There is a combination of factors that make TE so valuable in this format. One is that the league has been moving more towards the passing game and the TE position has benefited the most from this change happening over the past 8 or so years. Another is the 2pt/reception for TE making those receptions twice as valuable as a reception from a WR. The 3rd is position scarcity. Although the number of viable TE has gone up in recent years there is still a finite number of them available who will get 40 or more receptions (equal to 80 receptions from a WR) and 16 teams drafting who all need 2 but could play 3. Because of this the baseline for TE should be TE 30-36. With that as a baseline and only 32 NFL teams there will be some teams taking a huge disadvantage at the position and having both of their TE outscored by just one of the better ones, sometimes doubling those combined scores.Some coaches identified this early on even when there were not as many viable TE available. But due to recent events I think it is understandable that their value has risen this much. I think most here like their chances to find competitive players from the WR and RB positions later in the draft who will not have a large a margin in scoring from the top players at their positions as there will be at the TE position.
this is pretty much EXACTLY what I said two posts ago.....
although you touched on the difference between TE/WR the part you didn't hit on is how the fact that RB's get 0 PPR really factors into TE's getting taken early....look how far the RB's fall in this format....so where you would normally see RB's being drafted, you are seeing TE's....some of the studs are still being taken, but even they are maybe being taken later than usual....and guys like Sproles, etc, who in a PPR format might be off the board by now, may see their ADP plummet in this format....add that to the fact that we are drafting "Team QB" (so injury risk is somewhat mitigated, even though Rodgers backups won't put up Rodgers type numbers, they will still put up numbers) TE and TeamQB will go early...while TE's usually always go alittle early, I called this TE frenzy happening in these leagues this year in November last year in the Anarchy Thoughts thread....