2019 Fantasy Football Dynasty Rankings: Tight ends take time to develop but O.J. Howard and Evan Engram look ready to break out

Heath Cummings breaks down the rookie class, noting their breakouts may be a bit down the road, so who's now?

By Heath Cummings

Apr 30, 2019 at 5:36 pm ET • 2 min read

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Dynasty: RB | WR | QB | TE | Rookies

There were some fantastic tight end prospects to enter the NFL this season. We may look back in five years and view 2019 as the best tight end class in recent memory. But it's also healthy to remember that it may take five years and it will almost certainly take more than one. Rookie tight ends struggle as a rule. But before we get to the rookies, let's talk about the guys who might actually be great in 2019.

O.J. Howard is one of the most physically gifted tight ends in the NFL. In his first two seasons in the league he caught 69% of his targets and averaged 16.6 yards per reception. Those are numbers even Gronk would be proud of. But the key to a true breakout is an increase in targets, and he's never seen more than 48 in a season. The departure of Adam Humphries and DeSean Jackson should help.

Evan Engram is one of the few rookie tight ends ever to top 700 yards in his rookie season and now he gets a full year without Odell Beckham. Engram has been a monster without Beckham on the field, averaging almost eight targets per game. Golden Tate will put a dent in that number, but I still expect a top-five season from the Giants tight end.

Hunter Henry has been in the league a year longer than Howard and Engram but missed all of 2018 with a torn ACL. As long as Philip Rivers returns to his ways of peppering his tight end with targets, Henry has legitimate top-four upside moving forward.

The Rookies

As long as you're willing to be patient, T.J. Hockensen, Noah Fant, Irv Smith and Jace Sternberger have at least as much long-term upside as the group above. Hockensen and Fant have a better shot at immediate playing time, but it's still unlikely either one is a good starting option as a rookie. Smith and Sternberger will both have to wait out a veteran in front of them, but it seems unlikely either will have to wait more than a year.

Tight end has been a very top-heavy position the past few years, but with this rookie class and the developing stars currently in the league, the future looks very bright.