O.J. Howard burst onto the scene during the 2015 National Championship Game. Howard torched Clemson for 208 yards and two touchdowns. The following season, he finished with 45 catches for 595 yards and three touchdowns for Alabama. This led to him being drafted 19th overall in the 2017 NFL Draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Heading into 2019, the Buccaneers are hoping that Howard can turn into the next star at the tight end position. In fantasy football, there is a significant drop off after the top three tight ends. Could Howard jump up into that fourth position?
Durability Issues
Howard is one of the most athletic tight ends in the league. He ran a 4.51 during the combine before getting drafted. Howard is 6'6 and 250 pounds. When on the field, he has shown that he can be a star. Howard is averaging 16.6 yards per reception throughout his career. He has 11 touchdowns in 24 games including six last season in just 24 catches.
The problem for the Alabama product has been staying on the field. He has missed eight games in his career. After a strong start in 2018, he missed the final six games. This makes him a risk in fantasy football. Howard has an extremely high upside which is going to raise him to a mid-round pick. On the other hand, the reward could be worst the risk. Drafting Howard is taking a chance on a player who can be elite but has not proved that he can stay on the field.
The Bruce Arians Effect
Dirk Koetter was fired after three seasons in Tampa Bay. He led the Buccaneers to back-to-back 5-11 seasons. The Buccaneers brought Bruce Arians to town to be their new head coach. Arians announced retirement after the 2017 season and took a job with CBS. He decided to come out of retirement when the Bucs offered him a four-year contract. Arians saw success when coaching the Arizona Cardinals, however, his tight ends did not.
During five seasons in Arizona, Arians' tight ends ranked 31st in fantasy points. Arians has never coached a tight end like Howard. His list includes players like Rob Housler, Jermaine Gresham, and Ricky Seals-Jones. Arians is a coach who focuses on his wide receivers and likes to use running backs at a high rate in the passing game. This has also forced tight ends to be put on the back burner. Howard has the raw talent to change this narrative in 2019.
Final Outlook
Rob Gronkowski will not be available in this year's fantasy draft. The top three at the tight end position are Travis Kelce, Zach Ertz, and George Kittle. Beginning at four, it will get interesting. There is an abundance of question marks including Evan Engram and Hunter Henry. Howard falls into that category but could be the fourth tight end at the end of the season.
With Mike Evans as the top receiver on the team and Cameron Brate hanging around, Howard's production could be questioned. There is no doubt that Howard is one of the most talented tight ends in the league. He has the ability to be the next star at the position. Jameis Winston has been known to lean on his tight ends. Howard could turn into the safety blanket that Ertz is in Philadelphia. Tight ends are not traditionally taken early in a fantasy draft, and Howard should not be either. If you do not get one of the top three, wait until mid-rounds to take a chance on Howard.
Follow Us
Subscribe