Drafting Backup TEs (1 Viewer)

[bigmiiiiike]

If you don't get a Witten, Gates, KW, Gonzo, Cooley, Clark, Shockey, or Heap (maybe add a few others if you are confident in their ability), is this the year to draft a backup TE with so much "potential" surrounding so many guys??? I am from the school of drafting one TE, K, and D, and using my reserve spots on boom/bust backups at RB and WR. This seems to be one of the first years that there are some boom/bust TEs available really late. Guys like Greg Olsen and Scheffler and Keller go very late and sometimes go undrafted. Are they worth taking a flier on as a backup TE?

I'm most interested in responses from guys who don't normally take two TEs.

 

[bucsbaby]

I'm one of those guys. If you can't hit one of the top TEs (something I find hard to justify with their ADP) then I think it is a good idea to go with two TEs, especially if you are at the late-round-flier stage of your draft. I can't believe that in many mocks I have participated in that guys like Alge Crumpler aren't even on peoples' radar. He is in the situation to return to stud-status. McMichael is also on nobody's radar and the team is commited to having him out in routes often. I have him in my main league and like him to bust out this year. He has the talent, he just needs the opportunity. Let's say you were to grab these two guys late. If one of them hits and goes to the top 5 then you got stupendous value.

 

[AtomicDogg97]

I agree completely. I also plan to take two lower tier tight ends and hope that one produces.

 

[bicycle_seat_sniffer]

I think even if you have a stud like say a KW2 or a Gonzo, if your roster is deep enough go ahead and grab a scheffler or LJ SMith or Owen Daniels when the value is there.

Last year I grabbed Shockey and Witten in a league and traded Mr.Shock

 

[SSOG]

Take value wherever it presents itself, regardless of who you already have on your team (within reason, of course). Remember, unless you're in a no-trade league, it's not like a backup who suddenly becomes productive renders your starter dead weight. In one league last year, I took Antonio Gates early, and was also the first person to take a backup TE, *AND* I took a 3rd TE to boot. The backup wound up being Jason Witten, and the third TE wound up being Owen Daniels. Jason Witten wound up getting shipped off for an elite WR, and Owen Daniels was a key component in a trade to upgrade my starting RBs. In another league, I backed up Gates with Dallas Clark and Owen Daniels. Once again, my depth at TE was key when I was gearing up for the playoffs.

If you're in a league that doesn't trade, then that's a different story, but if your league is even moderately active, just trust in your own projections and once you can be sure you aren't hurting your starting roster, start taking the guy you think is going to do the best, even if you don't think he'll ever see the field for your team.

 

[benbadman]

Without question, drafting a backup TE and moreso one with upside to have a top10 TE season is a good investment. Injuries, bye weeks, and underperforming seasons are just a few of the risks you run if your drafted roster has just one "stud" TE. If all the other teams in your league took 2+ TEs, do you really want to be forced to start Ben Hartsock (Falcons TE) if Winslow goes down to injury early?

 

[JTM]

Without question, drafting a backup TE and moreso one with upside to have a top10 TE season is a good investment. Injuries, bye weeks, and underperforming seasons are just a few of the risks you run if your drafted roster has just one "stud" TE. If all the other teams in your league took 2+ TEs, do you really want to be forced to start Ben Hartsock (Falcons TE) if Winslow goes down to injury early?

Cowboys fan born and bred. Martellus Bennet has all of the makings of a bust. Watch Hard Knocks--bad attitude, bad body language, and less than coachable at this point.

 

[JHuber77]

Without question, drafting a backup TE and moreso one with upside to have a top10 TE season is a good investment. Injuries, bye weeks, and underperforming seasons are just a few of the risks you run if your drafted roster has just one "stud" TE. If all the other teams in your league took 2+ TEs, do you really want to be forced to start Ben Hartsock (Falcons TE) if Winslow goes down to injury early?

Cowboys fan born and bred. Martellus Bennet has all of the makings of a bust. Watch Hard Knocks--bad attitude, bad body language, and less than coachable at this point.