When should you draft Patriots' tight ends in fantasy leagues?
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - With Rob Gronkowski out of the picture, New England's tight end depth chart hasn't looked this inadequate in over a decade. But that doesn't mean there won't be some value from the position when your fantasy drafts are underway within the next month or two.
Let's take a look at some of the options available at tight end on the Patriots roster that may be worth drafting in your fantasy league and could give you some value during the season based on where you draft them.
1) Ben Watson
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Ben Watson is the most viable fantasy option amongst the tight ends on New England's roster. With that being said, even within a high-powered offense, Watson isn't going until the end, if at all, in fantasy drafts.
Because of his age (38) and the four-game suspension he must serve at the beginning of the season, there is much skepticism of how productive Watson will be in 2019. He will only be on the field for at-best 12 regular season games, and there are decent pass catchers behind him on the depth chart (ie Matt LaCosse and Stephen Anderson) which could take away from his snaps on passing downs. However, because of Watson's experience with the Patriots and his well-rounded play, he will be given the most snaps of any tight end on the roster once he returns in October.
You can snag Watson as the final player on your fantasy roster, which may turn into great value if he comes back Week 5 and can give you 3-4 catches and 30-40 yards on average each week. The TE position is scarce in NFL when it comes to fantasy production, so grabbing Watson could prove to be a great choice based on potential and ADP.
2) Matt LaCosse
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Dare I say there may be a tight end handcuff in New England this year?
During the first month of the regular season barring any unforeseen setbacks, Matt LaCosse will be the starting tight end for the Patriots. Though he isn't the team's primary option when Watson returns from his suspension, his pass-catching ability coupled with Watson's absence in the first four games could make LaCosse a sneaky option at TE.
Let's think about this question: If LaCosse is very productive in the first month of the regular season and takes away snaps from Watson when he returns, what does that mean for LaCosse's fantasy value? Since he has much more upside than Watson, he could end up giving you tremendous value at the position.
The former Denver Bronco is going undrafted in most leagues, which is of no surprise. But if you're in a deep league and want to fish for value at other positions and wait until late in the draft to grab some tight ends, grabbing Watson first and then LaCosse as a handcuff could pay big dividends for you.
