Fantasy Football: 6 Under-the-Radar Rookies to Target in 2018
Hayden Hurst, TE, Baltimore Ravens
In the 21st century, rookie tight ends have not made a lot of noise in the NFL or fantasy football. The 722 receiving yards amassed by Evan Engram in 2017 are the second-most by a first-year tight end since the beginning of the 2000 season. However, not all rookies are made equal. Hayden Hurst of the Baltimore Ravens is 25 years old, and he finds himself in quite an appealing situation in his first year in the league, making his a name to remember late in fantasy drafts.
Since winning the Super Bowl, the Ravens have been one of the more tight end dominant offenses in the NFL. They have targeted their tight ends 779 times, the seventh-most of all teams, while only four teams have more tight end receptions than the Ravens' 529. Baltimore went out of their way to upgrade their wide receiving corps this offseason, adding John Brown, Michael Crabtree and Willie Snead, but quarterback Joe Flacco has established a pattern of targeting his tight ends.
The Ravens' leading receiver at the tight end spot a year ago was Benjamin Watson, who chipped in with 61 receptions for 522 yards and 4 touchdowns. Watson is now a member of the New Orleans Saints, opening the door for Hurst to fill the void. Considering Hurst's competition for playing time are the uninspiring crew of Nick Boyle, the perpetually disappointing Maxx Williams and fellow rookie Mark Andrews, there is little reason to believe Hurst won't see plenty of snaps (though he may miss the first two weeks of the season with a stress fracture in his foot).
Hurst was not a mega producer in college, totaling 100 receptions in 3 seasons for the South Carolina Gamecocks (1,281 yards, 3 touchdowns). But he has been running with the Ravens' first stringers this preseason. While he should see plenty of work in the passing game, his lack of a nose for the end zone could just continue a long-running issue for the Ravens, especially in the red zone. In the last six seasons, the Ravens have targeted their tight end the ninth-most times inside the 20 yard line, with 112 pass attempts. These opportunities have returned 25 touchdowns, tied for 23rd in this span.
Still, Hurst could offer something of a safe floor in PPR formats, even if he were merely to duplicate the work of Watson, who finished last season as a TE2. - Neil Dutton
