Steven Mullen here with another Best Ball blog. In this one we will be taking a Best Ball specific look at the Tight End position. A few notes to start with. If you see (3) next to a TE's name it means it is a TE that makes me lean towards owning 3 TEs and 2 QBs on my roster. We know that 6 RBs and 7 WRs is the optimal roster construction based on win %. This note is to help you decide when to take 3 TEs. I only draft 1 TE with the same bye week.
Tier 1
1. Travis Kelce KC
2. George Kittle SF
3. Zach Ertz PHI
Tier Notes: I prefer Kittle to Ertz in Best Ball because of pure upside. In seasonal I have them reversed. I am comfortable with Kelce as early as the 1.9. Any time I get Kelce in round 2 I am ecstatic. In 12 team leagues I do not like going with 2 elite TE but I don't mind it in smaller Best Ball leagues. I have only went double elite TE in 1 of 200 drafts. It was a draft where Ertz fell to round 4 and the value was just too good. If I take a Tier 1 TE i try and go with just 2 TE and avoid anyone with a (3).
Tier 2
4. OJ Howard(3) TB
5. Hunter Henry LAC
6. Evan Engram NYG
Tier Notes: In this tier the Best Ball specific move is to lower Engram to the bottom of the tier. In Best Ball I am more concerned about ceiling and I feel Engrams ceiling is capped by the Giants offense. OJ Howard is the 1st tight end where I am so concerned about his injury history that I am driven to draft 3 TE if I grab him.
Tier 3
7. Vance McDonald(3) Pit
8. Jared Cook NO
9. David Njoku Cle
10. Eric Ebron Ind
11. Mark Andrews Bal
12. TJ Hockenson Det
Tier Notes: This tier you see I have some players way different then their ADP. In Best Ball we have to consider ownership % and ADP value based drafting. Because we have to consider these things I will only take Andrews or Hockenson up to 1 round above ADP despite thinking they will finish in the top 12. These are two of my most owned players.
Tier 4
13. Delanie Walker(3) Ten
14. Austin Hooper Atl
15. Jimmy Graham GB
16. Jordan Reed(3) Was
17. Dallas Goedart Phi
18. Trey Burton Chi
19. Noah Fant Den
20. Greg Olsen(3) Car
21. Chris Herndon(3) NYJ
22. Tyler Eifert(3) Cin
23. Jack Doyle(3) Ind
24. Darren Waller Oak
25. Will Dissly(3) Sea
Tier Notes: I have Goedart at the top of this teir despite being a back up TE on his team because I believe he will see steady work. I also believe Goedart has league winning upside if Ertz goes down. I try to have my last TE be someone from this group. Since I'm always taking 7 WR I would rather have my pure dart throws at that position then at TE. You'll notice lots of (3) in this group. If I already owned a Tier 1 TE I try and grab someone that does NOT have a (3). I want to maximize value on a Tier 1 TE and go super upside with 3 risky high ceiling QBs so I will avoid pairing them with TE on my (3) list.
Tier 5
26. Ian Thomas Car
27. Ricky Seals-Jones Ari
28. Geoff Swaim Jax
29. Jordan Thomas Hou
30. Gerald Everett LAR
31. Ben Watson NE
Tier Notes: Emergency only tier. I avoid this tier like the plague. However, there are times where I have drafted some high risk TEs or 2 guys with a (3) next to them. If I get pinched off from the tier above I will dive into this tier in round 18 to grab a 3rd TE. Recently I have not had to get into this tier and I strongly recommend avoiding it.
Good Luck in Your Drafts!!!!!!
Steve