TE Position...Is it worth it? (1 Viewer)

[u999spf]

Up until this season we lumped the TE's in with the WR's. Usually the very top TE's would be drafted as a WR2 or WR3 and the rest would go undrafted. Since most teams started involving the TE heavily again in the passing game we figured it was a good time to make the TE's its own position.

The reviews from league members have been mixed. Some want to go back and some want to keep it. Those that don't care for it say that there aren't any good te's. None of them score, they are just taking up roster spots, etc.

I think I would like to keep it but possibly tweak the scoring to give them more of an impact and not just a fantasy after thought. I am thinking about adding a ppr or lowering the yardage bonus to 1 pt for every 10 yards receiving or some combination.

Any other ideas out there? How do you guys treat the TE's?

 

[Anonymous Internet User]

the biggest problem is the inconsistency of the majority of TEs. no scoring system will really help you with that. the TE position, much like the K position, is there to add more randomness to head-to-head matchups and give some variety to the ole QB/RB/WR combo.

I'm personally more fond of having a single WR/TE slot, but allowing for 5 of those slots to start. That means that all receivers are more valued and TEs actually become useful by comparison to some teams WR3.

 

[baronson]

like any other position. no allowances at all. if you want to use a 2nd or 3rd round pick on a top guy, that's cool. if you want to wait until the 10th to draft Dan Campbell, that's your business. but you got to field one, either way. don't dumb down your league to accomodate the lowest common denominator.

 

[-OZ-]

FWIW, most of my leagues give some extra PPR to TEs. I don't know that it's needed, but it isn't a bad idea.

Unless you can find a way to give them credit for blocks, the TE position in FF will never equal that in the NFL. But then, neither does DT or blocking WRs, FBs, etc.

 

[Bad_Mo]

Weight the TDs, yardage and receptions in favor of TEs. For example, instead of 6 points for a TD, give them 7. 1 point for every 6 yards receiving instead of every 10 yards.

Things like that bring more TEs into the pool.

 

[VIKEfan]

In my league we start 3 receiver types. TEs are an option that can be included as 1 of the 3. We tried to balance the TEs a bit by giving a listed TE more points per 10 yards than a listed WR. It seems to work well, as we are not required to play a TE. It helped keep the randomness (past the top 5 who are usually consistent with about 50 yards or so per game) out of the scoring. We still get the occasional barn burner from a TE that puts up about 100 and 2 TDs, but that can be said about the WRs as well. I don't think there is any WR that will consistently put up 15 to 20 points week in and week out.

 

[turnit643]

We use 1 pt. for 10 yards for TE's as compared to 20 yards for WR's and use the TE's a separate position. Have always done it that way and have never had complaints.

 

[GregR_2]

Start 2 TEs and give them a point per reception and suddenly they become meaningful.

My dynasty league starts 1 QB, 2 RB, 1 flex QB/RB (normally a 2nd QB). 4 WR, 2 TE, 1 flex WR/TE, and has 1/4 RB receptions, 1/2 WR, 1 pt TE. There is not total parity across the positions, but there are a lot of ways to build a strong team. I've had the highest scoring team the last 2 years and my team is built around WRs. Another team has 3 top TEs which is his strength.

 

[coo2ie]

I would not want to be in a league w/o tight ends.

 

[coo2ie]

I would not want to be in a league w/o tight ends.

I go match ups week to week on the TE. During the draft, when people are wasting 3rd and 4th round picks, go with the RB/WRor QB's in that order... based on the scoring of course.

 

[GoBears84]

Up until this season we lumped the TE's in with the WR's. Usually the very top TE's would be drafted as a WR2 or WR3 and the rest would go undrafted. Since most teams started involving the TE heavily again in the passing game we figured it was a good time to make the TE's its own position.

The reviews from league members have been mixed. Some want to go back and some want to keep it. Those that don't care for it say that there aren't any good te's. None of them score, they are just taking up roster spots, etc.

I think I would like to keep it but possibly tweak the scoring to give them more of an impact and not just a fantasy after thought. I am thinking about adding a ppr or lowering the yardage bonus to 1 pt for every 10 yards receiving or some combination.

Any other ideas out there? How do you guys treat the TE's?

We treat TE's same as WR's and RB's - 6 pt's per TD, 1 pt per 10 yards in all 3 of my leagues. The differences are in how they are flexed. In two of my leagues, you must start one TE, but you can replace one WR with another TE. One owner had a nice stretch playing both Gonzo and Winslow.To me, TE's add more skill to the game. When do you draft one? If you draft one late, do you play match ups or just dance with who you have? How do you handle bye weeks with your TE when you only have one (I've been very successful with good TE's of not wasting the roster spot and taking a 0 for just one week).

It's those little differences, and accounting for them appropriately, which separate the sharks from the guppies.

BTW - there was an awesome Fantasy Roundtable article in Week 14 regarding drafting TE's. Definitely worth the read.

Joel