Teams are officially participating in training camps. Your fantasy drafts are approaching quickly, and you need to start thinking about who you want to target in those drafts. Below, you will find five TEs you should avoid drafting this season in your redraft leagues. Make sure to stay up to date with our fantasy content here at our website by clicking the fantasy tab.
Zach Ertz – Philadelphia Eagles
| Year | Team | Games Played | Receptions | Yards | Yards/Catch | TDs |
| 2013 | PHI | 16 | 36 | 469 | 13.0 | 4 |
| 2014 | PHI | 16 | 58 | 702 | 12.1 | 3 |
| 2015 | PHI | 15 | 75 | 853 | 11.4 | 2 |
| 2016 | PHI | 14 | 78 | 816 | 10.5 | 4 |
| 2017 | PHI | 14 | 74 | 824 | 11.1 | 8 |
| 2018 | PHI | 16 | 116 | 1,163 | 10.0 | 8 |
| 2019 | PHI | 15 | 88 | 916 | 10.4 | 6 |
| 2020 | PHI | 11 | 36 | 335 | 9.3 | 1 |
For the past two years, there have been rumors and speculations over Ertz potentially being traded at some point. Well, he still represents the Philadelphia Eagles for now. The eight-year pro will look to revitalize his career this season after posting career lows in games played, receptions (tied with his rookie season), receiving yards, yards per catch, and touchdowns in 2020. Those career lows should already persuade you enough to avoid drafting him this season. If you’re still not sold, just look at who plays the same position on his same team (Dallas Goedert). Goedert himself hauled in 46 receptions for 524 yards and three touchdowns, finishing as the TE20 last season. Expect his numbers to go up this season as Ertz’ future with the team is in jeopardy.
Ertz’ 2021 Prediction
Receiving: 44 receptions, 467 yards, 3 touchdowns
Fantasy Points: 108.7 PPR Points
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Austin Hooper – Cleveland Browns
| Year | Team | Games Played | Receptions | Yards | Yards/Catch | TDs |
| 2016 | ATL | 14 | 19 | 271 | 14.3 | 3 |
| 2017 | ATL | 16 | 49 | 526 | 10.7 | 3 |
| 2018 | ATL | 16 | 71 | 660 | 9.3 | 4 |
| 2019 | ATL | 13 | 75 | 787 | 10.5 | 6 |
| 2020 | CLE | 13 | 46 | 435 | 9.5 | 4 |
Just two seasons ago, Hooper finished as the TE6, and he was rewarded with a four-year, $42M contract with the Browns last offseason. And how did things go for him in 2020? His numbers drastically dropped, he finished as the TE21, and he split time with both David Njoku and Harrison Bryant at the TE position. Sure, Hooper led the group with a 64.3 percent snap count rate, but Bryant finished slightly behind him at 55.6 percent. Njoku cut into the group with a 38.5 percent of his own. You also have to factor in that Kareem Hunt, Odell Beckham Jr., Jarvis Landry, Donovan Peoples-Jones, and Rashard Higgins will take on great target shares this season (just like in 2020). There are simply too many talented weapons on this team. You can find 15-20 other TEs that you should feel more comfortable drafting this season.
Hooper’s 2021 Prediction
Receiving: 46 receptions, 472 yards, 4 touchdowns
Fantasy Points: 117.2 PPR Points
Jared Cook – Los Angeles Chargers
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| Year | Team | Games Played | Receptions | Yards | Yards/Catch | TDs |
| 2009 | TEN | 14 | 9 | 74 | 8.2 | 0 |
| 2010 | TEN | 16 | 29 | 361 | 12.4 | 1 |
| 2011 | TEN | 16 | 49 | 759 | 15.5 | 3 |
| 2012 | TEN | 13 | 44 | 523 | 11.9 | 4 |
| 2013 | STL | 16 | 51 | 671 | 13.2 | 5 |
| 2014 | STL | 16 | 52 | 634 | 12.2 | 3 |
| 2015 | STL | 16 | 39 | 481 | 12.3 | 0 |
| 2016 | GB | 10 | 30 | 377 | 12.6 | 1 |
| 2017 | OAK | 16 | 54 | 688 | 12.7 | 2 |
| 2018 | OAK | 16 | 68 | 896 | 13.2 | 6 |
| 2019 | NO | 14 | 43 | 705 | 16.4 | 9 |
| 2020 | NO | 15 | 37 | 504 | 13.6 | 7 |
The 12-year veteran has put together a solid career thus far. He’s never been an elite TE in this league, but he has always been serviceable, and somewhat dominant “at times.” This season, he will be paired up with Justin Herbert, an up-and-coming superstar who loves to sling the rock. This combination may look great on paper, but it’s hard to imagine Cook putting together a solid fantasy season this year. First of all, he’s replacing Hunter Henry, a talented TE who’s only 26 years old. Cook is 34 himself, and his level of play has slowly regressed over the past couple of seasons. Because he is so touchdown reliant, it’s hard to trust him, even on a solid Chargers’ offense who can score at will. Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, and Austin Ekeler should outproduce Cook this season. If anything, he may become a spot-starter throughout the season, but he will be hard to rely on on an every week basis. Therefore, you should probably avoid drafting him and wait to see how he does early in the season.
Cook’s 2021 Prediction
Receiving: 43 receptions, 589 yards, 4 touchdowns
Fantasy Points: 125.9 PPR Points
Logan Thomas – Washington Football Team
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| Year | Team | Games Played | Receptions | Yards | Yards/Catch | TDs |
| 2014 | ARI | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 |
| 2017 | BUF | 12 | 7 | 67 | 9.6 | 1 |
| 2018 | BUF | 12 | 12 | 77 | 6.4 | 0 |
| 2019 | DET | 16 | 16 | 173 | 10.8 | 1 |
| 2020 | WAS | 16 | 72 | 670 | 9.3 | 6 |
Back in 2014, Thomas was drafted into the league as a QB. It took him three seasons from then to make it on a squad as a TE. During his first three seasons at the position, he only put together a combined 35 receptions for 317 yards and two touchdowns. During last season alone, he topped every one of those receiving statistics. Thomas finished as the TE4 in PPR leagues in 2020, but don’t expect him to finish anywhere close to there this season. First of all, he will have a QB that loves throwing the ball downfield (Ryan Fitzpatrick), which doesn’t necessarily help Thomas out. Last season, he averaged 9.3 yards per reception based on the fact that Washington’s QBs couldn’t get the ball down the field well. With more deep threats now on the team (Curtis Samuel, Adam Humphries, and Dyami Brown) joining Terry McLaurin, Thomas should see a decrease in targets, receptions, and receiving yards. Don’t forget about both Antonio Gibson and J.D. McKissic, two RBs who combined for 116 receptions for 836 yards and two touchdowns last season. They will cut into his production mightily this season. Stay away from Thomas if you can, but don’t expect the veteran to collapse completely.
Thomas’ 2021 Prediction
Receiving: 51 receptions, 515 yards, 4 touchdowns
Fantasy Points: 126.5 PPR Points
Eric Ebron – Pittsburgh Steelers
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| Year | Team | Games Played | Receptions | Yards | Yards/Catch | TDs |
| 2014 | DET | 13 | 25 | 248 | 9.9 | 1 |
| 2015 | DET | 14 | 47 | 537 | 11.4 | 5 |
| 2016 | DET | 13 | 61 | 711 | 11.7 | 1 |
| 2017 | DET | 16 | 53 | 574 | 10.8 | 4 |
| 2018 | IND | 16 | 66 | 750 | 11.4 | 13 |
| 2019 | IND | 11 | 31 | 375 | 12.1 | 3 |
| 2020 | PIT | 15 | 56 | 558 | 10.0 | 5 |
Ebron has put together a stable seven-year career thus far. He consistently finds a way to produce enough numbers to be fantasy relevant, but this year should be a little different. Think about the pass-catching options surrounding him. The trio of JuJu Smith-Schuster, Diontae Johnson, and Chase Claypool are all back this season. An underrated James Washington is also on the team despite recent trade rumors. Rookie Najee Harris will demand attention as a pass-catcher out of the backfield as well. And the Steelers also drafted Pat Freiermuth in the second round of this year’s draft. There are simply too many weapons on this team for you to consider drafting Ebron in your fantasy league(s). Stay safe; avoid him now, and maybe he’ll become a solid streamer addition later in the season.
Ebron’s 2021 Prediction
Receiving: 52 receptions, 556 yards, 4 touchdowns
Fantasy Points: 132.6 PPR Points
Did you enjoy this article and want more fantasy content? Make sure to check out my recent posts, and stay tuned for other positional rankings in the future. You can also follow me on Twitter @dirrim23, where I love talking about all things fantasy football!
