College Fantasy Football: Interesting TE storylines
Hard to believe but we’re approaching the midpoint of the college football season, so it’s time to take a close look at some storylines that have emerged in the college fantasy football game. Today, we move to tight end.
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RELATED: Five interesting QB storylines | RB storylines | WR storylines
Breeland has been big surprise
The Oregon tight end was expected to have a big season, especially with quarterback Justin Herbert coming back to Eugene but I don’t think anyone thought Jacob Breeland would lead the team in all receiving categories. He has 23 catches for 352 yards and five touchdowns so far this season to find himself on the top of the stat sheet for the Ducks. After churning out a win over Cal last weekend, Oregon could score lots of points against Colorado this weekend, so Breeland still looks like a good play.
Albert O is a touchdown machine
Albert Okwuegbunam entered this season as arguably the top tight end in college football, someone who could have left early for the NFL if he wanted to, but he returned to play for the Tigers and should have been a top target in the Missouri offense. He only has 12 catches through five games this season. That’s not impressive. But Okwuegbunam is fourth overall among tight ends in fantasy points because five of those receptions went for touchdowns. He’s a threat all the time in the red zone and he continues to prove he’s valuable in all fantasy leagues.
Pac-12 TEs could do more
Stanford’s Colby Parkinson and Washington’s Hunter Bryant entered this season as two of the best tight ends in the country, guys who could have breakout years and really shoot up the charts on NFL boards. Both are catching a decent amount of passes but each only has one touchdown so far and that’s been a disappointment. Bryant and Parkinson are ranked seventh and eighth, respectively, among tight ends in fantasy points, but both have the skills to be even higher and getting in the end zone more would be huge.
Pinkney has not done well
He’s owned in 84 percent of fantasy leagues. There is talk that he’s the most NFL-ready tight end playing in college football. Jared Pinkney was supposed to be a huge focal point of Vanderbilt’s offense this season - and splat! So far, Vanderbilt’s tight end has caught 11 passes for 127 yards and no touchdowns. Vanderbilt RB Ke’Shawn Vaughn has more catches. The Commodores are averaging just 19.4 points per game. It’s been a rough first half that might continue.
Some big value remaining
Florida’s Kyle Pitts is having an outstanding season - and the Gators are always looking for him in the passing game - but he’s owned in only 34 percent of leagues even though he’s third overall in fantasy points behind Breeland and Miami’s Brevin Jordan.
It’s a similar story for Iowa State’s Charlie Kolar (owned in 26 percent of leagues), Boston College’s Hunter Long (1 percent), Duke’s Noah Gray (26 percent), Boston College’s Korab Idrizi (1 percent), Michigan State’s Matt Seybert, NC State’s Cary Angeline and many others who rank among the top-25 tight ends in fantasy points but have not been picked up yet.