Breaking down the fantasy impact of this offseason’s tight end moves

Most tight ends aren’t a priority when it comes to fantasy football, but a few big names changed teams this offseason. The cream of the crop in 2020 will likely be similar to 2019’s group, but we go over this some of this offseason’s bigger tight end transactions and how they will impact fantasy football options.

Jimmy Graham, Chicago Bears (from Green Bay Packers)

Just about 70 percent of the NFL’s tight ends were on the Bears before Graham left the Packers for the windy city, so this makes a ton of sense. In all seriousness though, Graham hasn’t been a top 10 fantasy tight end since his time with the Seattle Seahawks. Graham is getting paid like a top five tight end, so he should receive significant snaps. The top 15 is within his reach if the Bears figure out their quarterback situation, but his upside is capped.

Austin Hooper, Cleveland Browns (from Atlanta Falcons)

Hooper was a top seven fantasy tight end in standard and PPR leagues last year with the Falcons, but it could be harder for him to but up big numbers with the Browns. Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry are sure to accrue a massive amount of targets, and Kareem Hunt will be even more of a threat as a receiver out of the backfield. Kevin Stefanski’s love for using multiple tight ends at once adds another layer of difficulty. Don’t expect Hooper to fall off the map, but he could drop outside of the top 10.

Greg Olsen, Seattle Seahawks (from Carolina Panthers)

Olsen is no longer a Panther after nine seasons. While he’s been bothered by injuries in recent years, he’s managed to remain productive for the most part. His top 10 days are over as far as fantasy goes, but he could be an upgrade over Jacob Hollister and Will Dissly if healthy.

Eric Ebron, Pittsburgh Steelers (from Indianapolis Colts)

Ebron had a down year in 2019 after putting together the best season of his career in 2018 with the Colts. He has a good chance to dethrone Vance McDonald as the Steelers’ top tight end, but will still likely split snaps with the incumbent. Pittsburgh’s passing numbers were down without Ben Roethlisberger last year but should be on the rise with his return in 2020. Ebron should finish in the top half of the league among starters at the very least.

Tyler Eifert, Jacksonville Jaguars (from Cincinnati Bengals)

Eifert has left the Bengals to join the Jaguars after spending his first seven pro seasons in Ohio. He flashed some potential as a top 10 fantasy tight end in 2015 and hasn’t done much since then due to injuries. He should have an edge on James O’Shaughnessy, but it is difficult to foresee a full workload through 16 games for Eifert.

Jason Witten, Las Vegas Raiders (from Dallas Cowboys)

Witten surprisingly joined the Raiders after coming out of retirement to play for the Cowboys last season. He’ll play behind one of the most promising tight ends the NFL has to offer in Darren Waller. Witten doesn’t bring much to the team with a top five player at his position already in place.

Hayden Hurst, Atlanta Falcons (from Baltimore Ravens)

Hurst was brought in to help replace Austin Hooper for the Falcons. There wasn’t much room for him to thrive playing behind Mark Andrews with the Ravens. Hurst could have a breakout season with less competition around him, but his ceiling is hard to gauge with such a small sample size.

Trey Burton, Indianapolis Colts (from Chicago Bears)

Burton is done with the Chicago Bears after two seasons and is on his way to joining the Colts. Indianapolis has Jack Doyle as its top tight end following Ebron’s departure. Burton was a top 10 fantasy tight end in 2018, but has been an afterthought in his five other NFL seasons. If he can stay healthy, the Colts offer a strong option for him in a No. 2 tight end role.