Trey-mendous
Bears tight end Burton a good value play for fantasy owners
H EADING INTO each new fantasy football season, the tight end position causes nothing but grief for most people. In years past, because of the position’s top-heavy nature, fantasy owners were forced to either invest a high draft choice and acquire Rob Gronkowski or punt and settle for whichever interchangeable cog offered the most upside at a bargain price. The results have varied and the frustration grows for those who fail to strike gold.
The past few seasons actually have offered an expanded second-tier of worthwhile talent, but with the emergence of every Delanie Walker or Kyle Rudolph, the cost to acquire them has steadily increased. Last season’s fantasy bargain, Zach Ertz, was a seventh-round pick for most. This year, after a breakout campaign, he is going as high as the third round in some drafts. But while the cost of yesterday’s darling may be too high, tomorrow’s hero is still a bargain and to find him, you need not look any further than Ertz’s former teammate, Trey Burton.
After an injury to Ertz last season, Burton emerged from virtual anonymity as the Eagles continued to target the tight end position inside the red zone. He saw 15 targets over a threeweek span and walked away with 11 catches for 128 yards and three touchdowns. He went back to a reserve role once Ertz returned, but was signed by the Bears in the offseason where he is expected to blossom into one of the top tight end options in 2018.
While his blocking has been criticized, Burton’s pass-catching abilities are strong and working in his favor is new head coach, Matt Nagy, and the system he is implementing in Chicago. Nagy is the former offensive coordinator of the Kansas City Chiefs and the primary reason Travis Kelce has been one of the most productive tight ends in the game. Nagy likes to use what is known as the “U” tight end, a WR/ TE hybrid, who can use his size and speed to exploit mismatches in coverage against smaller nickel-corners. It worked like a charm for Kelce and we’ve seen it successfully transform the likes of Jimmy Graham and Delanie Walker into major red-zone targets. Burton should follow suit this season.
As your fellow fantasy owners overinvest in established tight ends or simply ignore the position until late, you easily can win the value-battle in your drafts with an eighth-round pick of Burton. As a tight end who plays like a wideout, he will do for you what Ertz did for his owners last year. That way, your early focus can stay with running backs and receivers while your later picks can be used on the sleepers and handcuffs needed to build your depth.