- The tight end position is ahead of only the quarterbacks in terms of the relationship between average draft position and points per game.
- Of the 15 tight ends to finish TE1 overall in points scored in our sample, only one was selected outside of the top 12.
- Since 2010, 63.8% of all TE1 scorers have been either the first or second pass catcher from their team.
As we prepare for our 2025 fantasy drafts, let's examine the recent history of average draft positions to find any ongoing trends or pitfalls.
Every year, we have nearly eight full months to prepare for the draft, but just how good are we at setting the market for the season?
That's the goal for this series, along with carving out some actionable takeaways for 2025 fantasy football drafts.
Let's finish up with the tight ends.
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If you have been keeping score throughout this series, the tight end position is ahead of only the quarterbacks in terms of the relationship between average draft position and points per game.
Running backs hold the top spot, followed by wide receivers.
When you combine that with the position scoring the fewest points compared to every other, you can see how frustrating and lopsided this position can be for gamers.
This is why unique elements and caveats are incorporated into scoring for the position in some formats.
I would argue that those are half-baked measures that do not achieve the intended results, but gamers are tweaking scoring for tight ends more than in other skill positions.
Just two tight ends since 2010 have averaged over 20 PPR points per game in a season.
Over the same span, we have seen 43 wide receivers and 48 running backs reach that threshold.
There is a separate conversation to be had for position leverage, but this is the blanket reason why it is so hard to use premier draft capital on a tight end.
They just do not have the same isolated upside as a wide receiver or running back.
One of those tight ends to average 20 points (Rob Gronkowski in 2011) was a value pick (TE9 in ADP that season).
The tight end position carries similar traits to the other positions we have covered.
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