TE Eric Ebron, PIT (2 Viewers)

Eric Ebron caught just 1-of-2 targets for 18 yards in the Steelers' Week 1 win over the Giants.

Hyped as a breakout candidate in his new city, Ebron was a total afterthought in a plus-plus matchup. His two targets were tied for fifth on the Steelers. But Ebron is at least better than Vance McDonald, who turned his two looks into three yards on one grab. Ebron should catch a handful of touchdowns from Big Ben, but there are plenty of guys ahead of him on the target totem pole.

Sep 14, 2020, 11:28 PM ET

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Brooke Pryor @bepryor

Roethlisberger on Ebron not been targeted much: "Offensively, we haven't hit our stride yet. THat's ok, as long as we're still winning football games." 

Says Ebron's blocked better than anyone maybe expected or anticipated.

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Eric Ebron caught 5-of-7 targets for 52 yards and a touchdown in Pittsburgh's Week 3 win over Pittsburgh.

Ebron helped put the Steelers on the board for their first touchdown of the game, hauling in a 17-yard gain and capping that drive with a 10-yard score on a fade route to the corner of the end zone. Vance McDonald was also involved, catching all three of his targets for 35 yards, but Ebron was featured for a team-high seven targets. There are numerous mouths to feed weekly in Pittsburgh, but Ebron remains a high-end TE2 with confidence if only for his role in the red zone.

Sep 27, 2020, 6:22 PM ET

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Eric Ebron caught 5-of-6 targets for 43 yards in the Steelers' Week 5 win over the Eagles.

Ebron has finished first and second on the Steelers in targets in the past two weeks but didn't top 52 yards in either game. He also coughed up a fumble when the Eagles were still attempting to mount a comeback in the second half. Ebron needs a touchdown to be a worthwhile starter in fantasy leagues. He's a TE2 with TE1 upside if he does manage to find the end zone.

- Rotoworld

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The Frankman said:

Eric Ebron caught 5-of-6 targets for 43 yards in the Steelers' Week 5 win over the Eagles.

Ebron has finished first and second on the Steelers in targets in the past two weeks but didn't top 52 yards in either game. He also coughed up a fumble when the Eagles were still attempting to mount a comeback in the second half. Ebron needs a touchdown to be a worthwhile starter in fantasy leagues. He's a TE2 with TE1 upside if he does manage to find the end zone.

- Rotoworld

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Eric Ebron (hand) did not practice Wednesday.

It's a new issue for Ebron, so it's unclear what his Week 6 status will be after going 5-43 on six targets against the Eagles last week.

Oct 14, 2020, 4:05 PM ET

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Steelers TE Eric Ebron (elbow) was held out of Wednesday's practice.

This is a new one for Ebron, who healed from offseason ankle surgery and a different hand issue earlier this season. Monitor practice reports for the rest of the week, as Ebron could be an important piece in the Steelers' hopes to beat the Ravens in Week 8.

Oct 28, 2020, 11:47 PM ET

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Eric Ebron (elbow) returned to Steelers practice on Thursday, getting in a "full" session. 

The Steelers were managing Ebron's reps on Wednesday. Ebron has established a top-15 floor at the tight end position, but he has demonstrated zero ceiling in the Steelers' receiver-dominated passing attack. 

Oct 29, 2020, 8:02 PM ET

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Eric Ebron caught 4-of-5 targets for 48 yards and a touchdown in the Steelers' Week 8 win against the Ravens. 

Ebron broke away from coverage and was wide open for his 18-yard score against Baltimore. Ebron has quietly had a solid first season with the Steelers, recording at least four receptions in four of his past five games. He's been on the field a lot this year, notching the 13th most pass routes among tight ends. Ebron has become a reliable low-end TE1 play -- that should continue next week against a Dallas defense that's proven generous to enemy tight ends. 

Nov 1, 2020, 7:45 PM ET

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Summer Wheat said:

The strange thing about Ebron is when you watch most of his TD catches he is left wide open and totally uncovered.  It is like the defense has no respect for Ebron at all and there he is without a defender within 10 yards of him.   Puzzling.

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Eric Ebron caught 7-of-11 targets for 54 yards in the Steelers' Week 12 win over the Ravens.

Ebron was a go-to player for Roethlisberger in the redzone but failed to turn any of his condensed field receptions into scores. His production line certainly was not aided by Lions-level Ebron making a return in the form of drops, with the tight end accounting for at least two on the day. Still, this volume is difficult to come by at the tight end position in 2020 and could make Ebron a top 12 option against Washington in Week 13.

Dec 2, 2020, 7:04 PM ET

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Eric Ebron caught 7-of-11 targets for 68 yards in the Steelers' Week 13 loss to Washington.

That's back-to-back games with seven catches and 11 targets for Ebron. Just like last week, he logged at least two drops on the day as well. Ebron has had seven games with at least six targets in his first season with the Steelers. However, as a non-factor when blocking who consistently drops passes, he'll need to produce more to earn another contract with the Steelers. He remains a fringe TE1 in his matchup with the Bills next week.

Dec 7, 2020, 10:41 PM ET

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Eric Ebron (PIT) at Bills

Ebron is rostered in 82 percent of leagues. If you have him, you’re likely starting him every week as the Steelers’ primary pass catching tight end. I get it. The following analysis is for those in 10 or 12-team leagues -- of tight end premium formats with multiple flex spots -- who might be torn on starting Ebron over another every-week option. 

Last week in this space, I highlighted Jordan Reed’s sneaky fantastic matchup against Buffalo. Reed caught three balls for 32 yards and a score against the Bills in Week 13. Not the kind of volume we're hoping for, but it worked out OK. Reed and Ross Dwelley combined for five catches, 62 yards, and a touchdown. The Niners, as we suspected, attacked Buffalo’s defense via the tight end. 

Tight ends are seeing 23.9 percent of targets against the Bills, the third highest rate in the league. Tight ends facing the Bills have averaged 8.25 targets and 6.1 receptions per game. That’s not awful. In fact, it’s pretty good. As I mentioned last week, it’s not just elite tight ends getting massive target volume against Buffalo. Seattle’s little used tight ends combined for 11 targets against the Bills; Chris Herndon had seven targets against them in Week 1; and Dan Arnold caught all five of his targets against Buffalo a few weeks back. 

Ebron has quietly become one of the most reliable tight ends in fantasy as a key part of one of the league’s most pass heavy offenses. He has at least six targets in six of his past seven games, and 22 targets over his past two outings. He has a strong 16 percent target share on the season, and an 18 percent target share over the Steelers’ past four games. We can’t ask much more of a tight end not named Travis Kelce. 

Ebron’s opportunity in a Pittsburgh offense that never stops throwing the ball is seen in his route running. Only five tight ends have run more pass routes this season. To exactly no one’s surprise, Ebron has run 401 routes to teammate Vance McDonald’s 122 routes. This week’s Bills-Steelers clash -- a potential shootout -- gives Ebron as much upside as any tight end in fantasy not catching passes from Patrick Mahomes. 

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Eric Ebron exited Week 15 against the Bengals with a back injury and will not return.

Ebron was injured in the second quarter. On his lone target, three defenders were in the area, and he was smashed by two of them. Ebron was definitely hit before the ball arrived, but the refs didn't throw a flag on the play as it fell incomplete. The tight end was in considerable pain before jumping on a cart and heading to the locker room.

Dec 21, 2020, 10:05 PM ET

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Eric Ebron did not suffer organ damage on a hit against the Bengals on Monday night. 

Ebron took a shot in the second quarter and was almost immediately declared out for the game. He should be OK to play this week against his former team, the Colts. The Steelers' offensive struggles have damaged the weekly floors of every player expect for target hog Diontae Johnson. Still, Ebron should be considered a borderline TE1 in Week 16. 

SOURCE: Tom Pelissero on Twitter 

Dec 22, 2020, 11:51 AM ET

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Eric Ebron (back) was held out of Wednesday's practice.

Ebron exited Monday's game against the Bengals with the injury, and Tom Pelissero reported that the tight end did not suffer organ damage. Even needing to report that might tell us the status of Ebron ahead of Sunday. Check back later in the week for updates.

Dec 23, 2020, 11:09 PM ET

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Steelers placed TE Eric Ebron on the reserve/COVID-19 list.

He'll be joined by CB Joe Haden and LB Cassius Marsh. ESPN's Dan Graziano reports Haden was a positive and the other two were deemed high-risk close contacts. Hopefully the Steelers aren't dealing with a coronavirus outbreak right before the playoffs. The team will be closing out the regular season with a meaningless game against the Browns. Ben Roethlisberger, T.J. Watt, and other starters will be resting.

SOURCE: Steelers on Twitter

Jan 2, 2021, 3:52 PM ET

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Steelers activated Eric Ebron from the reserve/COVID list.

Ebron will only end up missing Pittsburgh's meaningless regular season finale against Cleveland. He only totaled 13 targets in his three appearances prior to Week 17 but did see five second-half targets against the Colts while Ben Roethlisberger took it upon himself to call his own plays. Ebron at least offers a high-floor for any postseason fantasy tournaments.

SOURCE: Dale Lolley on Twitter

Jan 7, 2021, 12:15 PM ET

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Eric Ebron caught 7-of-11 targets for 62 yards and one score in Pittsburgh's Wild Card loss to the Browns.

Fantasy players who bet on Ebron bouncing back from his injury-riddled final year with the Colts were rewarded with his most targets (91), catches (56), receiving yards (558), and touchdowns (5) since his 13-score breakout in 2018. Although he only surpassed 55 receiving yards in a single outing all year, Ebron was healthy for 15 games and offered a high floor with at least five targets in 13 of them. The Steelers have a team-friendly out in 2021 to avoid paying him an additional $5 million (and total $8.5 million) in the final year of his contract, but that money can easily be compensated by declining Vance McDonald's $7.9 million club-option at the position. Ebron's outlook will be intriguing if both he and Ben Roethlisberger remain in Pittsburgh.

Jan 11, 2021, 2:34 AM ET

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Eric Ebron was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list.

Ebron tested positive on Monday, shutting down the Steelers' facilities, and for those wondering, his first time on the reserve/COVID-19 list came as a close contact. Fantasy players who bet on Ebron bouncing back from his injury-riddled final year with the Colts were rewarded with his most targets (91), catches (56), receiving yards (558), and touchdowns (5) since his 13-score breakout in 2018. Although he only surpassed 55 receiving yards in a single outing all year, Ebron was healthy for 15 games and offered a high floor with at least five targets in 13 of them. The Steelers have a team-friendly out in 2021 to avoid paying him an additional $5 million (and total $8.5 million) in the final year of his contract, but that money can easily be compensated by declining Vance McDonald's $7.9 million club-option at the position. Ebron's outlook will be intriguing if both he and Ben Roethlisberger remain in Pittsburgh.

SOURCE: Gerry Dulac on Twitter

Jan 12, 2021, 9:45 PM ET

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Eric Ebron was added to the Steelers' injury report on Thursday, not practicing with a hamstring issue. 

He should be considered genuinely questionable for Sunday's game against the Raiders. Ebron caught only one Week 1 ball as the Steelers' offense remained grounded in the team's road upset of the Bills. Ebron's Week 2 absence would create some low-end TE2 juice for rookie Pat Freiermuth. When both are healthy, TE2 value will be difficult for either to come by in an attack dominated by Najee Harris carries and receiver targets. 

SOURCE: Brooke Pryor on Twitter 

Sep 16, 2021, 3:36 PM ET

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ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reports Steelers TE Eric Ebron (knee) is expected to miss "extended time."

Ebron is reportedly "bracing" to undergo season-ending knee surgery and is currently gathering a second opinion. Pat Freiermuth was splitting reps with Ebron, running a route on 54% of the team's dropbacks in three games alongside the latter since Week 6, but experienced increased usage — route on 70.8% of dropbacks, 20.2% target share — in two games without Ebron in that time. Expect Ebron to officially be placed on injured reserve in the coming days.

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Pat Freiermuth

SOURCE: Jeremy Fowler on Twitter

Nov 23, 2021, 2:53 PM ET

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