Handcuffing your TE? (8 Viewers)

[TheWinz]

I was just doing a 20 round mock and looking at the scraps left in round 20. I had already taken Kelce and my backup was Ertz. I took my D in the 19th and was scrolling around for my final pick, and saw Noah Gray. I've never cuffed a TE before, but he could be very useful in Kelce's absence. Heck, he managed 40/437/5 with a healthy Kelce last year.

So, what do you think about cuffing a TE? Do it if you have deep benches, or keep throwing darts at the RB/WR positions?

 

[FarFromHome]

I was just doing a 20 round mock and looking at the scraps left in round 20. I had already taken Kelce and my backup was Ertz. I took my D in the 19th and was scrolling around for my final pick, and saw Noah Gray. I've never cuffed a TE before, but he could be very useful in Kelce's absence. Heck, he managed 40/437/5 with a healthy Kelce last year.

So, what do you think about cuffing a TE? Do it if you have deep benches, or keep throwing darts at the RB/WR positions?

I've actually cuffed the wr position before, but never the tight end position. In this specific case I think cuffing Kelce isn't a bad idea. Once again roster rules are all different and at pick 20 why not? Youll prolly drop him and pick him up 10 times throughout the season anyways. Ha ha

 

[VikingFrog]

I thought about cuffing Andrews with Likely. But I just can’t get behind rostering 2 tight ends with the shallow benches in this league. Too many RB and WR prospects I think I’d rather roster in the bench for depth and upside.

But, it’s an interesting concept.

 

[TheWinz]

I thought about cuffing Andrews with Likely. But I just can’t get behind rostering 2 tight ends with the shallow benches in this league. Too many RB and WR prospects I think I’d rather roster in the bench for depth and upside.

But, it’s an interesting concept.

Yeah, in shallow bench leagues, no way I cuff a TE. But what about deep bench leagues?

 

[socrates]

Andrew’s and Likely, sure. There may be a few others in dynasty, especially where I am rostering the younger backup. As a general rule, however, the handcuff isn’t going to produce enough points to justify it.

 

[TheWinz]

Andrew’s and Likely, sure. There may be a few others in dynasty, especially where I am rostering the younger backup. As a general rule, however, the handcuff isn’t going to produce enough points to justify it.

Gray finished TE22 with a healthy Kelce. I believe he could be a TE1 if he were the starter.

 

[Hot Sauce Guy]

I was just doing a 20 round mock and looking at the scraps left in round 20. I had already taken Kelce and my backup was Ertz. I took my D in the 19th and was scrolling around for my final pick, and saw Noah Gray. I've never cuffed a TE before, but he could be very useful in Kelce's absence. Heck, he managed 40/437/5 with a healthy Kelce last year.

So, what do you think about cuffing a TE? Do it if you have deep benches, or keep throwing darts at the RB/WR positions?

It’s not the worst idea.

Might be a better idea to just not draft Kelce, and take a better TE.

But now that I think about it I did something similar - drafted Andrews, then took Mason Taylor as my TE2, and in the late rounds took Likely.

So maybe not that crazy. It all depends on what you think Kelce has left in the tank.

 

[menobrown]

Andrews and Likely as mentioned of course.

Kmet and Loveland. In a TEP league I'm light at TE I would be interested.

Njoku and Fannin. Probably.

Jonnu and Freiermuth? Ok in best ball but might have not sure I'd want to clog up a managed lineup with two TE's I don't trust putting in my lineup.

Kelce and Gray? Not so sure. Tonyan has looked pretty good. Can't say it's something that would interest me.

 

[kyoun1e]

I was just doing a 20 round mock and looking at the scraps left in round 20. I had already taken Kelce and my backup was Ertz. I took my D in the 19th and was scrolling around for my final pick, and saw Noah Gray. I've never cuffed a TE before, but he could be very useful in Kelce's absence. Heck, he managed 40/437/5 with a healthy Kelce last year.

So, what do you think about cuffing a TE? Do it if you have deep benches, or keep throwing darts at the RB/WR positions?

If I don't do elite TE I'm probably going to try and get one of the rookies for upside and then a T. Kraft or J. Fergason for stability.

 

[Anarchy99]

I was just doing a 20 round mock and looking at the scraps left in round 20. I had already taken Kelce and my backup was Ertz. I took my D in the 19th and was scrolling around for my final pick, and saw Noah Gray. I've never cuffed a TE before, but he could be very useful in Kelce's absence. Heck, he managed 40/437/5 with a healthy Kelce last year.

So, what do you think about cuffing a TE? Do it if you have deep benches, or keep throwing darts at the RB/WR positions?

In the 20th round, do what you feel like doing. It's a roll of the dice.

Here's what's happened the few times when Gray played and Kelce didn't.

Games Without Kelce:

• Dec 26, 2021 vs PIT: 2 catches, 12 yards
• Sep 7, 2023 vs DET: 3 catches, 31 yards
• Jan 7, 2024 @ LAC: 0 catches on 3 targets

 

[Hot Sauce Guy]

Tonyan has looked pretty good. Can't say it's something that would interest me.

I’d completely forgotten this guy existed after GB. He’s in KC now?

 

[menobrown]

Tonyan has looked pretty good. Can't say it's something that would interest me.

I’d completely forgotten this guy existed after GB. He’s in KC now?

Yeah and I forgot as well until the preseason games came along and he was out there making plays and looking spry.

Maybe he won't even make the team and this is going to look silly but I think the most likely outcome is he just took Wiley's roster spot.

 

[Gatorade]

I thought about cuffing Andrews with Likely. But I just can’t get behind rostering 2 tight ends with the shallow benches in this league. Too many RB and WR prospects I think I’d rather roster in the bench for depth and upside.

But, it’s an interesting concept.

Never thought of this before, but in a recent draft after taking Andrews as my TE, Likely was there in the last round and looked better than anything else available so I took him.

 

[Bri]

always always always keep your bench fluid
Draft whoever ya want whenever ya want but it would be crazy to hold up a roster spot for 10 weeks for a TE you'll use week 11-for example.

 

[KellysHeroes]

In dynasty its always smart to already have on your roster the next man up if there is an injury to a key player.... atleast be aware they are in the FA pool.
I have cuffed TE in the past and you really don't get nearly the same production once the starter is hurt, there is only 3 or 4 I would eye

Mayer LVR: if you invested a high pick on Bowers then you should think about Mayer with your last, if Bowers went down Mayer would get a lot of looks
Sinnott WAS: keep your eyes on him all season, Ertz is older and I would love to see what this kid can do
Gray KC: Maybe not worth a roster spot but he would give you something decent if Kelce got hurt

and not really a handcuff but if you draft Andrews you might want to consider reaching for Likely; due to his injury he's fallen a little bit

 

[zamboni]

I could maybe see a case for Likely as a cuff if the landscape is really barren in your league. But overall I wouldn’t advocate that strategy for anyone else. There’s no guarantee that if a Bowers/McBride/Kittle/Kelce went down that the respective team would continue to use the TE that much even if the backup (like Gray) was a solid player.

 

[pinkstapler]

As is normally my take on handcuffing anyone in any league; 9 times out of 10 I'd rather just take another high upside guy or even a different players "handcuff". You are limiting yourself when taking a handcuff in that the only way that player will ever be useful to you is if your starter gets injured. Meanwhile just taking another upside guy, or a different players handcuff, now there are scenarios where you could actually wind up with TWO high performing players. And then have the option of trading that other guy for a lot of value. Especially with TEs (outside the obvious outlier mentioned a few times in this thread of Andrews/Likely) a team is more likely to just not feature the backup tight end if the starter goes down. It's stupid difficult to be a fantasy relevant tight end as you not only need the talent, but also the situation. I just don't see much upside in any of these situations outside Baltimore where a starter will go down and their backup jumps off the page.

Just take JaTavion Sanders, Theo Johnson, Harold Fannin, or Elijah Arroyo. If they are all unavailable already, just take a different position IMO. If Kelce goes down, it means more work for Rice and Worthy. Highly doubt Noah Gray is doing anything of worth. And I'd bet just about anything no one else in your league will want him either. If he's on waivers and Kelce goes down, someone will pick him up purely to try to sell to you and then drop him after a week or two lol. Seen that happen plenty of times as well.

 

[joey]

i only play FFPC-style dynasty which is shorter benches, and only carry Gray KC behind Kelce ( I got him as a throw in for a trade I made).
Besides Likely for Andrews, and maybe Ferguson if you already have Higbee (does anyone roster Highbee ) and see the writing on the wall this season, I don’t think I’d cuff any other TEs. Maybe Mayers. Maybe….

Not TE centric but related: my one FFPC league where I have the toughest time managing my roster is where I have both Walker/Charbs and Bijan/Algeier. (Drafted Algeier one year then Atlanta drafts Bijan the next and I won the 1.1 pick and had to take him. Similar story with Walker and Charbs).

In the Walker/Charbs case, I’m ecstatic I have both. In the Bijan/Algeier case, I’m chewing up a precious roster spot (FFPC is only Keep 14 skill players) on a cuff I’ll almost never use. Can’t trade him away (why would I trade away my own handcuff and who would want him besides giving me a late round pick) and “can’t” drop him, at least at this point. So I’m using 4 of my 14 keeper spots for 2 starting RB slots and it’s killing me

 

[Hot Sauce Guy]

always always always keep your bench fluid
Draft whoever ya want whenever ya want but it would be crazy to hold up a roster spot for 10 weeks for a TE you'll use week 11-for example.

I don’t think it’s that crazy. Depends on roster/bench size.

Andrews is a top ~4 FF TE, but is getting up there in years. Likely is an injury discount at the moment but was expected to have a sizable role in that offense even with a healthy Andrews. In TE-P format, Likely could be a BYE week flier, and if Andrews goes down, Likely could be a top ~7 TE.

Of course that depends on the health of his foot, but I’m assuming Andrews stays vertical for at least a few weeks.

 

[Hot Sauce Guy]

Maybe Mayers. Maybe….

Mayers is not a bad call. He’s nowhere near the talent that Bowers is, but in the event of Bowers missing time, Mayers will be a hot pickup in leagues he goes un-rostered. He’s talented enough to be top ~12 with upside since the Raiders aren’t the deepest team at receiver.

 

[joey]

Maybe Mayers. Maybe….

Mayers is not a bad call. He’s nowhere near the talent that Bowers is, but in the event of Bowers missing time, Mayers will be a hot pickup in leagues he goes un-rostered. He’s talented enough to be top ~12 with upside since the Raiders aren’t the deepest team at receiver.

For the record, I only mentioned Mayer because @KellysHeroes did a few posts up.