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

Biggest Breakouts of 2018 - Tight End

Tight end has a legitimate claim as the most volatile position in fantasy. You may want to give that award to running backs but tight ends will run them pretty close. Playing tight end is a complex business and it shows up in fantasy. It can easily be a case that a tight end is required to block more as part of the game plan, and that can lead to a seemingly random low scoring week for fantasy. Additionally, the toll the position takes on the body can mean that even the brightest of talents can flame out and be unable to provide any production at all.

For that reason, the tight end position may be the most important position in fantasy to identify the breakouts. Gambling on a tight end late is a much-used strategy among fantasy owners. Hitting on one of those guys, or finding them with in-season pickups can be a championship-deciding factor.

The list below are all tight ends which were drafted outside of the top-10 at the position. Three of the four ended up within the top five when it came to fantasy options, and the fourth may well have if he could have stayed healthy down the stretch. The question with any breakout is not just why it happened but can he sustain that success again the following season. Let's take a look at the four breakouts and some of the factors which may dictate their success in 2019.

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

 

George Kittle, San Francisco 49ers

2018 ADP: 129

When I was preparing this article I very nearly missed Kittle altogether. It sounds daft but by the end of the season it just felt like Kittle had always been a good tight end. Perhaps it was the preseason fantasy hype he was receiving prior to the injury? Before he got injured Kittle was a fantasy darling at the tight end position, thanks in large part to his performances to end the 2017 season with Jimmy Garoppolo under center. You could even argue that those three games were the real breakout, with Kittle having 194 yards and one touchdown on 11 receptions.

However, in 2018 he took it to another level. Kittle finished the season with 136 targets, 1377 yards and five touchdowns. On a 4-12 team that is extremely impressive production, especially when you consider the fact he played with three different quarterbacks in 2018. Kittle also demonstrated the ability to have the odd monster game; in Week 4 he had 125 receiving yards and a touchdown, Week 9 it was 108 yards and a touchdown. However, the two most incredible games once again came late in the season. In Week 13 against Denver, he had 210 receiving yards and a long touchdown, and then in Week 17 he put up 149 receiving yards and a touchdown to cap off another impressive end to the season. The good news is that Kittle was nearly always a part of the offense. He never received less than four targets, he had over five targets in 14 games, and double-digit targets in four outings.

Heading into 2019, with Garoppolo back under center, there is a real chance that Kittle can build on his breakout season and become a legitimate stud at the tight end position. You are going to have to pay for him, as I have seen him going alongside the likes of Zach Ertz and Travis Kelce, but my belief is that he will be worth it and possibly more.

 

Eric Ebron, Indianapolis Colts

2018 ADP: 167

When Ebron arrived in Indianapolis there was a lot of hope. Ebron had flashed the ability to be a receiving threat in Detroit, catching 61 balls for 711 yards with a catch percentage of 71.8%. However, the 2016 season, where he had just 574 receiving yards on 53 receptions with a catch percentage back at 61.6% was concerning. The belief was that if Ebron could demonstrate the hands he had in 2016 then he could become one of Andrew Luck's most trusted weapons.

Unfortunately, Ebron was actually no more reliable catching the ball in Indianapolis than he was in Detroit. Ebron caught just 60% of the balls thrown his way. The difference was he was targeted 111 times by Luck, with 66 receptions and 750 yards. That is 25 more times than he was ever targeted in Detroit. A big part of why he saw those targets was the near constant injuries to Jack Doyle, who was shut down during the season, and the inconsistency the Colts had at wide receiver. Given the amount of cap space the Colts have going into 2019 it is hard to believe they will not find a way to get more consistency from their pass catchers this season. That is bad for Ebron, who is unlikely to see that number of targets again in that scenario, especially if he only catches 60% of them.

However, the thing that really set Ebron apart was his touchdowns. Ebron caught a whopping 13 touchdowns and even rushed for another one. Ebron was a major part of the Colts red zone offense. In fact, he was the most targeted receiver in the red zone for the team, seeing 22 targets in all. Again conversion rate was an issue, as Ebron caught just 12 of them, but the fact he received that many targets is crucial. However, as I discussed above, if the Colts do bring in another reliable receiver we could also see those numbers drop this year.

Ebron is a tight end I have a lot of concerns about going into 2019. 2018 was a great year but it was built upon injuries and inconsistency across the pass-catching group. Next season, it is hard to believe that the Colts will see the same level of inconsistency from their pass catchers, and if Ebron cannot up his catch rate then he could quickly find himself being used more as a decoy than a legitimate receiving threat.

 

Jared Cook, Oakland Raiders

2018 ADP: 193

For as long as I can remember now Jared Cook has teased us with his potential. The issue is that he has never really put together back-to-back consistent seasons. We saw a hint of his talent in Tennessee in 2011, but he failed to back it up in 2012. The same happened in St. Louis in 2013, before he had a major issue turning targets into receptions in 2014. In Green Bay, he never really got going and by the time he arrived in Oakland in 2017, he was a guy many people had given up on. Once again 2017 was promising, Cook caught 62.8% of his targets for 688 yards and two touchdowns. Now the question was could he back it up in 2018?

The answer is fairly emphatically yes. Despite a bad year for the Oakland Raiders, Cook looked incredible at times. Yes, there was inconsistency but at the tight end position, you will always get that. The most important thing is that Cook caught a career-high 67.3% of the balls thrown his way, and that led to career highs in receiving yards and touchdowns. Cook had over four receptions per game for the first time in his career and managed to break through the 50 yards per game barrier. Much like Ebron, a big part of his success is due to a career high in targets, thanks in large part to a lack of other options. However, I do not suddenly see the Raiders adding a ton of receiving talent. They are likely to build through the draft and those guys take time to earn the trust of an offense.

The biggest concern for me is if the Raiders decided to move on from Derek Carr, who Cook has clearly built a rapport with. If that happens then there will be question marks entering the season. However, if Carr is the man under center for the Raiders in 2019, then Cook has a real chance to be a top-five tight end once again in the 2019 season.

 

O.J. Howard, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

2018 ADP: 147

Howard had a promising start to his career in 2017. In his rookie season, he caught 26 of his 37 targets (66.7%) for 432 yards and six touchdowns. Unfortunately, his targets (2.8) and receptions (1.9) per game ratios were far below what you would like to see from a tight end of his considerable talent. As always with any promising rookie, it was intriguing to see how he could build on that start in 2018.

Despite playing in just 10 games, and starting in just eight, Howard had another promising year in 2018. His catch rate increased from the already impressive 66.7% to an even better 70.8%, demonstrating to his quarterbacks that he is a player they can trust with targets. More promisingly his receptions per game (1.9 to 3.4) and yards per game (30.9 to 56.5) almost doubled across the season. Generally across the 2018 season, Howard put up consistent production. He had two games where he was held to just one catch combined on five targets but those games were generally the exception to a pretty nice year. Even when he had just two receptions in Week 1 he put up 54 receiving yards, which would have been a solid return for a tight end on many weeks.

Howard's season was cut short due to foot and ankle injuries. The good news is that neither seems significant enough to keep him out of much of 2019. The bigger unknown for Howard this season is the arrival of Bruce Arians. Arians did not get much production out of tight ends in his final season with the Cardinals. However, Arians was operating with Jermain Gresham as his main option, and Howard is a significantly better football player than Gresham. The bigger issue is that Cameron Brate is still in the locker room, and if Howard fails to impress in training camp then he could quickly find himself playing catch up in the eyes of his new coach. The positive is that the narrative on Arians is that he does not really use the tight end in his offense. That belief could mean that Howard becomes a cheap option on draft day in 2019.




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

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Breece Hall6 mins ago

Could Be Part Of Committee In 2025
James Cook11 mins ago

Bills Not Close To Extension With James Cook
Kyle Isbel12 mins ago

Out Of The Lineup Monday
Tyreek Hill18 mins ago

Dolphins Planning On Tyreek Hill Being Part Of Their Future
Jonathan India24 mins ago

Back In At The Hot Corner
Baltimore Ravens25 mins ago

Ravens Expected To Draft A Kicker
Mark Andrews30 mins ago

Ravens Expect Mark Andrews Back In 2025
Lamar Jackson35 mins ago

Ravens Have Had Early Extension Talks With Lamar Jackson
Christopher Bell1 hour ago

Powers His Way To A Second-Place Finish At Martinsville
Chase Elliott1 hour ago

Strong Martinsville Performance Ends With A Top-Five Finish
Kyle Larson2 hours ago

Collects A Top-Five Finish At Martinsville
William Byron2 hours ago

Places 22nd After Struggles At Martinsville
Nick Kurtz2 hours ago

Enjoying Hot Start At Triple-A
Joey Logano2 hours ago

Claims His First 2025 Top-10 Finish After Up-And-Down Performance
Coby Mayo2 hours ago

Goes Deep On Sunday
Chase Dollander2 hours ago

Strikes Out Five In Triple-A Debut
Dylan Carlson3 hours ago

Colton Cowser Placed On 10-Day Injured List, Dylan Carlson Recalled
Julio Rodríguez3 hours ago

Julio Rodriguez Goes Yard On Sunday
Tyler Reddick3 hours ago

Fails To Place In The Top 10 At Martinsville
Brandon Sproat3 hours ago

Stumbles In Season Debut
Roman Anthony3 hours ago

Goes Deep Twice On Sunday
Chris Bassitt3 hours ago

Excellent On Sunday Against The Orioles
Bryan Woo3 hours ago

Records His First Win On Sunday
JP Sears3 hours ago

Fans Seven In His First Start Of The Year
Kyle Manzardo3 hours ago

Goes Deep Again
Joseph Woll6 hours ago

Stands Tall On Sunday
UTA6 hours ago

Alex Kerfoot Leads The Way In Sunday's Victory
Tristan Jarry6 hours ago

Shuts The Door On Ottawa On Sunday
Sebastian Aho6 hours ago

Busy In Sunday's Victory
Anze Kopitar6 hours ago

Tallies Three Helpers On Sunday
Troy Terry6 hours ago

Exits Early On Sunday
Denny Hamlin8 hours ago

Silences Doubters After Crew-Chief Change
Ty Gibbs8 hours ago

Earns Best 2025 Finish At Martinsville Despite Failing Cool Suit
Ross Chastain8 hours ago

Has A Great Day At Martinsville
Chase Briscoe8 hours ago

Has Solid Run At Martinsville
Erik Jones8 hours ago

Disqualified At Martinsville For Weight Violation
Tanner Bibee15 hours ago

Throws 5 2/3 Shutout Frames
Daniel Schneemann15 hours ago

Homers, Draws Three Walks
Wilyer Abreu15 hours ago

Draws Three Walks
Aaron Judge15 hours ago

Goes Deep Again
Isaiah Hartenstein15 hours ago

Listed As Questionable For Monday
Jaylin Williams15 hours ago

Could Miss Monday's Game
Jazz Chisholm Jr.15 hours ago

Jazz Chisholm Blasts Two More Homers
Chet Holmgren15 hours ago

Uncertain For Monday
Jonathan India15 hours ago

Hit In Head By Pitch
Jonathan Kuminga15 hours ago

Won't Return On Sunday
LeBron James16 hours ago

Expected To Suit Up Monday
Zach Wilson17 hours ago

Still Views Himself As A Starter
New York Giants17 hours ago

Victor Dimukeje Signs With Giants
Dallas Cowboys17 hours ago

Brian Schottenheimer Optimistic About Deal With Micah Parsons
Tyler Soderstrom18 hours ago

Hits Another Homer
Luke Jackson18 hours ago

Records Second Save
Lane Hutson19 hours ago

Continues Special Campaign With Hat Trick Of Assists
Trae Young19 hours ago

Playing Versus Milwaukee
Anfernee Simons19 hours ago

Cleared For Action Versus The Knicks
Giannis Antetokounmpo19 hours ago

Available On Sunday Night
Nick Suzuki19 hours ago

Notches Three Points In Sunday's Win
Robby Fabbri19 hours ago

Not Expected To Return This Season
Jacob Trouba19 hours ago

Could Be An Option Sunday
Jalen Brunson19 hours ago

Cleared For Basketball Activities
Jordan Staal20 hours ago

Will Not Play On Sunday
Jerami Grant20 hours ago

Out Again On Sunday
Evgeni Malkin20 hours ago

Out Against Senators
Tobias Harris20 hours ago

Probable Versus Minnesota
Justin Fields20 hours ago

Aaron Glenn Thinks Justin Fields Is Ready To Break Out
Dennis Schröder20 hours ago

Dennis Schroder Expected To Face The Timberwolves
Cade Cunningham21 hours ago

Doubtful For Sunday Night
Mark Williams21 hours ago

Ruled Out Versus The Pels
Dak Prescott21 hours ago

"Doing Great" In Rehab From Hamstring Surgery
Jacksonville Jaguars21 hours ago

Fred Johnson Signs With Jacksonville
Tennessee Titans21 hours ago

Titans Still Entertaining Calls For No. 1 Overall Pick
Karel Vejmelka22 hours ago

Makes 17th Consecutive Start Sunday
Arvid Soderblom22 hours ago

Tries To End Four-Game Skid Sunday
Alec Martinez22 hours ago

Misses Fourth Consecutive Game
Robert Bortuzzo23 hours ago

Activated From Injured Reserve
Olli Määttä23 hours ago

Olli Maatta Considered A Game-Time Call Sunday
Logan Thompson23 hours ago

Starts Against Sabres Sunday
Rasmus Dahlin23 hours ago

A Game-Time Call Sunday
Cameron Payne23 hours ago

Ruled Out On Sunday
Miles McBride23 hours ago

Remains Out On Sunday
Scoot Henderson23 hours ago

Out On Sunday
Brandon Aiyuk23 hours ago

Deadline Coming For Brandon Aiyuk
Anfernee Simons24 hours ago

May Miss Sunday's Game
Ty Jerome24 hours ago

Out Again On Sunday
Kawhi Leonard24 hours ago

Sitting On Sunday Afternoon
Josh Berry1 day ago

Has Top-10 Upside At Martinsville
Joey Logano1 day ago

Don't Overlook Joey Logano This Weekend
Ryan Preece1 day ago

Could Get First Three-Race Top-10 Streak Of His Career
Chase Elliott1 day ago

Looking To Continue Great Runs At Martinsville
Christopher Bell1 day ago

Wins Pole At Martinsville, But Can He Stay Up There?
Ryan Blaney1 day ago

Fast In Practice But Skeptical About Car
Leon Draisaitl1 day ago

Leads The Way In Return
Artemi Panarin1 day ago

Scores Twice On Saturday
Denny Hamlin1 day ago

New Crew Chief Has Terrible Martinsville Record
Austin Cindric1 day ago

Martinsville Is Austin Cindric's Best Short Track
Kyle Busch1 day ago

Short-Track Performance At Richard Childress Racing Is Pretty Dire
Brad Keselowski1 day ago

If Brad Keselowski Has Any Speed Whatsoever, He's A Killer DFS Option
Dereck Lively II2 days ago

Ruled Out Versus Chicago
Chicago Bears2 days ago

Doug Kramer Jr. Re-Signs With Chicago
Washington Commanders2 days ago

Foster Sarell Inks One-Year Contract With Washington
Miami Dolphins2 days ago

Willie Gay Jr. Heading To Miami
Seattle Seahawks2 days ago

D'Anthony Bell Signs With Seattle
Houston Texans2 days ago

Texans Sign E.J. Speed To One-Year Deal
Buffalo Bills2 days ago

Bills, Christian Benford Reach Agreement On Four-Year Extension
Detroit Lions3 days ago

Lions Re-Sign Kayode Awosika
Steve Erceg3 days ago

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Brandon Moreno3 days ago

A Favorite At UFC Mexico City
Manuel Torres3 days ago

Set For Co-Main Event
Drew Dober3 days ago

An Underdog At UFC Mexico City
Joe Pyfer3 days ago

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Kelvin Gastelum3 days ago

Set For Middleweight Matchup
Vince Morales3 days ago

In Dire Need Of Victory
Raul Rosas Jr.3 days ago

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Saimon Oliveira3 days ago

Looks For His First UFC Win
David Martinez3 days ago

Set To Make His UFC Debut
Kevin Borjas3 days ago

Set To Open Up UFC Mexico City Main Card
Ronaldo Rodríguez3 days ago

Ronaldo Rodriguez Looks To Remain Undefeated In The UFC
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
Scottie Scheffler5 days ago

Returns To Houston Looking For Year's First Victory
Rory McIlroy5 days ago

Making Additional Start At Houston Open To Prepare For Augusta
Doug Ghim5 days ago

Looking For Iron Form In Houston
Aaron Rai5 days ago

Keep An Eye On Aaron Rai At Houston Open
Si Woo Kim5 days ago

Looks To Build On Recent History At Memorial Park
Harry Hall5 days ago

Looking For Consistency At Texas Children’s Houston Open
Harris English5 days ago

Looking To Build Off Solid Finish At The PLAYERS
Sahith Theegala5 days ago

A Risky Option At Texas Children’s Houston Open
Alex Smalley6 days ago

A Strong Play At Texas Children’s Houston Open
Michael Kim6 days ago

Bounces Back At Valspar Championship
PGA6 days ago

Sungjae Im Looking For Bounce-Back Performance At Texas Children’s Houston Open
Austin Eckroat6 days ago

A Player To Avoid At Texas Children's Houston Open
PGA6 days ago

Nico Echavarria A Volatile Option At Texas Children's Houston Open
Joe Highsmith6 days ago

Continues Post-Win Success And Is Looking For More In Houston
Adam Hadwin6 days ago

Far From Good Form As He Heads To Texas
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 
J.J. McCarthy - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Draft Sleepers

Five Fantasy Football Superflex Quarterback Breakouts, Draft Targets (2025)

If you’ve ever played in a Superflex fantasy football league, then you know how important quarterbacks are in this format. The ability to start multiple stud quarterbacks can carry you to a Superflex title. Unfortunately, finding two such players isn’t so easy. All the top signal-callers come off draft boards first, and that makes it […]


Omarion Hampton - College Football Rankings, NCAA CFB DFS Lineup Picks - NFL Draft

Ideal Landing Spots For The Top 12 Fantasy Football Rookies - 2025 NFL Draft

Then, the NFL Draft continues to inch closer and closer. This is a very interesting class, with a handful of players who could be stars in the NFL and reshape fantasy football leagues going forward. Here are the ideal landing spots for the top 12 fantasy football rookies. These picks exist in conversation with each […]


Jalen Coker - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Eight Best Ball Late Round Value Fantasy Football Players To Target For 2025

Fantasy football is the most popular game in all of sports. It has gone from a paper-and-pen game to a multi-million dollar-a-year one. While redraft leagues are the most popular form of fantasy football, best ball leagues are quickly gaining steam. The best part of best ball leagues is the ability to draft thousands of […]


Abdul Carter - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

2025 NFL Draft Rankings: Top 10 Fantasy Football Edge Rusher Prospects

Edge rusher is the most important, most coveted, and most highly-paid position on defense in the NFL. It stands to reason that the most important position in the entire game being quarterback, and by a wide margin, means the most important position on defense are the players that are tasked with disrupting opposing QBs as […]


Brock Purdy - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Picks

Brock Purdy Dynasty Fantasy Football Outlook and Trade Value

Despite becoming the all-time leading passer for the Iowa State Cyclones, Brock Purdy wasn't a highly touted prospect due to his perceived lack of athleticism. The 49ers picked him with the final pick of the 2022 NFL Draft, but Mr. Irrelevant quickly proved everyone wrong. In his first two years, he started in back-to-back NFC […]


Michael Florio's Football Show - Podcast RotoBaller Network

Florio's Football Show: Scouting NFL Draft Prospects!

Michael F Florio goes over some of the top prospects from this years NFL Draft. Florio talks about what he looks for when watching prospect tape and explains what traits translate best to the NFL level. Be sure to also tune into RotoBaller Radio on SiriusXM (SiriusXM channel 87) on Sundays from 6-7 am. You can […]


Najee Harris - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Dynasty Fantasy Football Buy or Sell: Najee Harris, Rico Dowdle, Jordan Mason

One year ago, we discussed the futures of Josh Jacobs, Derrick Henry, Saquon Barkley, and Aaron Jones as those free agents found new homes. This year's headliners are Najee Harris, Rico Dowdle, and Jordan Mason. Not quite the same. Still, with every transaction come implications for dynasty fantasy football rosters across the globe. Below, we […]


Romeo Doubs - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Early 2025 Fantasy Football Sleepers: Undervalued NFC Draft Targets

While the 2025 fantasy football redraft season is still several months away, there is no such thing as being too prepared for your fantasy draft. Fantasy football is year-round, even for those who only play in redraft leagues. The landscape of fantasy football will change between today and the start of redraft season, with the […]


Detroit Lions Defense, Aidan Hutchinson - Fantasy Football DST Rankings, Streamers, IDP Sleepers

2025 Fantasy Football IDP Sleepers: Five Draft Targets

It's notably difficult to identify sleepers in fantasy football IDP leagues. The skill of the players in question is very important, but situation also plays a large factor, as does a recent history of injuries. Rather than bucketing them into groups, it's better to analyze each one individually, look at where they are in terms […]


Ashton Jeanty - College Football Rankings, NCAA CFB DFS Lineup Picks

Ashton Jeanty's Top Potential Landing Spots For 2025: Fantasy Football NFL Draft Outlook

Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty will enter the 2025 NFL Draft as one of the best prospects in the class. Jeanty just ran for 2,601 yards and 29 touchdowns across 14 games this past college season. Those 2,601 rush yards were the second-most of all-time in FBS history, only behind Barry Sanders's 2,628 rush yards […]


Bhaysul Tuten - NFL Draft Prospects, Rookie Rankings

2025 Fantasy Football Rookie Mock Draft: 12-Team, Single QB

The 2025 NFL Combine has now been completed, so it's worth doing another mock draft to see where everyone stands after the league's pre-draft testing event. Overall, there were a few surprises, but the order of many players will remain the same. The mental domain of the original rankings, which have been fairly set in […]


Rashid Shaheed - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

2025 Fantasy Football Sleepers: Later-Career Breakout Candidates

Typically, most NFL players break out in the early parts of their careers. Between the ages of 20 and 25 is when you expect to see the majority of players have their first big season. Some waste no time and put together excellent years while they're rookies, while some need more time to develop. These […]


Davante Adams - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

NFL Free Agency Tracker - Updates On Every Free Agent Signing (2025)

HuThe NFL offseason is starting to heat up, and the league's legal tampering period is set to begin on March 10 at noon Eastern. Free agents cannot officially sign until the new league year begins on March 12 at 4 p.m. Eastern, but deals will be agreed to, and news will be coming in quickly […]