The Fantasy Football Archivers
The Fantasy Football Archivers will be taking a deep dive looking at the past Fantasy Football season to compare the ADP VS top 10 finishes for Quarterbacks, Running backs, Wide receivers, Tight Ends. Where Zach Waldron and Jon Miller aka J-MiL will be helping you compare the previous season to make you better at drafting for the years to come. Each season will consist of 4 episodes and the episodes will be released every 2 weeks.
ADP stands for Average Draft Position
Follow us on -
X - https://x.com/TheFFArchivers
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/fantasyfootballarchivers/
The Fantasy Football Archivers
The Crazy 2024 Fantasy Football Tight End Shockers: ADP Insights and Top 10 Outcomes
The tight end position experienced a revolutionary shift in 2024, as fantasy football managers witnessed the emergence of dominant rookies alongside surprising veteran performances that upended traditional draft strategies and expectations.
At the heart of this transformation was rookie phenom Brock Bowers, who shattered expectations with a historic 112-reception, 1,194-yard season that propelled him to the overall TE1 position despite modest touchdown production. Not far behind, Trey McBride established himself as the anchor of Arizona's passing attack with 111 catches and over 1,100 yards, proving that he's more than capable of carrying a significant offensive load alongside young star receiver Marvin Harrison Jr.
While the youth movement commanded attention, George Kittle demonstrated why he remains one of the most reliable tight ends in the game, finishing third overall despite missing two games. His eight touchdowns and over 1,100 yards reaffirmed his elite status even as 49ers weapons dealt with various injuries throughout the season. Meanwhile, Travis Kelce managed to finish fifth despite career-low production in yards and touchdowns, showcasing his resilience at age 35.
Perhaps most revealing were the disappointments and surprises that defined the position. High draft picks like Dalton Kincaid (ADP TE5) and Kyle Pitts (ADP TE7) finished well outside the top 10, while unexpected contributors like Jonnu Smith (TE4), Zach Ertz (TE7), and Tucker Kraft (TE10) delivered tremendous return on minimal investment. These outcomes highlight the inherent volatility of the position and call into question traditional drafting strategies that prioritize tight ends early.
The data reveals a fascinating truth about the tight end landscape: only three players (Bowers, McBride, and Kittle) surpassed 1,000 receiving yards, while touchdown production varied wildly across the board. Mark Andrews rode 11 touchdowns to a TE6 finish despite modest reception totals, while David Njoku finished just outside the top 10 despite playing only 11 games.
These insights suggest fantasy managers should approach tight end drafting with flexible strategies that acknowledge both the position's volatility and the potential for finding later-round gems. Whether you're considering an early investment in youth or hunting for value in the middle rounds, understanding how 2024's outcomes challenge conventional wisdom could be your edge in conquering fantasy football's most unpredictable position.
Have you adjusted your tight end strategy based on the lessons of 2024? Share your thoughts and join us for more fantasy football insights that help you stay ahead of your competition.
Follow us on -
X - https://x.com/TheFFArchivers
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/fantasyfootballarchivers/
Website - https://thefantasyfootballarchivers.buzzsprout.com
Welcome to the Fantasy Football Archivers podcast with your host, zach Waldron, and John Miller, aka J Mill.
Speaker 2:Hello and welcome to Season 3, episode 4 of the Fantasy Football Archivers. My name is Zach Waldron, with your co-host, jay Mill. Hey, hey, and on today's episode we are going to be looking at the 2024 season for tight end ADP versus top 10 finishes. To kick everything off, we're going to look over at the tight end ADP. At number 1 was Travis Kelsey at 20.8 for single quarterback. Number two was Sam Laporta at 24.8. Mark Andrews at 45.8. Trey McBride at 46. Dalton Kincaid at 51.6. George Kittle at 53.2. Kyle Pitts at 55.3. Evan Ingram at 67.6. Brock Bowers at 79.8,. David Njoku at 84, jake Ferguson at 86.6. And that was 10A and 10B for Njoku and Ferguson. Okay, then at Superflex Travis Kelsey at 27.9,. Sam Laporte at 26.6,. Mark Andrews at 47.5. Trey McBride at 39.4. Dalton Kincaid at 49.8. George Kittle at 69.3. Kyle Pitts at 61.1. Evan Ingram at 68.2. Brock Bowers at 83.1. David Njoku at 87.4. Jake Ferguson at 85.
Speaker 3:Yeah, a lot different there.
Speaker 2:There was a through that entire superflex list you had for adp.
Speaker 3:They were all jumping all over the round yeah, I'm not even gonna try to break that down. That was like you were like halfway through and I was kind of like, oh my goodness, this is just too much bouncing around in my head already it's almost like the younger guys jumped up and the older guys dropped yeah, I'm gonna guess that has maybe something to do with like more like superflex, dynasty and whatnot, and it would be more interesting to see what, like the, the dynasty versus um redraft numbers were at at different times.
Speaker 3:Sometimes I'm guessing that superflex will lean a tad more the Dynasty direction.
Speaker 2:I mean it feels like for Dynasty, everyone is in Superflex. Yeah, it's like you had Sam Laporta jump the one, kelsey dropped the two, mcbride jumped the three, andrews the four, kincaid at five, kyle Pitts up the six, ingram at seven, kittle at eight. Then you had Bowers, njoku and Ferguson.
Speaker 3:Yeah, that has to be factoring in Dynasty too, and not just Superflex. It must, yeah, it has to be.
Speaker 2:Because, if you look at it, besides Kelsey and Andrews, everyone else who jumped up is all young Yep. All right, so let's get over to the top 10. J-mill, can you guess the top 10 for the 2024 season for tight ends?
Speaker 3:Well, it was Bowers' one. That is the easiest part to remember because records broken and whatnot. Man Kelsey did not have that season, but it's impossible to imagine Kelsey not staying in the top 10. Mark Andrews something happened early on, but then he was on a tear later on. I'm going to guess that Mark Andrews like something happened early on, but then he was on a tear later on. I'm going to guess that Mark Andrews finished above Kelsey. Yeah, I'm going to guess that Mark Andrews finished above Kelsey. And there's somewhere, probably man, who are the top 10?. I'm trying to think McBride has to be up there. Kittle actually, was Kittle healthy every game this year?
Speaker 2:George Kittle. Let's see George Kittle missed two games.
Speaker 3:So he missed two games in a year, that we had Iuke missing a lot, we had CMC missing a lot. I think that Kittle of the old guard, kittle has to be the guy who finished the highest and I'm going to guess that he's somewhere in that top five range. Man, I'm trying to really think. I feel like Laporta probably completely fell out of the top 10 and I know pits it wasn't in that top 10, so I'm trying to think who the replacements are. Was ninjoku on the list?
Speaker 2:yeah right it for adp?
Speaker 3:he was yeah I'm gonna guess ninjoku field filled in one of those bottom you know three spots that he normally fills in. Okay, and let's see big surprises this past year, besides bowers I, I remember giziki a lot. I remember johnny smith a lot. Um, feel like I remember zach urts a lot. So I'm going to get giziki, urts and smith on to my top 10. So what? I'm at bowers one, I'm at mcbride two.
Speaker 3:Um, I'm really not sure who comes after that, but there's Kittle above Andrews, above Kelsey, all in the top 10 in some way or another. Okay, and then that's five. And Joker, towards the bottom is six, seven, eight. Nine will be Jonu Smith, mike Kosicki and Zach Ertz, and I'm thinking something like a Tucker Craft or a Cade Otten for that 11-10. I feel like I remember their names more often than not. I don't think Tucker Craft had all the receptions or yards, but I feel like I remember him scoring a lot of touchdowns and highlights. And I feel like I remember Cade Otten having a lot of receptions and yards when Chris Godwin was down. Highlights and I feel like I remember kate otten having a lot of receptions in yards when chris godwin was down. So, man, touchdowns have got to be king right, there's no way cotton had the volume.
Speaker 2:I'll squeeze tucker craft into that final spot, right above david and joku okay, so you're one and two spots that you have locked in, you said is brock bowers at one and trey mcbride at two. Yeah, so who would be? Who would be? Be three, three to 10, then.
Speaker 3:Man.
Speaker 2:Out of the ones you said.
Speaker 3:I feel like I heard so much from it has to be Kittle, Kittle has to be three. Okay, yeah, Cause he did. Purdy didn't have like, Purdy had an off year but the 49ers often, and the 49ers had an off year but their offense wasn't completely stagnant. I'd have to imagine that Kittle had a few multi-touchdown games in there and that he had a good amount of 100-yard games in there. So I mean, after that, my guess is going somewhere to the 4-5 being rounded out with some combination of Zach Ertz, Mike Gusecki, Johnnie Smith.
Speaker 2:Okay, so 4-5 and 6 will be Zach Ertz, mike Gusecki andnie Smith. Okay, so four or five and six you will be Zachary, mike Gusecki and Johnnie Smith.
Speaker 3:Yeah, and then we'll go Mark Andrews at seven, we'll go Travis Kelsey at eight, we'll go um David Nujoku at nine, and uh, 10, 11 is going to be, uh, craft cotton.
Speaker 2:Okay, so to for the 2024 season for tight end. Well, number one and two you got correct with brock bowers and trey mcbride. Oh, awesome, yeah, well, I mean that those are the easy ones, right? Yeah, number three was george kittle okay, nice.
Speaker 3:Number four was johnny smith. Okay, so I didn't quite put him there, but I called him in the four through six range, right yeah, number five was travis kelsey really kelsey actually did much better than I remembered him doing.
Speaker 2:I guess he's still travis kelsey right, or travis swift you're still, everyone's still gonna get on you for that travis swift yeah, no, I mean it's.
Speaker 3:It's pretty clear when he retires he's gonna take her name and he's gonna they're gonna settle down together right number six was mark andrews.
Speaker 2:Okay, number seven was zach ertz cool ertz is.
Speaker 3:I mean not quite where I put him, but number eight was sam laporta. Really, laporta stayed in the top 10. Yeah, next you're gonna tell me that kyle pitt stayed there no, not quite okay, number nine.
Speaker 2:you this might surprise you, but Pat Frymuth, oh man.
Speaker 3:I feel like I'm eating some crow hair now and then.
Speaker 2:number 10 was Tucker Craft.
Speaker 3:Okay, so I got Tucker Craft. So no, mike Gusecki.
Speaker 2:Mike Gusecki. He finished 13.
Speaker 3:Okay, where did Njoku and Otten finish?
Speaker 2:Njoku finished 11. Okay, with only playing 11 games.
Speaker 3:Ah see, if I would have remembered only 11 games. That would be the difference between keeping him in and bumping him out.
Speaker 2:But still for only playing 11 games, finishing at 11. Yeah, and then Cade Otten finished at 14.
Speaker 3:Okay, so I wasn't that crazy off. Who rounded out that top 14 at the 12 spot 12 was Hunter Henry OK, cool.
Speaker 2:And then the 15 spot was Kyle Pitts.
Speaker 3:OK yeah, but 15 at tight end isn't much of anything.
Speaker 2:I feel no, not at all. It's yeah, you want your top 10, mostly for tight end, but it's mostly your top 10 and up.
Speaker 3:And yeah, but there were stretches last season where kate otten was was winning, was helping you win that position versus your opponent oh one production was like otten's production was all grouped together when there was less weapons available yes, so let's go over their top 10 finishes.
Speaker 2:Okay, brock bowers he's a historic. Yes, I'm gonna bring in another player that we're gonna compare with him, just because of the rookie catch record in malik neighbors, who we spoke about on the last episode, and wires for the wide receivers. It's just crazy malik neighbors 109 for catches, sets the record and then brock barrows comes out at 112 see I'm.
Speaker 3:I'm just gonna say something really quick. Number one yes, malik neighbors does have the advantage of being a wide receiver, but I know that Gardner Minshew, aiden O'Connell isn't an answer, but it's better than Tommy DeVito and Drew Locke.
Speaker 2:Oh 100%.
Speaker 3:So he did have a better person throwing it to him, I feel like. And another one of those things too is there was a few other offensive weapons. I mean, I guess jim kobe myers had a decent season for the raiders, so I'm not going to go there, never mind but it's like I'd rather have gardner minchu throwing the ball instead of tommy devito and drew lock with.
Speaker 3:That said, it's still pretty impressive either way, because like that's a tight end competing against a wide receiver, and you know. So I'm not trying to take anything away, but I would still rather have like if I was building a team, like I would still rather have neighbors over bowers. I feel like what bowers did last year isn't sustainable through the course of a full career and, uh, what neighbors did is we're gonna get to him later in the list, but but Sam Laporta, last year his rookie year.
Speaker 2:He goes off and then he fell in his sophomore year.
Speaker 3:Yeah, he didn't go off the way Bowers did, though let's not take anything from Bowers.
Speaker 2:No, but yeah, Bowers, he had 112 catches, 1,194 yards and only five touchdowns, though.
Speaker 3:Yeah, can you imagine how much more dominant this would be if he had more touchdowns?
Speaker 2:I'm pretty sure he wouldn't be. No one would be close to him. Yeah, but Bowers was the only weapon for the Raiders last year.
Speaker 3:No, Jacoby Myers was a pretty decent weapon.
Speaker 2:He was there, but nowhere close to what Bowers had.
Speaker 3:He put up top 20 wide receiver numbers though, Okay.
Speaker 2:So then at number two, trey mcbride yeah, he's finally coming to his own.
Speaker 3:there's no more earths there with him, he's. There's wasn't a ton of going on in the weapon department as far as you know, people who catch passes other than like james connor, because marvin harrison jr, who was uh supposed to save that passing game, um, is going to take a little more time to develop than some of the other receivers that came in. Not that that's a slight against Marvin Harrison Jr. If you look at his numbers, they were still pretty good and in a different year he might actually be the number one receiver. It's just he has the unfortunate coming in with Brian Thomas Jr, malik neighbors and, yeah, vlad McConkie.
Speaker 2:Trey McBride. He had 111 catches. Yep, I'm pretty sure that's the only reason why he's tight end number two.
Speaker 3:Yeah, well, that's enough.
Speaker 2:Well, I mean, his yards was 1,146 and only two touchdowns.
Speaker 3:Yeah, he was a reliable target. He was the guy who Murray and company went to when they were in trouble.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you knew he carried you all the way through the season just because of his catches, Yep, and I'm pretty sure he will probably be that consistent top five tight end.
Speaker 3:Yeah well it's one of those things where Marvin Harrison Jr if he does get to where he's supposed to be, mcbride will have less catches but he'll have more touchdowns.
Speaker 2:Oh, 100%, the field's going to be more open for him.
Speaker 3:Yep, and then number three, George Kittle. What can you say about George Kittle other than he does what George Kittle does. He almost never leads the position I think he did one year but he's always in the top five. It doesn't really matter if the weapons around him are injured. It doesn't really matter how many games he sits on the bench, unless he misses like half the season or more. It just Kittle does what Kittle does. He finishes in that three to five range every single year.
Speaker 2:He always is never in a top five ADP for getting drafted, but he's always finishing his top five tenant.
Speaker 3:Yeah, because people are afraid, because Because when you draft Kittle you have to draft the tight end for the weeks you know he's going to miss.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's the problem. But still for the season that he had. It's more that it's the eight touchdowns that he had that put him over and he had 78 catches for 1,106 yards. But it's that eight touchdowns.
Speaker 3:Yep, and the other thing with why people don't go to Kittle early on, it's it's pretty simple. It's because, like he does typically a lot of boom and bust games throughout of, uh, throughout his career, like he wins you weeks but then he like cost you weeks also.
Speaker 2:He's, but he's been that way his entire career.
Speaker 3:Correct.
Speaker 2:Kittle's a guy you're happy to end up with. He's not a guy you're happy to draft early. That is true. And then, at number four, a surprise name for who?
Speaker 3:I don't he hasn't done much, his career is johnny smith you know, when your quarterback throws for over 5 000 yards, that is being considered a mvp candidate. When he's on a team that didn't make the playoffs, you better have a tight end. That went over a thousand, but the thing, or at least got close to it I was gonna say johnny smith was not over a thousand yards.
Speaker 2:Now what, what, like 850 or something.
Speaker 3:It was at 884, 88 catches for eight touchdowns yeah, you know, because whenever jamar chase or t higgins are tackled, uh, short of the goal line, he's gonna be the number one target. We all know joe burrow is not sneaking it in.
Speaker 2:You're thinking of wrong team. Johnnie Smith was in Miami.
Speaker 3:Oh see, this confuses me even more, because how the heck did Mike is sicky not make this list? I don't know. Okay, so I'm like talking circles around, nothing like man. How? I just remember him. Okay, so Johnnie Smith was in Miami. Wow, you know what it is. Those two are just mediocre tight ends their whole careers, it felt like, and they've been around so long, it's so easy to get the two of them confused with each other.
Speaker 2:Oh man, or it's like Jonu Smith he started in Tennessee, went to New England, atlanta, didn't do much all those years and then goes to Miami and has a top five tight end performance.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I guess it was in the weeks Tua wasn't around he did his most damage. Or was it just because, when Tua finally did come back, he needed a little more? He released the ball a little quicker and made it less for.
Speaker 2:Tyreek Possibly. I know I had Jonu Smith this year and he did have all those boom and bust games, though he had those games where Tua was healthy and he was getting all the underneath stuff because everyone was covering waddle and tyreek and I guess two took a little less time to pass because of what happened earlier on in the year.
Speaker 3:Um, wow man, yeah, I I'm not sure how I had a share of johnny smith somewhere, I'm not sure where, but like I'm not really sure where it came from. I know where mike gisecki should have come from, but apparently he was.
Speaker 2:He's not on this list no, and you completely thought that mike joseki was still in miami yeah, I, I guess.
Speaker 3:So well, no, I know I was. Yeah, I was talking about the, the bangles tight end, like I don't know. I feel like I'm not the only person who's ever made this mistake.
Speaker 2:And then at number five, Travis Kelsey, aka Travis Swift.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I mean I guess his year wasn't quite as bad as I thought it was, Like it started off really bad. I guess he had a little bit more of a comeback in the second half than I thought he did. Either that or this tight end list isn't as strong as I thought it was.
Speaker 2:It's more for Travis Kelsey. He has 97 catches for 823 and three. Okay, it's the catches.
Speaker 3:So the yards were pretty historically low for him, the touchdowns were historically low, but the catches were still up there.
Speaker 2:Literally the top three Brock Bowers, trey McBride, george Kittle they're the only tight ends who went over a thousand yards Okay, everybody else is under a thousand Gotcha ends who went over a thousand yards okay, everybody else is under a thousand gotcha. But yeah, travis kelsey he even though everybody thinks he's gonna fall off but he's not he's still usually the number one tight end getting drafted in leagues and he's still a top five tight end I mean, gone are the days of reaching for travis kelsey in the first round of drafts, or even the second round of drafts at this point in time.
Speaker 3:But uh, at the same time, travis kelsey is still a commodity to have on your team in fantasy football yes, it's like.
Speaker 2:Do I want him on my team? No, but can he be reliable for you throughout games?
Speaker 3:yes, yeah, I mean I'll take him on my team. I'm as a matter of fact, he's going to be much cheaper unless he, unless you're in a league with people who don't know what they're doing and they're just going to take him early on anyway, in which case he won't be much cheaper but the also.
Speaker 3:The other thing is we're talking about travis kelsey is no gray just finished outside of the top 20 okay no, gray is the backup tight end for casey yeah, I was about to say I don't feel threatened by no gray if I'm travis kelsey no, you don't, or if? I'm a Travis Kelsey fantasy manager.
Speaker 2:No. Then number six, Mark Andrews, who probably pissed a lot of people off in the beginning of the year.
Speaker 3:And then he got traded or cut and he pissed them off the whole second round. For the second half of the season he just went off. Yeah, I'm curious as to whether Mark Andrews' second half of the season he just went off. Yeah, I'm curious as to whether Mark Andrews second half of the season he was like tight end number one or two or something like that, because I kind of feel like he points per game from like week eight onward was probably tight end one.
Speaker 2:It had to been, or or possibly tight end three.
Speaker 3:Yeah, at the very least he's beating George Kittle in this scenario. Yeah, I don't have to think he's at. You know what? Those touchdown totals for mcbride and bowers I don't think were sustainable enough to have kept them over. Mark andrews points per game, second half of the season. Of course I don't know that for a fact, but like I felt as someone who held on to mark andrews because, as far as I'm concerned, you couldn't trade trade him, you couldn't cut him, you had to start him. So he cost me some games earlier on in the season.
Speaker 2:Yeah, 100% yeah. But the thing is, I'm pretty sure that what kept him in the top 10 is his touchdowns. He had 11 touchdowns, yep. Like that's insane. Yeah, he was 55 catches for 673. That's not not their so-so numbers. If he had, say, cut those touchdowns in half, he's possibly just in the top 10. Yeah, and then at number seven, zach Ertz in Washington with Jaden Daniels.
Speaker 3:He was Jaden Daniels safety net. That's really what it came down to. Like Terry McLaurin, as you said last in the last episode he was catching more downfield and whatnot. Zach Ertz was the guy he went to in the red zone. Zacherts is the guy that he went to when he needed the quick pickup.
Speaker 2:Everything over the middle was Zacherts Yep, and you can kind of say Zacherts came back up to life. But will Zacherts now be going in the next year? Will the rookie from the 2024 season, will Ben Snot, possibly be coming in?
Speaker 3:Yeah, that's not our job to figure out, that's somebody else, that's some other fantasy show's job to figure out, right?
Speaker 2:yes, it is, but zach earths he was, that he was a liable tight end for once in the last couple years. Yep, and you like when that?
Speaker 3:when he is that person because he is a he was a fantasy football tight end lover yeah, well, I mean, he got older since then too, to be fair, so they don't always, they don't always, uh, age.
Speaker 3:Well, at that position no, and then at number eight, sam laporta yeah, I got nothing to say like, honestly he was, we're not giving him a pass. This is because it's year two or whatnot. Maybe a little bit of pass, because that Lions offense just had so many weapons. Like this was the Jamison Williams breakout year, the uh, amon Ra is Amon Ra and Gibbs and Montgomery, or Gibbs and Montgomery and you know you can go down the list, but uh he's. I guess this was the year he didn't get to eat because he was part of the crowded offense the thing, though, is Wills is Sam Laporta.
Speaker 2:Now, you saw his rookie year. Jamison williams wasn't much his rookie year, he was, I mean, his first year he was suspended, and then this year, um, jamison williams goes off. Sam laporta drops in yards, yards, but he still has 83 catches and seven touchdowns. Do you think, with those yardage that he lost, it's going to hurt, hurt him now going in the future? Well, I mean, it's going to hurt him now going in the future.
Speaker 3:Well, I mean, it's not going to hurt every season, but I think you have to treat the members of the Lions offense minus Amon Ross St Brown more likely. You had to treat the 49ers offense a few years ago when you had, you know, debo, iu Kittle and McCaffrey healthy at the same time. So you can't't, there's no way everyone can eat.
Speaker 2:You can't have everybody eat. And then number nine. I don't even remember him having this good of a year with Pat Friermuth.
Speaker 3:Yeah. So we're just going to say that every the anomaly that's an anomaly and skip over it. Like I don't, I don't know what to say. To be completely honest, like other than I guess I'm wrong because I've definitely thrown some pap, fire, move shade at different points in time during the show, but like I don't know, like I don't, I didn't see it coming. Like, who liked him more? Was it Justin Fields or was it Russell Wilson that liked him more? I guess it had to be Russ because he was around for longer that season. Like I'm not, I'm not even sure this touchdown total has to be high. Right, it's at seven. Okay, so seven is enough to get a tight end into the ninth spot on a list. So I'm just going to guess that he was just accidentally open in the end zone a few times because the defense didn't see him as a threat.
Speaker 2:I mean he had only 653 yards and 65 catches.
Speaker 3:Yeah, so those are about the numbers I'd expect there. The seven helps him out and gets him into the lower part of the list. I think that's really the way it happens. But you know, good for him, he was still a top 10 tight end.
Speaker 2:I messed up the catches. Sam Laporta had only 60 catches but he had 726 receiving yards when Frymuth had five catches more but had less yards when it's like alright, so you're not going to get a great tight end, but you're having a decent tight end who's going to at least help you. Yeah, I mean, he's a decent tight end who we always he's always a usually last couple years top 10 adp. This year he's not in the top 10 adp and he finishes in the top 10 maybe that's what it is.
Speaker 3:Maybe he just does reverse of his ADP.
Speaker 2:So everybody out there who's listened to this. Do not draft Pat Firemuth in the top 10. If you do, he's not going to perform. If you, if you don't, he's going to perform. Yeah, and then at number 10, tucker craft. I don't know how to really talk about him right here talk about him right here.
Speaker 3:It's like, well, he's not really a tight end, he's a slash player, he's a wild card player. Like yes, he makes some catches as a tight end, but I'm sure he snuck into the 10th spot because of his touchdown total. And like he's a guy who would take handoffs or take direct snaps, not oh, not really.
Speaker 2:He only had three rushing attempts only three rushing attempts only three. Huh, he had 70 catches now it's just all.
Speaker 3:Three of them went for touchdowns, I'm guessing, and that's uh, and that's what you saw on the highlights he has no rushing touchdowns.
Speaker 2:Really. He has 50 catches, 707 yards and seven touchdowns who am I?
Speaker 3:who am I remembering that was the tight end that was used in, like the wildcat formation?
Speaker 2:um. Brock bowers had five rushing attempts, mark andrews had four, tuck craft had three. So I do not know what tight end you're thinking of for the for this past 2024 season weird.
Speaker 3:Oh well, I'm probably thinking an earlier year possibly.
Speaker 2:But yeah, it's like tucker craft, he was. All the other wide receivers for green bay were either hurt or did not perform so well. I mean, it's like tucker craft, he was. All the other wide receivers for green bay were either hurt or did not perform so well, I mean, it's not about the reception.
Speaker 3:So because he only had 50, he just maximized it with the yards and touchdowns.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and the touchdowns so it's like he was a winner for whoever had him yeah, I guess that's uh.
Speaker 3:Proceed with caution going forward from here. But for 2024 he was.
Speaker 2:You know he worked out well for you yeah, but we're gonna go with at number 11 with david njoku. I still think it's surprising that, with only playing 11 games, he still finished at tight end 11 yeah, that's impressive like he had 64, especially after, like a number six finish in in uh 2023.
Speaker 3:So it's one of those things where it's uh, he's probably a better tight end than anyone really gives him credit for.
Speaker 2:I bet, if you, if he could stay fully healthy and I'm not sure if he has done it in his career really he could probably be a top, top ten, possibly top five tight end.
Speaker 3:I mean he is a top ten tight end. He's a lower half top ten tight end. I think he's just kind of done that most of his career and I, I'm not sure like I feel like if we, if he really had a top five finish in him, that it probably would have flashed already oh 100.
Speaker 2:It would have always like 2023. He's tight end.
Speaker 3:Six yeah, so you know, but the gap between five and six was significant oh well, I mean 2023. He played 16 games yeah, but you have to factor in he always gets hurt at some point in time.
Speaker 2:Yes, always does. To compare to the 2024 tight end ADP with the top 10 finishes Travis Kelsey. You don't give him a pass. He's still finished in the top five even though he was getting drafted, basically number one.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I mean age is going to claim. Every player at some point in time, unless their name is Tom Brady and they're throwing an obscene amount of times their final year. But even then it claimed him in the wins department and the efficiency departments Age claims at some point in time. One of the things that we don't realize is that Travis Kelsey is a lot older than most of us believe he is.
Speaker 2:I'm pretty sure. Travis Kelsey is 35 years old. Yeah, he's 36 next year.
Speaker 3:Yeah, so I'm not. I don't think we need to make excuses for him, but at the same time it's like fifth at the age of 35 is it's about what you'd expect from an elite, tight end right?
Speaker 2:Yeah, to be 35 after the 2024 season and still to be a top five tight end, and the only thing that really fell off was his touchdowns. Yeah, I'll take it. Yeah. And then at number two, sam Laporta. We already said he does not get a pass at all.
Speaker 3:No, but it's also foreseeable because in that offense this is something to expect in years later, because sometimes it's drafting at your own risk. When you draft from a crowded offense, you draft at your own risk. They have five players that deserve to touch the ball at least every other play.
Speaker 2:All four main players. So you have Aminata St Brown, jared Goff, jameer Gibbs and now Sam Laporta all in the top 10. Yeah, so you expect a big drop off.
Speaker 3:It's like you can't feed everyone Yep, but we're also not going to give him the pass, because the person who doesn't get fed is the person who's not getting open as much.
Speaker 2:And everyone is, and everyone is basically everyone probably was double covering him in the middle because of the rookie year he had.
Speaker 3:I don't know if anyone was double covering anyone on that offense, except for maybe Yabba Drop, but like if you double covered anyone there's, there was a danger of somebody else burning you really bad.
Speaker 2:Yeah, but we're not even mentioning the, the support players of that offense, the Khalif Raymond's and whatnot, who who had their own big games in their own right at times, yes, and then number three, mark andrews.
Speaker 3:He doesn't get a pass because he showed up later in the year, but it's also. He was. Didn't mark andrews have like a? A car accident right before the season last year?
Speaker 2:yes, he did. He did have. He was in a car accident right before. I think it was at the end of the postseason.
Speaker 3:And then he absolutely I think it was right during the preseason or something like that and then he just absolutely tore it up the second half of the year. I'm giving Mark Andrews a pass.
Speaker 2:Okay, you don't have to know.
Speaker 3:He played all 17 games and he started every 17 games, dude like if you've ever been in a car accident before, you know how much it throws you off for a few weeks.
Speaker 2:Okay, okay. So, mark Andrews, you're saying a pass, I'm saying no Okay.
Speaker 3:We don't have to agree on these.
Speaker 2:And then number four, Trey McBride. There's no reason to give him a pass.
Speaker 3:He's the beneficiary of Marvin Harrison Jr not being elite his first season.
Speaker 2:Yes, and he was Kyler Murray's favorite target all year long.
Speaker 3:Yep, when everybody was screaming throw Marvin Harrison the ball. They would throw it to Trey McBride, which is why it was nice where, when I had my shares of Marvin Harrison Jr, I tried to get Trey McBride as my tight end, just a supplement, just in case. So as I was starting the two of them together, I was still getting the right amount of points from those two positions.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you were getting the even points for them both where you weren't. If you had only one, if you had Marvin Harrison, not McBride, you were hurting yourself, yep. And then number five, dalton Kincaid.
Speaker 3:No pass. They had no weapons whatsoever and he still managed to not be the weapon. He played 13 games and he finished as tight end 29. Yeah, no pass. Like you know, some guys, as people like I, I know it's very popular to be opposed to pits at this point in time, but pits had a better rookie season and a better sophomore season.
Speaker 2:Uh, in points per game yeah, everybody thought dalton kinkade was going to be that number one target for josh allen yeah, he's not.
Speaker 3:He was nowhere near. Uh, his career trajectory is a lot closer to Kyle Pitts than it is to Sam Laporta right now yes, it is.
Speaker 2:And then George Kittle, he, he succeeded, yeah he's typical.
Speaker 3:George had a little help from no IU could no CMC for for a long period of time but, like you know, once again we can see why he went up as opposed to his position yes.
Speaker 2:And then kyle pitts at number seven no pass. Why do people still draft him in the top 10?
Speaker 3:I mean like at a certain point in time, but the reason why they did it last year they're not going to do it this year. The reason why they did it last year was because arthur smith was gone and the weapons were going to be freed. So, like drake london, like Drake London and Kyle Pitts both got drafted higher than they would have been in the past, because I think everyone was thinking that, you know, this was the season and that they would have breakout years. One of them did, one of them didn't, and I guess that's all that's. I guess that's all you wrote on Kyle Pitts. Now watch him, have the. Watch him. Get listed as like tight end 15.
Speaker 2:Uh, in 2025 and finishes tight end four. But like well, I mean like pat fryer mooth, when we get who finished at nine really getting drafted in the top 10, yeah, doesn't do anything it's his career trajectory.
Speaker 3:Uh, he would be happy if it, if it was closer to pat fryer moves at this point in time, and it might just be for all we know, arn's like kyle pitts finished at tight end, 15 yep, and he played a full season.
Speaker 2:It might just be for all we know it's like Kyle Pitts finished at tight end, 15. Yep, and he played a full season. It's just he's not getting the ball. Everybody thought, with Kirk Cousins coming over, he was going to get the TJ Hawkinson effect. Yep, and it just did not happen. And also, kirk Cousins was not himself Nope.
Speaker 3:That's Michael Pennix's job right now, and I think that Penix favored London a lot more than he favored Pitts. Yeah, and why wouldn't she? Because London's a top 10 wide receiver as of last year, as of 2024. And Pitts is not a top 10 tight end no.
Speaker 2:And then number eight, Evan Ingram. I give him a pass. He only played nine games.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I mean the injury. You give the pass to the injury, unless they do something stupid to earn it.
Speaker 2:Yeah. And, but it's like when, like taunting ray lewis, but like when ingram has been healthy he's performed in jacksonville, yeah. And then number 10 we already spoke with him. David no joku, he kind of gets a pass because he was hurt, but he doesn't need a pass though like that's what I'm saying.
Speaker 3:He finished 11 when he was projected to be 10, like that's. He finished within one and he only played 11 games.
Speaker 2:He literally finished at what he was being drafted for.
Speaker 3:Yeah, he did better than what he was being drafted for.
Speaker 2:Single quarterback he was being drafted as 10. Superflex he was being drafted as 11. So he basically finished where he was getting drafted at. So think about it for a moment.
Speaker 3:By the time he got hurt for the season there were still good tight ends available Like Kate Otten was becoming available at that point in time and Joku didn't hurt you if you drafted him. No, he actually gave you more than you would expected and then he allowed you to like he didn't carry on with a lingering injury that you had to play week to week. You got to either put him on your IR or cut him and you got to move on to one of the ones who was breaking out mid-season.
Speaker 2:Yes. And then Jake Ferguson everybody drafted him because he had a great year in 2023. And then this year do you give him a pass because Dak was not there.
Speaker 3:No, because I feel like when Dak wasn't there, the tight end what's his name? Schoonmaker or something like that had a few good games with whoever the backup was, who I'm not remembering at this point in time. I think that it's just one of those things where there might be a tight end that's equal to close to talent on the roster with him.
Speaker 2:Okay.
Speaker 3:And so you don't get a pass for another guy at your position being almost as good as you.
Speaker 2:No, jake Ferguson, he still played 14 games, but he finished at tight end 25.
Speaker 3:Yeah, the Dallas offense is designed to go through the tight end. Yeah, I know it, they do a lot of running. Well, I guess it's designed to go through the running back, but it's designed to throw to the tight end more often than the wide receiver. It's just CeeDee Lamb is CeeDee Lamb?
Speaker 2:Yes, it's just CD Lamb. Is CD Lamb? Yes, I mean, it's like CD Lamb. You know he's like we talked about last episode for the wide receiver 2024 season. He's a top 10 wide receiver, but you don't know if he's going to be a top five wide receiver. True, without Dak Jake Ferguson, he has possibly another tight end on that roster who could be just as good. Just doesn't get the playing time because of Ferguson. Yep, all right, so let's just wrap it up.
Speaker 2:Let's go back over the top 10 and ADP for the 2024 season for the tight end for a single quarterback. For ADP, travis Kelsey was at 20.8, sam Laporta was at 24.8, mark Andrews was at 45.8, trey McBride was at 46, dalton Kincaid was at 51.6, george Kittle was at 53.2, kyle Pitts was at 55.3, evan Ingram was at 67.6, brock Bowers at 79.8, david Njoku at 84 and then Jake Ferguson at 86.6. And then for Superflex, travis Kelsey at 27.9, sam Laporte at 26.6, mark Andrews at 47.5, trey McBride at 39.4, dalton Kincaid at 49.8, george Kittle at 69.3, kyle Pitts at 61.1, evan Ingram at 68.2, brock Bowers at 83.1, david Njoku at 87.4, and then Jake Ferguson at 85. And then at your top 10 finishes for the 2024 tight end season Brock Bowers at 1, trey McBride at 2, george Kittle at 3, jonu Smith at 4, travis Kelsey at 5, mark Andrews at 6, zach Ertz at 7, sam Laporta at 8, pat Fryermuth at 9, tucker Kraft at at 10. Thanks again for listening to the Fantasy Football Archivers.
Speaker 2:My name is Zach Waldron, with the co-host Jay Mill, and thanks again.
Speaker 1:Thank you for listening to another episode of the Fantasy Football Archivers. You can listen to us on Spotify and Apple and follow us on X at the FF archivers, and all of our information will be in the show notes.
