X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

Tape Tells All: Robert Tonyan's Week 4 Performance

Finding a consistent NFL tight end for fantasy purposes isn't an easy thing to do.

But maybe there's hope that a new player is about to enter that tier: Green Bay Packers tight end Robert Tonyan.

In this week's edition of Tape Tells All, I'll be looking at Tonyan's three-touchdown Week 4 to see if his recent production can be sustained.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:

 

Background Information

Robert Tonyan has now caught five touchdown passes this season. He leads the team in receiving touchdowns by a wide margin over Aaron Jones, Allen Lazard, and Davante Adams, who all have two.

In fact, his five touchdowns tie him for the NFL lead with Mike Evans. 25 percent of the way through the season, that's a notable thing.

Also notable is that quarterback Aaron Rodgers has always been a quarterback who led to inconsistent production for tight ends. You can attribute that to the fact that his best tight ends have been Jermichael Finley and past-prime Jimmy Graham, but Rodgers has always seemed to look for wide receivers in the passing game more than other positions.

But injuries can change things. The Packers are currently without Davante Adams and Allen Lazard, and while Adams is expected back as early as next game, Lazard is set to still miss some time, and the options behind Lazard are replacement-level guys at best. Which means that hey -- it's entirely possible that Tonyan is going to be a key going forward.

 

The Game Tape

So, let's see what Tonyan did on Monday night.

.

On his first catch, Tonyan starts as one of two in-line tight ends on the right side of the formation. At the snap, he comes across the middle of the play, getting some separation from the linebacker covering him, then making the reception and turning upfield to gain some yards.

I'm impressed by Tonyan's ability to get that separation. I know, I know, workout metrics can be misleading, but look at this:

image from PlayerProfiler.com

Those are incredibly impressive numbers, especially when all taken together. And one play in, we're seeing that speed on tape.

Moving on to the next play for Tonyan:

Again, Tonyan's in-line here. He takes off streaking towards the end zone at the snap and once again is being covered by a linebacker and friends -- don't think linebackers should be covering Tonyan at this p0int! By the time this defense realizes Tonyan's heading directly for the end zone, it's too late for 54 to catch up to him, which leaves Atlanta hoping they can get a safety to slide over and meet Tonyan before he gets the touchdown. Spoiler: doesn't work, as they all collide inside the five and Tonyan falls into his first touchdown of the game.

Hey, it's basically that same crossing route that Tonyan ran on his first reception. And why not go back to it, as he's got the speed to exploit the slower defender. Aaron Rodgers places the ball well here, and Tonyan gets enough space to make the catch. Touchdown.

And then there was the other touchdown:

I...what...is...

Tonyan is working more as a slot guy than a tight end here, is running the streak, and just gets upturned like five yards down the field. Play over, right?

Nah. He just casually gets up and is like "let me finish this route," and with the player who was defending him going down, he's wide open to just finish the route and score the touchdown.

This is such a weird play that it taught he zilch about Tonyan except for the fact he plays hard, which is a really abstract quality that doesn't impact my analysis of him. But hey, overall, this was a very good game for him!

 

Fantasy Impact

So, what do we make of this?

Tonyan's workout metrics are incredibly encouraging, and that they've actually translated into real production so far is even more encouraging. His ability to create space on these crossing patterns sets him up as a strong short-yardage option for Aaron Rodgers, especially down in the red zone.

And his speed also means he can be used in the vertical passing attack. That first touchdown is a great example of how Tonyan can get going down the field and creates a huge mismatch for the Packers offense to take advantage of.

By now, I assume Tonyan is no longer sitting on the waiver wire in your leagues. If he is for some reason, definitely add him right now. Don't pass go, don't etc. etc. etc. Pick up Tonyan.

The real question is how to think of him now that he's on your team.

Obviously, you start Tonyan when he has a good matchup, or you start him if the tight end you drafted to be your starter is hurt.

But is he someone you can lock in as a weekly TE1?

The skills are there. The passing volume is there.

But the Packers have a Week 5 bye, which gives them time to get healthier, which means that we should expect Davante Adams to be on the field the next time the Packers play.

Still, while Tonyan's role will decrease as other options become available, his usage is trending up and he's played at least 60 percent of snaps in each game. It's hard to just dismiss him due to the return of Adams. I think he's a high-end TE2 moving forward, with the upside to be a consistent TE1 if the usage remains after the bye. Worst case for Tonyan is being a viable streaming play each week, and if that's the worst case for an Aaron Rodgers tight end, then you know he's a talented player.



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy football app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, rankings, starts/sits & more. All free!

More Fantasy Football Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Jackson Jobe1 hour ago

Inefficient In First Career Start Monday
Tyler Glasnow1 hour ago

Fans Eight, Earns Win In Monday Debut
MLB1 hour ago

Kash Mayfield Assigned To Single-A
José Ramírez2 hours ago

Jose Ramirez Collects Three Hits, Homers In Monday Return To Lineup
Kyle Hart2 hours ago

Earns Win In Return To MLB
Ryan Johnson2 hours ago

Earns First Career Save Monday
Travis Kuhn2 hours ago

And Phillies In Agreement On Minor League Deal
Mike Trout2 hours ago

Turns In Another Hitless Performance Monday
Jordan Hicks2 hours ago

Earns Quality Start, Win In Season Debut Monday
Kyle Schwarber2 hours ago

Homers, Collects Two RBI On Monday
Jake Eder3 hours ago

Acquired By The Angels
Alexander Canario3 hours ago

Acquired By The Pirates
Sam Stevens4 hours ago

Enjoyed Nice Result In Houston
Cristopher Sánchez4 hours ago

Cristopher Sanchez Strikes Out Seven In Strong Outing On Monday
PGA4 hours ago

J.T. Poston Seeks To Contend At Valero Texas Open
Ochai Agbaji4 hours ago

Resting On Tuesday
Kris Bubic4 hours ago

Notches Eight Strikeouts In Strong Win On Monday
RJ Barrett5 hours ago

To Be Rested Tuesday Night
Martín Pérez5 hours ago

Martin Perez Dazzles Twins On Monday, Throws Six Hitless Innings
Immanuel Quickley5 hours ago

Returning To Action Against Bulls
Bryan De La Cruz5 hours ago

Draws First Start Of Season On Monday Night
Jakob Poeltl5 hours ago

Available On Tuesday
Reynaldo López5 hours ago

Reynaldo Lopez Lands On 15-day IL With Shoulder Inflammation
Jonathan Kuminga5 hours ago

Uncertain For Tuesday's Game
Max Scherzer5 hours ago

Visiting With Hand Specialist On Monday
Christian Braun5 hours ago

Listed As Probable For Meeting With Timberwolves
José Ramírez5 hours ago

Jose Ramirez Back In Lineup For Cleveland On Monday
Aaron Gordon5 hours ago

Tagged As Questionable For Tuesday
Freddie Freeman5 hours ago

Absent From Lineup For Monday Night
Jamal Murray5 hours ago

Iffy For Tuesday
LeBron James5 hours ago

Ready To Play Against Rockets
Nikola Jokić6 hours ago

Nikola Jokic Expected To Play Against Timberwolves
Trae Young6 hours ago

Likely To Face Portland
Bradley Beal6 hours ago

Could Return On Tuesday
Giannis Antetokounmpo6 hours ago

Probable For Tuesday's Action
CJ McCollum6 hours ago

Shut Down For The Rest Of The Season
Denny McCarthy6 hours ago

Keeps Making Cuts But Needs To Make More Putts
Zion Williamson6 hours ago

Won't Play Again This Season
Brian Harman6 hours ago

Off To A Subpar 2025 So Far
Jaylin Williams6 hours ago

Back In Thunder Lineup Monday
Isaiah Hartenstein7 hours ago

Will Play On Monday
Chet Holmgren7 hours ago

Available Against Bulls
Dereck Lively II7 hours ago

Downgraded To Out Monday
Caleb Martin7 hours ago

Active On Monday
Daniel Gafford7 hours ago

Back In Action With Minutes Restriction
Ryan Weathers7 hours ago

Ramping Up His Throwing Progression
Ilya Samsonov8 hours ago

Nursing An Upper-Body Injury
Tomas Hertl8 hours ago

To Sit Out At Least One More Week
Garnet Hathaway9 hours ago

Rejoins Flyers Lineup
Erik Johnson9 hours ago

Available Monday
Rasmus Ristolainen9 hours ago

Not Expected To Return This Season
Ryan Preece9 hours ago

Has Three Straight Top-10 Finishes For First Time In His Career
Colton Sissons9 hours ago

Likely Out For Rest Of The Season
NASCAR9 hours ago

Bubba Wallace After Third-Place Finish At Martinsville: "What a Great Day"
Jonathan Marchessault9 hours ago

Day-To-Day With Lower-Body Injury
Todd Gilliland9 hours ago

Has Mistake-Free Day At Martinsville, Grabs Another Top-10 Finish
Brandon Moreno9 hours ago

Wins Back-To-Back Fights
Steve Erceg10 hours ago

Losses Third Consecutive Fight
Drew Dober10 hours ago

Gets Knocked Out At UFC Mexico City
Manuel Torres10 hours ago

Gets Back In The Win Column
Harry Hall10 hours ago

Bounces Back In Houston Last Week
Denver Broncos10 hours ago

Denver To Take A Running Back In The Draft
CJ Vergara10 hours ago

Gets Submitted
Ryan Fox10 hours ago

Showing Improvement Heading Into The Valero Texas Open
Édgar Cháirez10 hours ago

Edgar Chairez Gets Submission Win At UFC Mexico City
Courtland Sutton10 hours ago

"No Timeline" On Courtland Sutton Extension
Vince Morales10 hours ago

Drops Decision At UFC Mexico City
Raul Rosas Jr.10 hours ago

Gets Decision Win At UFC Mexico City
New York Jets10 hours ago

Jets To Wait On Contract Extensions For Garrett Wilson, Sauce Gardner
Saimon Oliveira11 hours ago

Still Winless In The UFC
David Martinez11 hours ago

Wins His UFC Debut
Jameson Williams11 hours ago

Detroit To Exercise Jameson Williams' Fifth-Year Option
Kevin Borjas11 hours ago

Earns His First UFC Win
Brandon Aiyuk11 hours ago

49ers Expected To Hold Brandon Aiyuk
Ronaldo Rodríguez11 hours ago

Ronaldo Rodriguez Suffers His First UFC Loss
Joel Dahmen11 hours ago

Scores Top-20 Finish At Texas Children's Houston Open
Jacob Bridgeman12 hours ago

Had Some Rest Heading Into The Valero
Sami Valimaki12 hours ago

Finishes Fourth At Texas Children's Houston Open
Maverick McNealy12 hours ago

Finishes Tied For 32nd At Texas Children’s Houston Open
Tom Kim12 hours ago

Finishes Tied For 36th At Valspar Championship
Rickie Fowler12 hours ago

Finishes Tied For 52nd At Texas Children’s Houston Open
Bud Cauley12 hours ago

Finishes Tied For Fourth At Valspar Championship
Sam Burns12 hours ago

Misses The Cut At Valspar Championship
Daniel Berger12 hours ago

Finishes Tied For 20th At The PLAYERS Championship
Ludvig Aberg12 hours ago

Misses The Cut At The PLAYERS Championship
Treylon Burks13 hours ago

Unlikely To Be Ready For Training Camp
Keenan Allen14 hours ago

Chargers Not Ruling Out Reuniting With Keenan Allen
Breece Hall14 hours ago

Could Be Part Of Committee In 2025
James Cook14 hours ago

Bills Not Close To Extension With James Cook
Tyreek Hill14 hours ago

Dolphins Planning On Tyreek Hill Being Part Of Their Future
Baltimore Ravens14 hours ago

Ravens Expected To Draft A Kicker
Mark Andrews14 hours ago

Ravens Expect Mark Andrews Back In 2025
Lamar Jackson14 hours ago

Ravens Have Had Early Extension Talks With Lamar Jackson
Christopher Bell15 hours ago

Powers His Way To A Second-Place Finish At Martinsville
Chase Elliott15 hours ago

Strong Martinsville Performance Ends With A Top-Five Finish
Kyle Larson15 hours ago

Collects A Top-Five Finish At Martinsville
William Byron16 hours ago

Places 22nd After Struggles At Martinsville
Joey Logano16 hours ago

Claims His First 2025 Top-10 Finish After Up-And-Down Performance
Tyler Reddick16 hours ago

Fails To Place In The Top 10 At Martinsville
Joseph Woll19 hours ago

Stands Tall On Sunday
UTA20 hours ago

Alex Kerfoot Leads The Way In Sunday's Victory
Tristan Jarry20 hours ago

Shuts The Door On Ottawa On Sunday
Sebastian Aho20 hours ago

Busy In Sunday's Victory
Anze Kopitar20 hours ago

Tallies Three Helpers On Sunday
Troy Terry20 hours ago

Exits Early On Sunday
Denny Hamlin21 hours ago

Silences Doubters After Crew-Chief Change
Ty Gibbs21 hours ago

Earns Best 2025 Finish At Martinsville Despite Failing Cool Suit
Ross Chastain21 hours ago

Has A Great Day At Martinsville
Chase Briscoe21 hours ago

Has Solid Run At Martinsville
Erik Jones21 hours ago

Disqualified At Martinsville For Weight Violation
Zach Wilson1 day ago

Still Views Himself As A Starter
New York Giants1 day ago

Victor Dimukeje Signs With Giants
Dallas Cowboys1 day ago

Brian Schottenheimer Optimistic About Deal With Micah Parsons
Lane Hutson1 day ago

Continues Special Campaign With Hat Trick Of Assists
Nick Suzuki1 day ago

Notches Three Points In Sunday's Win
Robby Fabbri1 day ago

Not Expected To Return This Season
Jacob Trouba1 day ago

Could Be An Option Sunday
Jordan Staal1 day ago

Will Not Play On Sunday
Evgeni Malkin1 day ago

Out Against Senators
Justin Fields1 day ago

Aaron Glenn Thinks Justin Fields Is Ready To Break Out
Dak Prescott1 day ago

"Doing Great" In Rehab From Hamstring Surgery
Jacksonville Jaguars1 day ago

Fred Johnson Signs With Jacksonville
Tennessee Titans1 day ago

Titans Still Entertaining Calls For No. 1 Overall Pick
Karel Vejmelka1 day ago

Makes 17th Consecutive Start Sunday
Arvid Soderblom1 day ago

Tries To End Four-Game Skid Sunday
Brandon Aiyuk2 days ago

Deadline Coming For Brandon Aiyuk
Josh Berry2 days ago

Has Top-10 Upside At Martinsville
Joey Logano2 days ago

Don't Overlook Joey Logano This Weekend
Ryan Preece2 days ago

Could Get First Three-Race Top-10 Streak Of His Career
Chase Elliott2 days ago

Looking To Continue Great Runs At Martinsville
Christopher Bell2 days ago

Wins Pole At Martinsville, But Can He Stay Up There?
Ryan Blaney2 days ago

Fast In Practice But Skeptical About Car
Denny Hamlin2 days ago

New Crew Chief Has Terrible Martinsville Record
Steve Erceg4 days ago

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Brandon Moreno4 days ago

A Favorite At UFC Mexico City
Manuel Torres4 days ago

Set For Co-Main Event
Drew Dober4 days ago

An Underdog At UFC Mexico City
Joe Pyfer4 days ago

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Kelvin Gastelum4 days ago

Set For Middleweight Matchup
Vince Morales4 days ago

In Dire Need Of Victory
Raul Rosas Jr.4 days ago

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Saimon Oliveira4 days ago

Looks For His First UFC Win
Jhonattan Vegas5 days ago

Not A Good Play At Houston Open
Gary Woodland5 days ago

A Dark-Horse Candidate At Houston Open
Nick Taylor5 days ago

Keep An Eye On Nick Taylor At Houston Open
Mackenzie Hughes5 days ago

Avoid Mackenzie Hughes At Houston Open
Nicolai Hojgaard5 days ago

Looking To Rebound At Houston Open