2020 Fantasy Football Pick One: Austin Hooper, Darren Waller or Evan Engram

Fantasy football drafts are all about maximizing value at each spot, whether that means reaching for your guy or picking that stud who looks to be falling for no obvious reason. In this series, I’ve taken a look at groups of 3 players with similar current ADPs and have selected the one I’d be picking if it was me on the clock.

Which tight end are you taking from the second tier guys in the sixth round: Austin Hooper (6.02), Darren Waller (6.02) or Evan Engram (6.05)

This is one where I’ll take the most sure thing and something I’ve seen work well ahead of two other guys with great potential but a rocky path to success. Darren Waller’s dramatic rise to prominence in 2019 was one of the best good news stories of the season and his finish as the fantasy TE3 was quite the shock. Waller average 13.8 points per game for the Raiders as he led the team in targets (117), catches (90), and yards (1145). His only knock? He found the end zone just three times all season, with two of those in one game against the Packers. Even with some new weapons drafted this season, including first round pick Henry Ruggs, Waller still remains the Raiders’ number one passing option in 2020 and this makes him the pick of this tight end trio. I don’t love the 6th round ADP of any of these guys, but in tight end premium or two tight end leagues, I’d be happy to pay Waller’s current value.

I was so hopeful for Austin Hooper that 2020 was going to be his year. There were so many tight end needy teams (Green Bay and Houston, I’m looking at you), but he landed in one of the most crowded skill position locations in Cleveland. Now I know the path to greatness is never smooth, but there are many mouths to feed in the Browns’ offense this year and finding his way to the 7.3 targets per game he saw in Atlanta last year feels unlikely. Now Kevin Stefanski does love his tight ends, but Kyle Rudolph and Irv Smith saw a basically even workload in Minnesota last year with 48 and 45 targets respectively, and with Hooper and David Njoku on the roster, this could be a sign of Hooper not living up to this high a draft price. Hooper will have his day, but consistent high-value production is not on the cards in 2020. I’m fading massively at a 6th round ADP.

Finally, the enigma that is Evan Engram. 2019 again showed what he was capable of as he averaged 13.7 points per game when he player, good enough to be the TE7, but injuries impacted any consistency and Engram only played in 7 games before finishing on IR with a Lisfranc injury that has required surgery. If he is healthy then he has top-5 potential at the position, especially in what could be a sneaky good Giants offense in 2020, but the risk from drafting him in the 6th round is too rich for me until we have positive news about his rehab.