Darren Waller Is One of Four Possible Fantasy Busts at Tight End

Plus, it might be time to temper expectations for Kyle Pitts.

Bust. It’s the dirtiest four-letter word in fantasy football.

Fantasy managers who drafted players such as Russell Wilson, Jonathan Taylor and Deebo Samuel last season know the term (and its consequences) all too well. Selecting a bust, especially in the earlier rounds of your draft, can be detrimental to your chances of fielding a true fantasy league postseason contender.

• Possible Fantasy Busts: Quarterbacks | Running Backs | Wide Receivers

To me, the term “bust” includes players who either don’t live up to their draft position or were selected to play prominent roles who fail in the stat sheets. Middle- to late-round picks, unless you select them to be starters (mostly quarterbacks or tight ends), don’t fit the description. After all, late rounders are easily replaced.

With that in mind, here’s four tight ends to beware with your valuable draft capital

Darren Waller, Giants

John Minchillo/AP

The good news about Waller is that he’s not going to cost you a top-50 pick in drafts. The bad news? He’s missed 13 games over the last two years, he’s been mostly an inconsistent player since 2020 and he’s had just one really elite fantasy season. Yes, there’s a chance Waller could lead the Giants in targets. But to expect a return to his most productive days will likely lead to disappointment.

Kyle Pitts, Falcons

Pitts was the most highly touted tight end to come out of college in forever a few years ago, but the early returns have not been good. His three career touchdowns are underwhelming, and he’s coming off a knee injury that cost him seven games last season. What’s more, Pitts wasn’t very good in the games he played. It’s time to wonder if he’ll ever actually meet our lofty fantasy expectations.

Evan Engram, Jaguars

Engram is coming off his best fantasy season, posting 766 yards and nearly 177 PPR points. Can he duplicate those totals? My guess is no, especially with the return of Calvin Ridley who will demand 130-plus targets in the offense. Engram has also never had back-to-back seasons with 150-plus fantasy points in his career, so fantasy managers might want to temper their expectations.

Dawson Knox, Bills

Knox has scored a combined 15 touchdowns over the last two years, during which time he’s become a low-end No. 1 fantasy tight end. However, the addition of rookie standout Dalton Kincaid could push Knox back in terms of targets. He averaged just 4.5 chances per game since 2021, and you have to think that total goes down now that Kincaid, a far better pass catcher, is in the offensive mix.