Ravens tight end Mark Andrews was the highest scoring fantasy tight end in my league. In those stupid PPR leagues, Andrews was tight end 4. Is it possible that Andrews is head and shoulders just better than everybody else at the position? Before you just shake your head, it’s not totally out of the realm of possibility.
I won’t deny that I was critical of the pick here. Most of it being that my frustrations were already at an all-time high after watching Baltimore completely waste a first round pick on Hayden Hurst. A pick that was always foolish. Then Mark Andrews comes along. I never hated the Andrews pick but mostly saw it as a…great, an Oklahoma tight end with diabetes. Andrews has far exceeded my expectations. I also can’t be that much of a hater if I signed him to a 3 year contract (maximum allowed in my league) last year. So back off.
I saw the Andrews jump coming. Heading into 2020, I think there are two ways this one can go. The touchdown regression hits hard and the Ravens offense falls apart. The Lamar Jackson thing is a ticking tomb bomb. That’s only a matter of time. OR Andrews actually gets better. There’s no reason to think that can’t happen.
Andrews, 23, is entering his 3rd NFL season. The Ravens tight end scored 10 touchdowns in 2019. That’s as good as it gets. There’s no reason the 64 receptions and 852 yards part can’t improve. Why? Playing time. Andrews played just 467 snaps. That’s basically half the number Travis Kelce played last year.
Things have changed now though. Hayden Hurst is no longer on the roster. That bum ass has been sent packing. Andrews has established himself as the dude. Baltimore also didn’t replace Hurst’s spot with an established option. Adding 200 or even 300 snaps to that 2019 number seems more than feasible.
The crazy part is Mark Andrews owns a ridiculous target share when he’s actually on the field. How many tight ends can lead their team in targets? Those are the guys you want. With Andrews, it’s not a question. Last year, Andrews was targeted 21 percent of the time he was on the field. That’s an absurd number. Not to mention, he’s just going to eat into that old Hayden Hurst role.
The sky is the limit here. In 2019, Andrews played the 3rd most amount of snaps on his own team in terms of tight ends. That’s not going to happen in 2020. We’re talking about serious high end potential here. Don’t sleep on the possibility that Andrews is the best tight end in fantasy.
