Steelers Fantasy Football Files: What is Eric Ebron's Value?
Pittsburgh Steelers fantasy football profile is a series that evaluates prominent players at each skill position prior to your fantasy football draft. In our first article, we touched on quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. To read our report on the running back and wide receiver room, click on the respective positions. Today, we wrap up our series with tight ends.
When the ink began to dry on Eric Ebron's 2 yr/$12 million dollar deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers, fans and fantasy football players let aloud a collective "finally". For years, the Steelers (and those desperately wanting a prominent tight end in black and gold to draft) were searching for their answer to Heath Miller's retirement. Names such as Jesse James, Vance McDonald and Ladarius Green were brought in, with little success rates in the production category.
Entering 2020 with an ADP (Average Draft Position) of 158, Ebron could be found in the very late parts of fantasy drafts thanks to sharing time with Vance McDonald. However, Ebron quickly asserted himself as the prominent pass-catcher out of the duo, out-pacing McDonald in every major statistical category.
| Category | Eric Ebron | Vance McDonald |
|---|---|---|
Games Played | 15 | 14 |
Targets | 91 | 20 |
Receptions | 56 | 15 |
Receiving Yards | 558 | 99 |
Receiving Touchdowns | 5 | 0 |
Ebron's 91 targets ranked eighth out of tight ends last season, yet his 141.8 fantasy points in PPR leagues saw Ebron finish as TE14 behind the likes of Dalton Schultz, Hunter Henry and Jimmy Graham. The talent of Ebron cannot be denied, so why did finishing fourteenth out of all tight ends in 2020 fantasy points feel a tad disappointing?
What's Working for Ebron Going Into 2021
Perhaps one of the more important factors in Ebron's favor for a successful season is now having a full season/another offseason working with Ben Roethlisberger at quarterback. Arriving to Pittsburgh in a COVID environment that allowed him little reps with his new team, perhaps Ebron will feel more comfortable with a full season's worth of work under his belt.
The lack of depth behind Ebron was concerning, and the Steelers solidified that by drafting Penn State's Pat Freiermuth in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft. Freiermuth, while expected to contribute somewhat in passing scenarios, looks to primarily be utilized as a blocker while Ebron is still in Pittsburgh, projecting to take over as TE1 after Ebron potentially departs next offseason. However, Ebron shouldn't have to worry about any chunk of targets being taken away from his rookie counterpart.
Familiarity plus opportunity could equal success for Ebron heading into the new season.
What's Working Against Ebron Going Into 2021
Ebron, no matter how talented he may be, is unfortunately reduced to fourth-best receiving option in Pittsburgh behind receivers such as Smith-Schuster, Claypool and Johnson. Factor that into a Steelers offense that will look to balance itself out by running the football more in 2021, and Ebron's role in the grand scheme of Pittsburgh's offense may not be reliable on a week to week basis.
Drops are a popular topic for discussion when Ebron is on the forefront. His inability to hang on to the football has indeed followed him to Pittsburgh, with nine drops and one fumble attributed to him last season. Ebron's issues have yet to escape him, and 2021 may be another year that sees him drop costly passes for both the Steelers and your fantasy team.
What The Experts Think
"Ebron certainly had his moments of relevancy in 2020 and he would've been a decent late-round target for 2021 if the Steelers hadn't invested a 2nd-round pick in Pat Freiermuth. While Ebron is still likely to be the TE1 for this team this season, Freiermuth's presence certainly muddies the waters. Additionally, Najee Harris also is going to command some targets out of the backfield, which makes Ebron a mid-range TE2 option that you could feel good rolling out in plus matchups. Otherwise, it's unlikely that we see him finish as a top-10 option when it's all said and done. My Very Early Projection: 46-498-4 receiving."- Kyle Yates, FantasyPros.
Where Ebron is Being Drafted
Ebron currently has an ADP of 176, going very late into most fantasy drafts, if being drafted at all. Ebron is also currently ranked as TE23 in ECR (Expert Consensus Rankings), sitting behind the likes of Austin Hooper, Gerald Everett and Zach Ertz.
Donnie Druin is a Deputy Editor with AllSteelers. Follow Donnie on Twitter @DonnieDruin, and AllSteelers @si_steelers.
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