Fantasy football: 5 sleepers to start, 5 starters to sit in Week 3

Five starters that are sleepers and players to sit in fantasy football Week 3.

We’re two weeks into fantasy football this year and we’ve had some massive injury concerns already pop up. Perhaps unlike anything ever during a single weekend… Week 2 might have hit your team hard.

But because of that, setting your lineup correctly has some increased importance in Week 3. If you lost a consistent starter, that replacement must preform, and we’re here to help.

Here are five sleepers to start and five starters you’ve got to sit in Week 3 of fantasy football:

49ers running back Jerick McKinnon. Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

Sleepers to start

QB Ryan Tannehill, Titans

at Vikings

After having to really prove his worth early this season, Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill has done that. He has six touchdowns and 488 passing yards. Not a ton of yardage, however, his lack of any interceptions makes up for that. Previously thought of as a good secondary, the Vikings are not so far this year, allowing the fifth-most yards per game (283.5) and 10th most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks.

RB Myles Gaskins, Dolphins

at Jaguars

There’s not a lot of other options in the Dolphins offense, that’s a good start to the discussion for Myles Gaskin. Add that into the Dolphins backfield. Gaskin through two games is leading in snaps by a large margin and while Jordan Howard is getting goal line touches, it’s Gaskin in South Beach. The Jaguars are also allowing the ninth-most fantasy football points to running backs this year.

RB Jerick McKinnon, 49ers

at Giants

Raheem Mostert and Tevin Coleman are going to miss the 49ers’ Week 3 contest versus the New York Giants. That could mean a two-back system with Jerick McKinnon and Jeff Wilson. But the 49ers have consistently targeted their running backs a lot in the passing game anyway and that’s where McKinnon thrives. Plus, Jimmy Garoppolo is likely to miss the game. The 49ers lean on their running backs when their starter does play, let alone when a backup QB is in.

WR Golden Tate, Giants

vs. 49ers

No defense, specifically has taken more of a beating on the field via injuries than the 49ers. No Nick Bosa or Soloman Thomas the rest of this season. That could’ve bode well for Sterling Shepard, but the Giants’ No. 1 receiver is sidelined himself. This lines up for a good outing en route for Golden Tate, who stepped up in 2019 when Shepard was out.

TE Tyler Higbee, Rams

at Bills

Fresh off a three touchdown outing, it’s unlikely that Tyler Higbee would do that again against any given team. But the Bills allowed a huge game to the Dolphins’ Mike Gesicki last week without their starting linebackers on the field, and both are still limited in practice this week and will unlikely be 100 percent. Higbee is a safe bet.

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Targets, Touches and TDs: Week 3

A comparison of some fantasy-worthy weapons from 2019 to the start of his season.

The first few weeks of every NFL season introduce us to the fresh faces that will shape fantasy football’s future.

They also start to reveal which of the prior season’s fantasy disappointments and injured players are on track to bounce back and which likely will remain underperformers.

So to lead off this week’s installment of Targets, Touches and Touchdowns, we’re taking a closer look at how of eight of 2019’s more notable disappointments/injured players are faring so far in the new campaign and their prospects for the remainder of the season:

Cleveland Browns QB Baker Mayfield

2019 fantasy position rank/points (Huddle Performance scoring): 16^th with 311.4 points (16 games)

Current fantasy position rank/points (through Sunday): 25^th with 33.2 points

We may soon come to regard Mayfield’s Week 1 struggles against Baltimore (189 yards, TD, interception) as par for the course against a fearsome Ravens defense, but while his Week 2 outing against the Cincinnati Bengals (219 yards, 2 TDs, interception) was much improved from an efficiency standpoint, it’s the overall volume that’s concerning.

The Browns put up 35 points in the shootout win over the Bengals, but Mayfield only attempted 23 passes, ranking 29^th among Week 2 quarterbacks through play Sunday. His aerial yardage (219, 23^rd) and fantasy-point totals (19.4, 20^th) ranked likewise.

Meanwhile, the Browns featured not one, but two top-five Week 2 fantasy backs in Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt, who combined for 210 yards and three TDs in steamrolling the Bengals.

Through Sunday, Cleveland ranked eighth in league rushing play percentage (49.2) and that’s reflected in Mayfield’s season passing totals as he ranked 24^th in attempts (62), 25^th in completions (37) and 24^th in passing yards (408). He doesn’t add much with his legs, either, with eight yards on five carries so far.

Overall, the Browns’ 353 rushing yards through two games trailed only the Packers (417), and that’s likely what Cleveland is shaping up to be under new head coach Kevin Stefanski, who served as the offensive coordinator of the run-heavy Vikings (48.3 rush-play percentage, fourth in the league in 2019).

Mayfield’s efficiency is bound to improve with defenses forced to focus on the Browns’ ground game, but it’s hard to see Mayfield finishing much higher that what he did a season ago as a mid-level fantasy QB2.

Detroit Lions QB Matthew Stafford

2019 fantasy position rank/points (Huddle Performance scoring): 29^th with 207.6 points (8 games)

Current fantasy position rank/points (through Sunday): 17^th with 41.8 points

At the time a back fracture cut his 2010 campaign a half-season short, Stafford ranked among the elite fantasy QBs, and his average of 25.9 points per game wound up trailing only Lamar Jackson (30.9) and Jameis Winston (26.1) at season’s end.

Stafford has looked good, health-wise, so far, but his numbers are well off his early 2019 pace.

Consider, though, that he’s faced two decent in-division defenses (Bears, Packers) that know him well, and – more importantly – he’s been without his top weapon so far in injured wide receiver Kenny Golladay, who’s tentatively due back from a hamstring issue this week.

The Lions defense appears to still have its shortcomings, and that should lend itself to some positive passing game scripts for Stafford. Regard him as an upper-echelon QB2 the rest of the way with some strong streaming appeal.

Houston Texans RB David Johnson

2019 fantasy position rank/points (Huddle Performance scoring): 36^th with 107.5 points in 13 games (standard scoring)

Current fantasy position rank/points (through Sunday): 21^st with 21.9 points

Johnson was cast aside in Arizona last season, and was readily dealt to the Texans as the Cardinals jumped at the chance to acquire an elite wide receiver in DeAndre Hopkins. With the latter’s hot start in the desert for the 2-0 Cards, that trade is looking as lopsided as it was made out to be from the outset.

Johnson, meanwhile, had a solid Week 1 (109 total yards, TD) but was stifled (50 total yards) along with the rest of the offense in Sunday’s 33-16 loss to the Ravens.

With Duke Johnson hurt, David Johnson has been Houston’s unquestioned bellcow so far, logging 22 of the team’s 27 running back rushing attempts and all five of the non-wide receiver/tight end receptions.

Duke Johnson should be back soon from his ankle sprain suffered in the opener, but David Johnson still should dominate the backfield touches, and that rarity alone puts him in solid RB2 territory going forward.

Pittsburgh Steelers RB James Conner

2019 fantasy position rank/points (Huddle Performance scoring): 34^th with 113.5 points in 10 games (standard scoring)

Current fantasy position rank/points (through Sunday): 25^th with 21.9 points

It looked to be déjà vu all over again in the season opener as Conner departed with an ankle injury after 15 snaps and 17 total yards on eight touches.

However, he bounced back solidly with a near-full week of practice and totaled 121 yards and a TD on 18 touches Sunday in a 26-21 win over the Denver Broncos. In all, Conner accounted for 16 of the team’s 19 running back rushing attempts and 18 of the 23 RB touches in the game.

In an offense that’s been rejuvenated with the return of QB Ben Roethlisberger, and should get fortified along the offensive front when linemen return from early-season injury absences, Conner should be a locked-in fantasy starter.

That is, of course, as long as he can stay healthy, which has been an issue the last two seasons when he’s missed a combined five games and left early in a number of others.

Cleveland Browns WR Odell Beckham Jr.

2019 fantasy position rank/points (Huddle Performance scoring): 31^st with 128.5 points (standard scoring)

Current fantasy position rank/points (through Sunday): 34^th with 15.6 points.

Following a Week 1 dud (three catches for 22 yards on 10 targets) against the Ravens, OBJ bounced back with a 4-74-1 stat line last Thursday on six targets vs. the Bengals.

Still, it was only Beckham’s fifth touchdown grab in 18 games since joining the Browns last season.

On the plus side, he is the team’s only pass-catcher with double-digit targets (16) through two games and has so far managed to avoid the injury bug that has struck a number of other top wideouts around the league.

The aforementioned likely decrease in the Browns’ overall pass volume figures to hurt others on the team more proportionally as OBJ should still get plenty of looks – more than enough to finish as a solid WR2 in a semi-bounce-back season.

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Pittsburgh Steelers WR JuJu Smith-Schuster

2019 fantasy position rank/points (Huddle Performance scoring): 63^rd with 73.2 points in 12 games (standard scoring)

Current fantasy position rank/points (through Sunday): 13^th with 23.7 points

JJSS struggled through a dismal 2019 with injuries and the failed Mason Rudolph-Duck Hodges backup plan under center.

A marked reversal of fortune was expected for Smith-Schuster, and that certainly looks to be the case so far after he burst out of the gate with six receptions for 69 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the opener.

There’s always the worry that another injury to the 38-year-old Roethlisberger could again sink the Steelers’ offensive ship – Rudolph and Joshua Dobbs are the backups – but as long as Big Ben remains upright, it’s full-speed ahead for Smith-Schuster as a fantasy wide receiver starter.

Cincinnati Bengals WR A.J. Green

2019 fantasy position rank/points (Huddle Performance scoring): Missed season

Current fantasy position rank/points (through Sunday): 75^th with 8.0 points (standard scoring)

Green hasn’t been on the same page so far with new QB Joe Burrow as he’s been targeted a team-high 22 times (tied for fourth among all league wideouts) – nine more than any other Bengal – and has caught only eight for 80 yards and no scores.

Perhaps, though, some of this is age and inactivity catching up with the 32-year-old Green who entered the season having not played a full regular-season game since October of 2018.

In any case, Green will need time to get back into game form, and while his days as a WR1 are likely long gone, he still has enough opportunity and talent to take his place on the list of weekly starting wide receiver considerations.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers TE O.J. Howard

2019 fantasy position rank/points (Huddle Performance scoring): 30^th with 50.9 points in 14 games (standard scoring)

Current fantasy position rank/points (through Sunday): 19^th with 10.7 points

After opening the season with a 4-36-1 stat line on six targets, Howard was a Week 2 letdown with one 11-yard grab on three targets. And that was with Tampa’s top target, WR Chris Godwin, missing the game with a concussion.

Tight ends Rob Gronkowski and Cameron Brate are still there as well, but that trio has combined for only seven receptions for 58 yards on 13 targets (all Howard and Gronk so far), and until we see more usage, the Bruce Arians-being-non-tight-end-friendly stigma is going to ring with some truth.

Howard likely will wind up leading the Bucs’ tight ends in fantasy points, but there’s serious doubt as to whether he will be start worthy on a week-to-week basis in standard-size fantasy leagues.

Extra Points

Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen leads the league with 729 passing yards after throwing for 312 and 417 yards in his first two games. In the first 29 contests of his career, including a playoff contest, Allen didn’t throw for more than 266 yards, averaging 197.5 yards per outing. Allen also currently ranks fourth among QBs with 75 rushing yards on 18 carries this season.
Fantasy’s No. 1 wide receiver through Sunday is the Atlanta Falcons’ Calvin Ridley with 47.8 points (63.8 in point-per-reception formats). Since entering the league in 2018, Ridley is tied with Kansas City Chiefs WR Tyreek Hill with the most receiving TDs with 21. By comparison, Falcons teammate Julio Jones ranks 21^stwith 14 scoring grabs over that span but has 136 more targets and 80 more receptions than Ridley.
On the subject of wide receiver teammate stat comparisons, Dallas Cowboys rookie CeeDee Lamb has five more targets (15-10), six more receptions (11-5) and 57 more receiving yards than Michael Gallup through two games. Fellow wideout Amari Cooper leads the team with 16 receptions for 181 yards on 23 targets.
Through Sunday, Seattle Seahawks RB Chris Carson was the only running back with multiple TD receptions (three) and ranks second at the position with nine catches and 81 receiving yards. In 33 career games entering the season, Carson had 64 receptions for 488 yards and three scores.
After a quiet Week 1, Los Angeles Rams TE Tyler Higbee exploded for three TDs and 54 yards on five catches Sunday in Philadelphia. Since Week 13 of last season, Higbee leads all tight ends with 91.6 fantasy points, catching 51 passes for 616 yards and five TDs in seven games.

NFC West Round-Up: How the division handled Week 2

The teams in the NFC West all emerged victorious in Week 2, but the San Francisco 49ers suffered major injuries to several key players.

The NFC West is off to a strong start to the 2020 season and had an especially good second week, with all four teams claiming victory. The Seattle Seahawks won a primetime classic over the New England Patriots by a score of 35-30, but the rest of the teams in the division have let them know that the crown is not just for the taking.

Los Angeles Rams 37, Philadelphia Eagles 19

The Rams started hot, scoring three touchdowns in the first 20 minutes of regulation. Quarterback Jared Goff threw three touchdown passes, all to tight end Tyler Higbee. The Eagles closed a 21-3 deficit to 21-16, but Los Angeles turned the momentum of the game in their favor with an end-zone interception of Carson Wentz by Darious Williams, and they gradually pulled away from there. The Rams recently handed out contract extensions to Jalen Ramsey and Robert Woods, showing that they are all-in. They are still clearly a division contender and should not be taken lightly.

San Francisco 49ers 31, New York Jets 13

The 49ers handled the Jets rather comfortably and obtained their first win of the season. However, the 49ers have seen an abundance of injuries to key players, including Richard Sherman, Solomon Thomas, and Nick Bosa. In addition, Jimmy Garoppolo had his ankle examined and did not even play in the second half. Injuries have hit several teams swift and hard in the first two weeks, but San Francisco has been particularly unlucky. This could severely affect them going forward.

Washington 15, Arizona Cardinals 30

Arizona notched their second straight victory against Washington as Year 2 of the Kyler Murray/Kliff Kingsbury era gets off to a promising start. Murray scored two rushing touchdowns and a TD pass to wide receiver Deandre Hopkins, who totaled eight catches for 68 receiving yards. Hopkins seems to be for Arizona what Jamal Adams has been for Seattle and has proven quite valuable for them already. Despite several defensive issues in the second half, the Cardinals look like a different beast from the team of the past couple years and they are 2-0 for the first time since 2015 when they last made the postseason.

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Gerald Everett expects bigger role for TEs with Rams ‘going to 12 personnel more’

Gerald Everett has his sights set on a big year in 2020.

Amid all the success the Rams offense has had under the guidance of Sean McVay in the last three years, the tight ends have gone somewhat overlooked. At least, that was the case until Tyler Higbee put together a historic December to complete a record-setting season by a tight end in franchise history.

That only happened because the Rams shifted away from 11 personnel a bit and utilized more two-tight end sets. That’s not to say 12 personnel (one running back, two receivers, two tight ends) became the norm, but it was used much more often at the end of the season than in the beginning.

That trend is expected to continue into this season with Higbee and Gerald Everett getting more opportunities. McVay and GM Les Snead have hinted at utilizing 12 personnel more, and on Tuesday, Everett confirmed that’s the plan in L.A. He expects himself and the other tight ends to have bigger roles on offense as a result.

“Definitely, with us going to 12 personnel more often. I like to think that we’d have more extended roles, but (when) game time come, we’ll all see,” he told reporters.

Both Higbee and Everett are athletic pass-catching tight ends. We’ve seen each player make significant impacts as receivers, which is the going trend in the NFL for tight ends.

Everett doesn’t view himself and the Rams’ other tight ends as just safety blankets for Jared Goff. he says they can be much more than that, attacking the seams and blocking on the edge.

“That and a lot more,” Everett replied. “I feel like we serve as more than just safety blankets, especially on this offensive team. We block, we run, whatever we’re asked to do, we’re going to do it to our best capabilities and we definitely take pride in that aspect, but just being at wherever we need to be for the team.”

Much of Everett’s production will be predicated on his playing time, which also hinges on Higbee’s involvement in the offense. There will be opportunities for both players to be on the field at the same time, but it’ll likely be Higbee with the starters when Los Angeles does use 11 personnel.

That being said, McVay still expects Everett to be involved and be a big part of the offense.

“Gerald knows he’s a big part of what we’re doing. He’s going to be a very important piece for us,” McVay said Tuesday when asked about Everett’s tweet referring to “waiting on a decision that’s already been made.” ”Waiting on anything is going to be a great season from Gerald Everett for the Rams. That’s what you can wait on. We’re very glad he’s here. He’s in a good place. He’s done a great job throughout camp. He’s versatility is a real winning edge for our football team and you’re going to see that this coming season.”

Everett is in the final year of his rookie contract, which means he’ll become a free agent in March if the Rams don’t sign him to an extension. His ceiling is still high as a young tight end, and this could finally be his breakout year that everyone’s been waiting on.

Sleepers and Value Plays: Tight Ends Update

2020 Sleeper and Value Plays at Tight End

A sleeper tight end is a player taken as a backup who ends up worthy of being a starter or at least far outplays the draft slot where you selected him. Average Draft Positions (ADP) are taken from MyFantasyLeague.com using only recent drafts.

The Average Draft order shows a general picture of how your draft will unfold and where values/sleepers and bad values/busts likely exist. Any green highlight means the player is a good value that could be taken earlier. A red highlight signifies an overvalued player that is a bad value or just too high of a risk for that spot.

Average Draft order – Value plays

Sleepers and over-valued players

Best of the Rest

Jordan Akins (HOU) – Third-year player with the Texans has drawn rave reviews for looking ready to step up this season. Texans will have to figure out exactly how to fill the hole left by DeAndre Hopkins and Akins could find a larger role.

Tyler Higbee expects Gerald Everett to get plenty of targets this season

The Rams have two playmaking tight ends who they will certainly utilize this season.

When it comes to the Rams’ pass catchers, their wide receivers get most of the attention – and understandably so. Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods are one of the best tandems in the league, but the Rams’ tight ends deserve some praise, too.

Tyler Higbee and Gerald Everett are playmakers who can also block well along the line, giving the Rams plenty of options offensively. Jared Goff has no trouble spreading the ball around, and even with as many targets as he has, Higbee expects Everett to get his share of opportunities.

He told reporters Friday that he thinks Goff will find plenty of chances to get Everett the ball.

“Dude’s a playmaker. He can make plays. I expect the ball is going to get to him. Jared does a great job of spreading the ball around,” Higbee said. “He’s come along as a complete tight end in the blocking phase as well, pass-blocking game. He’s going to ball.”

Everett missed the end of last season with a leg injury, but he still managed to catch a career-high 37 passes for 408 yards and two touchdowns in 13 games – which was really only 11 games because he played four combined snaps in Weeks 16 and 17.

Higbee picked up the slack with 69 catches for 734 yards and three touchdowns on the year, most of which came in the last five games of the season. The Rams plan to utilize more two-tight end sets in 2020, but the share of targets between Higbee and Everett will be worth watching as the season goes on.

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Sleepers and Value Plays: Tight Ends

2020 Sleeper and Value Plays at Tight End

Average Draft order – Value plays

Sleepers and over-valued players

The NFL’s 11 best tight ends

Sure this comes down to George Kittle versus Travis Kelce, but who are some of the other top tight ends in the league today?

If you think about it, the tight end position was at the forefront of the last schematic revolution in the NFL.

Consider the Tampa 2 coverage scheme. For those that need a refresher, this is a defensive coverage that plays with two deep defenders, but tasks a third – often an athletic linebacker – with defending the area between the safeties. This coverage is traced back to the Tony Dungy/Monty Kiffin teams, and it was implemented to protect that area of the field against receivers or, in many cases, tight ends.

Where TEs had previously been viewed as a sixth offensive lineman who could occasionally add something in the passing game, as more teams looked to these players in the passing game defenses needed a response. The Tampa 2 coverage was born.

As is usually the case, schematic advancements in football move in cycles. When more professional teams wanted athleticism at the tight end position, better and better athletes started playing the position. A new generation of tight ends was born, players like Jimmy Graham and Tony Gonzalez, who were dominant more for what they did as receivers than anything else. When these players started running away from linebackers, defenses needed to adjust again.

when I think about the league from a conceptual standpoint, i usually end up down a Bill Belichick-related rabbit hole. If you read and study the defensive mind over his years in the league, you will see that there is nothing Belichick considers more dangerous to a defense than a versatile tight end. If you want visual evidence of this fact, go back to the 2018 regular season meeting between the Kansas City Chiefs and the New England Patriots. Against an offensive featuring the explosive Tyreek Hill, it was Travis Kelce who found himself double- and even triple-covered at times.

If Belichick is worried about a position or a player, you better take notice.

Right now the league has a very solid class of talent at the position, including the aforementioned Kelce, who is as you would expect among the top of the class. But how does this group stack up?

As usual, we begin with the Honorable Mentions.

Honorable Mentions

We start with a player with tremendous potential, but who has yet to truly put it together. Evan Engram looked every bit the part of a future mismatch nightmare coming out of college – and those who saw his week of practices at the Senior Bowl would concur – but injuries and inconsistency has been the hallmark of his young career. If he puts it together he can crack a list like this. Hayden Hurst now looks to be the prime option at the position in Atlanta, and with Julio Jones and Calvin Ridley on the outside and Matt Ryan throwing to him, he is in a good position to excel in 2020. Jonnu Smith is stepping in as the main man for the Titans, and that play-action heavy offense is a good position for him to succeed. Gerald Everett might be the second TE option for the Los Angeles Rams, but Sean McVay has done creative things for him in the past and we can expect that to continue into 2020. Greg Olsen might have a TV gig waiting for him, but he can still be a factor for the Seattle Seahawks in 2020.

Then there is what is taking place in Tampa Bay. Rob Gronkowski is usually a mainstay on lists like this, but since he sat out all of 2019, he did not meet the snap threshold for inclusion. But he, coupled with O.J. Howard and Cameron Brate, are also names to watch.

Also, in a bit of “calling my shot,” look for Adam Trautman to be on a list like this sometime soon…

Best tight end groups

(Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)

As more and more teams like the Philadelphia Eagles and Minnesota Vikings rely on multiple tight end packages, some great units are starting to develop around the league. Obviously with elite players like George Kittle and Travis Kelce, the San Francisco 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs have solid groups by default. But in terms of a 1-2 punch, it is hard to top what Howie Roseman and Doug Pederson have assembled in Philadelphia. Zach Ertz and Dallas Goedert are two of the top TEs in the game, and as a result the Eagles implemented this package a staggering 52% of the time.

Not too far behind, however, were the Vikings. Under Kevin Stefanski the Vikings used 12 personnel on 34% of their snaps, and having Kyle Rudolph and Irv Smith Jr. in place certainly led to that usage. With Stefanski off to Cleveland, you might want to keep an eye on their group, which as of this moment consists of Austin Hooper, David Njoku and an intriguing rookie in Harrison Bryant.

Now, the Top 11:

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Led by Tyler Higbee, Rams’ TEs ranked 5th in NFL

Pro Football Focus is high on the Rams’ tight ends entering 2020.

It’s amazing what one stretch of five games can do for the overall perception of a position group. After Tyler Higbee’s historic December in which he had four straight 100-yard games and five consecutive weeks with at least seven catches, the Rams’ tight end room looks significantly better than it did last November.

Higbee’s become a popular pick in fantasy drafts at tight end, while Gerald Everett remains a player with strong potential thanks to his skill set and receiving ability. Johnny Mundt and rookie Brycen Hopkins could prove to be quality reserve players, too, giving the Rams four solid tight ends to work with.

The combination of that depth and Higbee’s rising ceiling led Pro Football Focus to rank the Rams’ tight ends in the top five of the NFL. Their group is only behind the Buccaneers (4th), Eagles (3rd), Chiefs (2nd) and 49ers (1st).

All of those teams have at least one Pro Bowl tight end on their roster, which the Rams do not – yet. Los Angeles’ tight ends got it done with a group effort, racking up the fifth-most yards of any tight end group in the NFL (1,168).

Here’s what PFF wrote about Higbee and Everett, in particular.

Tyler Higbee broke out to produce the third-best receiving grade among tight ends (90.1) while catching over 80% of his targets and averaging 5.8 yards after the catch per reception. Gerald Everett finished with the ninth-best receiving grade (78.9), making the duo the only teammates to rank within the top 10. Everett is also one of the most elusive tight ends in the league, as he forced 13 missed tackles on just 37 receptions last season.

Higbee signed a contract extension out of nowhere last September, keeping him under contract for four more years. Though his performance was just average for the first three months of the season, his record-setting December was a great way to head into the offseason.

He finished the year with 69 catches for 734 yards and three touchdowns, turning in the best season ever by a Rams tight end. Everett is entering the final year of his rookie deal and will probably be replaced by Hopkins in 2021, but he has a lot to play for this season before entering free agency.

This could be the year the Rams’ tight ends finally break through and earn a Pro Bowl bid.

Who will be Rams’ biggest red-zone threat in 2020?

Cooper Kupp had the highest target share in the red zone last year. Will that continue?

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The tallest wide receiver on the Rams roster is Josh Reynolds, who’s 6-foot-3 and a slender 196 pounds. His frame doesn’t exactly scream “jump-ball specialist,” nor is he all that physical at the catch point.

Cooper Kupp is 6-foot-2, with Robert Woods an even 6 feet and rookie Van Jefferson 6-1. Clearly, the Rams lack height and leaping ability in their receiving corps, which can create challenges in the red zone.

They don’t have a Dez Bryant-type who can go up and win jump balls. They don’t have a DeAndre Hopkins, whose hands are as sticky as glue, even on contested catches.

The Rams’ shorter wideouts haven’t caused any problems inside the 20-yard line, as they’ve been one of the most efficient red-zone teams in the league lately. Last season, they scored touchdowns on 64.4% of their red-zone trips, which was sixth in the NFL.

The departure of Brandin Cooks won’t hurt that number, but Todd Gurley’s release could lead to some struggles when the Rams get close to the end zone. According to Pro Football Focus, Gurley had the fourth-best touchdown rate on carries inside the 5-yard line last year, scoring 53% of the time.

Best TD rate on carries inside-the-five last season

1. Derrick Henry – 64%
2. Aaron Jones – 59%
3. Ezekiel Elliott – 56%
4. Todd Gurley – 53% pic.twitter.com/H2s1SyOg25

— PFF Fantasy Football (@PFF_Fantasy) June 8, 2020

So with Gurley gone and the Rams lacking a true red-zone threat, who will step up? The most obvious answer is Kupp.

He’s not the biggest receiver around, but his route running allows him to get open for Jared Goff. And as difficult as it is to shake loose in the close quarters of the red zone, Kupp finds ways to do exactly that.

And when Goff throws him the ball in the end zone, more often than not, it’ll go for six. Kupp was far and away the best receiver on end-zone targets last year, scoring a touchdown on 83% of such plays – 12% higher than any other receiver.

Best TD rate on end-zone targets last season (WRs)

1. Cooper Kupp – 83%
2. Calvin Ridley – 71%
3. Marvin Jones Jr. – 67%
3. Michael Thomas – 67%
5. Julio Jones – 63% pic.twitter.com/8xB2Fx8ZLX

— PFF Fantasy Football (@PFF_Fantasy) June 9, 2020

On his 18 targets in the red zone last year, Kupp caught 13 passes for seven touchdowns – an impressive catch rate of 72.2%, which ranked 15th among all players with at least 10 red-zone targets. Inside the 10-yard line, Kupp caught 8-of-10 targets for six touchdowns – tied for the most scores of any player.

His target share of 28.6% inside the 10-yard line was tops on the Rams and ranked sixth in the NFL. For comparison, Tyler Higbee was second on the team at 25.7%, while Cooks was targeted on just 14.3% of Goff’s passes inside the 10. Surprisingly, Woods was even further down the list, tied with Gerald Everett at 11.4%. That’s partly why Woods only had two touchdowns last year.

Will we see a similar target share next season? Or will someone overtake Kupp? It’s likely Kupp will remain No. 1, but expect Higbee’s share to stay relatively high.

He’s the third-tallest player on the team at 6-foot-6 and his catch radius is large. His hands aren’t the most reliable, but if he can simply box out defenders and give Goff a nice target, he can rack up the touchdowns in 2020.

Goff and the pass-catchers will need to step up in the red zone next season with Gurley out of the picture. Sure, Cam Akers and Malcolm Brown could prove effective near the goal line, but Gurley had a nose for the end zone.

If the Rams throw the ball more often inside the 20, expect Kupp and Higbee to be the ones getting the bulk of the targets.