Fantasy Football: 5 Late-Round Tight Ends With Huge Touchdown Potential

Jared Cook, Oakland Raiders

Average Draft Position: 13.08 (TE16)

Well, waddya know. Last year's late-round darling at tight end is going even later this year, with his ADP just recently creeping into the 13th round. With Jared Cook now playing for the Oakland Raiders, does this lack of optimism actually make sense?

Cook struggled to stay healthy last year, but he was a big part of the Green Bay Packers' offense once he returned in Week 11. Over the final six games, Cook had a 16.60% target market share, and that receiving group was not short on options. And that wasn't even counting his postseason exploits.

In those three games, Cook accounted for 32 total targets (a 25.60% target market share), seven more than any other player on the team. He converted that into 230 yards and a pair of scores, helping him earn $5 million guaranteed from the Raiders in free agency. That alone should make Cook more expensive than his current draft slot.

It's certainly a downgrade in touchdown potential with Cook going from a team quarterbacked by Aaron Rodgers to one with Derek Carr chucking the pigskin. But the difference isn't enough to make us abandon hope. Carr finished ninth last year in Passing NEP per drop back among those with at least 100 drop backs, four spots behind Rodgers. This is still a good situation for Cook.

Once the preseason rolls around, and people are reminded that Cook is still a living, breathing member of an NFL offense, his cost will increase. And it should. In fact, his ADP already has jumped over a full round since the end of June. But even now, that cost doesn't reflect his true potential, so Cook is a guy we should be gobbling up wherever we can until the consensus swings further in his favor.