May 24, 2020

Detroit Lions tight end T.J. Hockenson caught six passes for 131 yards and a touchdown in Week 1 of 2019. The rest of the way, Hockenson would pile just 26 receptions, 236 yards, and one touchdown onto that revelation of a rookie debut. The phrase, "It was all downhill from there" has never rung truer than in the case of Hockenson's Week 1 breakout and ensuing disappointment. Considering his size, athleticism, and pedigree as a first-round draft pick, there is cause for optimism that 2020 will bring better days for the second-year tight end. Losing Matthew Stafford for the entire second half of last season certainly didn't help Hockenson's case, and the Lions' franchise quarterback is on track to return to the field to start 2020. In addition to quarterback injuries, Hockenson also suffered simply from a lack of involvement in Detroit's offense last year. He was targeted nine times in Week 1, and never saw that total again until his final game in Week 13 when 11 passes were thrown his way. He also largely missed out on Detroit's inclination for throwing the ball near the goal line. The Lions attempted 42 passes inside the 10 in 2019, which would have trailed only Tom Brady among QBs league-wide if all 42 passes had been thrown by one player. Unfortunately, only four of those targets went to Hockenson. Carving out a more prominent role for himself in the Lions' passing attack won't be a walk in the park as long as Kenny Golladay and Marvin Jones are hanging around, and all of these factors are appropriately baked into Hockenson's TE19 ADP. Still, on the one occasion in which he was heavily utilized by Stafford, Hockenson came through. There is no reason to think the Lions won't try to find ways to get him more chances in year two, and if part of that involves looking his way near the goal line in a relatively pass-happy red-zone offense, he could make some serious noise as an NFL sophomore. Hockenson should be targeted by any fantasy owner looking to win big on a lottery ticket in the latter stages of the draft, as the door is wide open for him to emerge as one of the premiere value picks of 2020. That said, he's best viewed as a backup plan in starting lineups until the Lions display a commitment to getting him involved.--Chris O'Reilly