There’s a reason the most poplar NFL players are quarterbacks. It makes sense that running backs and wide receivers get their fair share of attention. And it is completely logical why you see few ad campaigns or “SportsCenter” features tight ends or kickers.
Face it, tight ends and kickers basically are the offensive lineman of football, with some notable exceptions — OK, well, one exception.
And because most leagues employ the use of a defense/special teams, rather than independent defensive players, let’s lump the DEF position into the low-impact category as well.
Like an offensive line, they might not get the glory, but you do need a good one to succeed. Same with our low-impact spots. But you’re in luck: There are plenty of good ones available at these three positions.
Tights Ends
If you didn’t guess, that one exception mentioned earlier is Saints TE Jimmy Graham. He dwarfed all tight ends last season, scoring around 50-60 points in most leagues more than Vernon Davis, who ranked a distant second.
If you expect that to happen again, then by all means, take Graham with the ninth overall pick. But the Madman predicts a slight drop in Grahama’s production and a similar rise in those chasing him, thus narrowing the gap.
Appropriately, we will wait to grab a TE. And wait. And wait.
We love Julius Thomas, but second or third round is just too early. If we knew we were getting Rob Gronkowski circa 2011, he might be worth a third-rounder, but too many questions now. Vernon Davis had a spike in TDs last year, which is driving his value higher than it should be.
The first best opportunity to look for a TE is around pick 70 — or Rounds 6-7 in a 12-team league. That’s when we check in on the availability of Jordan Cameron. If he’s gone, the next name on our radar is Greg Olsen, who normally goes in the 80-90 range. If we miss on both, we keep waiting.
Dennis Pitta is all over the board. His ADP is in the mid-90s, but he can go as early as the 70s or as late as the 130s. If he slips, we like him. Otherwise, the Madman will use picks in close proximity to nab two late TEs with high upside. Jordan Reed, Martellus Bennett, Charles Clay, Zach Ertz and Kyle Rudolph fit this description. But not Eric Ebron. Rookie TEs seldom make huge impacts, and he is on a team with a load of other options. Our favorite late-rounder is Ladarius Green in the 140-150 range.
And if you’re scrambling at the tail end, or feel like reaching for sleeper, take a shot at Travis Kelce.
Defenses/Special Teams
Having a good fantasy defense is like having a good wallet. Sure, it’s nice and makes things a bit easier, but you still can get cash out of your Velcro billfold.
Everyone would prefer to have the Seahawks defense, but with an ADP in the 60s, it makes them a terrible value. We’re not convinced they will be as dominating as last season, when they outscored the next-best Panthers by less than one point per week. That extra point a week does not justify a pick 25 slots higher.
Truth is, you can survive by rotating defenses week to week, selecting off waivers the available unit facing the worst offense each week, until bye-week drops allow you to nab a keeper.
Otherwise, we’re going to wait until we feel good about our starters and primary backups before even looking this way, which puts us, at the earliest, around Round 12. Some possible targets there: Broncos (falling this far less and less often), Cardinals, Chiefs, Rams and Patriots. You just looking for a team with playmakers on defenses (sacks and INTs) or big-play threats on special teams (like the Chiefs and Rams).
Kickers
The last round was made for kickers. The disparity is slim between the best and mediocre. Sure, Matt Prater, Justin Tucker and Stephen Gostkowski may be better than the others, but we would rather take a fifth RB or WR who could break out, then settle for Nick Folk, Graham Gano or Matt Bryant at the end.
Insanity Insider
The Madman’s DVQ ranks TEs, DEFs, Kc
Draft Value Quotient (DVQ) is a calculation of a player’s value at his average draft position, in relation to points scored and position played.
PPT — projected points
ADP — average draft position
DVQ Averages:
Overall: 3.41
QB: 2.57
RB: 5.15
WR: 4.33
TE: 2.14
DEF: 1.38
K: 0.99
Players listed in order of ADP
Tight Ends
Jimmy Graham, Saints
DVQ: 1.98, PPT: 183, ADP: 11.19
Julius Thomas, Broncos
DVQ: 1.81, PPT: 155, ADP: 21.11
Rob Gronkowski, Patriots
DVQ: 1.67, PPT: 142, ADP: 33.70
Vernon Davis, 49ers
DVQ: 2.37, PPT: 155, ADP: 47.04
Jordan Cameron, Browns
DVQ: 2.31, PPT: 134, ADP: 69.52
Jason Witten, Cowboys
DVQ: 1.62, PPT: 112, ADP: 69.81
Greg Olsen, Panthers
DVQ: 2.18, PPT: 118, ADP: 88.33
Dennis Pitta, Ravens
DVQ: 2.14, PPT: 113, ADP: 95.67
Kyle Rudolph, Vikings
DVQ: 1.78, PPT: 96, ADP: 110.44
Jordan Reed, Redskins
DVQ: 2.38, PPT: 110, ADP: 81.56
Martellus Bennett, Bears
DVQ: 2.07, PPT: 95, ADP: 130.59
Charles Clay, Dolphins
DVQ: 2.41, PPT: 98, ADP: 142.22
Ladarius Green, Chargers
DVQ: 3.17, PPT: 107, ADP: 154.93
Zach Ertz, Eagles
DVQ: 2.33, PPT: 90, ADP: 160.11
Eric Ebron, Lions
DVQ: 1.86, PPT: 80, ADP: 161.63
Defense/Special Teams
Seahawks
DVQ: 1.47, PPT: 185, ADP: 69.81
Panthers
DVQ: 1.53, PPT: 172, ADP: 91.67
49ers
DVQ: 1.66, PPT: 171, ADP: 103.37
Broncos
DVQ: 1.55, PPT: 159, ADP: 113.81
Cardinals
DVQ: 1.32, PPT: 140, ADP: 126.33
Chiefs
DVQ: 1.03, PPT: 121, ADP: 132.15
Rams
DVQ: 1.35, PPT: 138, ADP: 133.93
Patriots
DVQ: 1.19, PPT: 128, ADP: 137.11
Bengals
DVQ: 1.19, PPT: 127, ADP: 139.04
Bills
DVQ: 1.46, PPT: 133, ADP: 156.04
Kickers
Matt Prater, Broncos
DVQ: 0.91, PPT: 168, ADP: 120.63
Stephen Gostkowski, Patriots
DVQ: 0.91, PPT: 160, ADP: 135.56
Justin Tucker, Ravens
DVQ: 0.97, PPT: 160, ADP: 145.15
Steven Hauschka, Seahawks
DVQ: 0.90, PPT: 148, ADP: 156.93
Mason Crosby, Packers
DVQ: 1.01, PPT: 155, ADP: 160.74