side, you can also wait until the latter rounds and hope for a weekly starter.
On elite pass-heavy teams, the best alternatives are TEs who demand targets at all levels of the field and produce plays after the catch. A talented tight end on a run-balanced offense with a high projected win total and little target competition, for example, is preferable to the same situation with numerous teammates competing for opportunities. In a quality pass-happy offense, though, two strong pass-catching options can coexist.
Having said that, let's take a look at three undervalued fantasy football tight ends for 2022.
Undervalued fantasy football tight ends
3. Zach Ertz
Zach Ertz's midseason trade from Philadelphia to Arizona was significant because it allowed him to separate himself from former teammate Dallas Goedert and finish as the TE10. He's in a fantastic position to pick up crucial targets for Kyler Murray, more so with DeAndre Hopkins out for a bit.
In 11 games with the Cardinals last year, Ertz showed that he still had some juice left in him. He averaged 52.2 receiving yards per game, which matches his career average. Because Hopkins was unable to play, Ertz led the Cardinals in target share throughout his 11 games with the team. During that time, Ertz averaged seven receptions per game (24% target share).
With the Cardinals, Ertz averaged 11.9 points per game, putting him solidly in the mid-TE1 range. Despite the fact that Ertz is heading towards the end of his career, he has proven that he can still be a fantasy TE1 in the right conditions. Right now, his ADP is at around 95, but he should be a bit better than that.
Last season, Dallas Cowboys TE Dalton Schultz finished as the club's third tight end behind Travis Kelce and Mark Andrews. Right now, the scenario remains favorable with the team figuring life out without Amari Cooper. Dallas also has an ill Michael Gallup behind CeeDee Lamb. Schultz will remain an important intermediate and red-zone presence for QB Dak Prescott.
Following a terrific season as PFF's sixth-highest-graded tight end (78.2), the Cowboys placed Dalton Schultz on the franchise tag and released veteran Blake Jarwin.
Big D also ranked sixth in route participation (77%) and third in total routes run (586). Schultz will be in the back-end fantasy TE1 conversation for the third consecutive season because of his highly desired role within the constraints of a high-powered offense.
Keep in mind that since the start of 2020, only Darren Waller, Travis Kelce, and Mark Andrews have scored more fantasy points at tight end.
With Prescott's confidence in hand and Cooper out the door, Schultz should improve on his ninth-ranked 16% target share entering Year 5. His current ADP is at around 64, but he also presents more upside than that ADP suggests.
1. Logan Thomas
Logan Thomas of the Washington Commanders finished third among tight ends in PPR leagues in 2020. He trailed only Travis Kelce and Darren Waller. Thomas played an important role in Washington's offense, ranking third among all NFL tight ends in both targets (110) and catches (72).
Fast forward to 2021, and Thomas had a solid first three games. In fact, he scored two touchdowns. Thomas ranked ninth among tight ends in fantasy points through Week 3. Unfortunately, he suffered a hamstring injury in Week 4 against the Atlanta Falcons.
Thomas is admittedly a bit of a risk due to his ACL injury, but there is plenty of upside here. His current ADP is at 225. In fantasy football drafts, he is often the 25th tight end taken. Furthermore, he is only listed in 7.3 percent of ESPN leagues.
Keep in mind that he was a top-ten fantasy tight end last season when healthy, and he has minimal competition on the Commanders' depth chart. John Bates, their number two tight end, got only 25 targets in 17 games last season.
Furthermore, Thomas has the ability to establish himself as the Commanders' second receiver. Outside of Terry McLaurin, no player had 400+ receiving yards in 2021. He could be fantasy football gold given the right positioning. Thomas is a solid TE2 with TE1 potential.
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