Fantasy Football: 6 Sleeper Tight Ends to Target in 2018

Ben Watson, New Orleans Saints

If rookies are the Teslas of fantasy football picks, Ben Watson is a 1998 Ford Windstar minivan. On the surface, there's nothing sexy about picking him, but he's trustworthy, reliable and always gets you where you need to go. He's an ideal late-round target for those waiting on the position.

Unlike most players available at his ADP (Fantasy Football Calculator has him going undrafted, but he's the TE23 on FantasyPros), Watson has a proven track record of fantasy success. Last year, Waston finished as the PPR TE11 despite Joe Flacco averaging the lowest yards per attempt of his career. In 2015, he checked in as the TE7 while playing on the New Orleans Saints, so he's been a TE1 (top-12) performer in his last two healthy seasons (he didn't play in 2016).

He's also #GoodAtFootball. Last year, Watson ranked third among tight ends in average separation per route, according to Next Gen Stats. Despite being 37, he just set a career high with a 77.2% catch rate, which also led the league.

Most importantly, Watson will be catching passes from Drew Brees. No, Brees did not take a step backward last year. And with Mark Ingram suspended four games and a tougher 2018 schedule, along with some natural play-calling regression, Brees' pass attempts should increase from last year. That's significant, because the Saints have finished in the top-two in PPR points generated for skill players every year for the last 12 years, per Rich Hribar of Rotoworld.

That's insane.

Basically, you want skill players tied to Brees. Watson, who saw 110 targets in this same offense in 2015, is locked-in as the team's starting tight end. He's been a top-12 tight end in consecutive healthy seasons, he's displayed the ability to separate and play efficiently, and the Saints should pass more this season. Watson could be staring at a top-12 tight end season with a price tag outside of the top-20. --Eli Weiner