Last year was supposed to be the season that Larry Donnell took his game to the next level, solidifying himself as a bona fide fantasy option at tight end. He was coming off a breakout 2014 season with 63 receptions, 623 yards and six touchdowns. Not bad for a player who had three career catches coming into that season.
Instead, Donnell broke his neck. Rookie Will Tye had a similar breakout season (42 receptions for 464 yards and three touchdowns in just seven starts last season) and he’s now the New York Giants tight end expected to take his game to the next level and become a bona fide fantasy option at tight end.
But Donnell is again healthy and they’ve shared first-team reps this summer (along with youngster Matt LaCosse). It’s created a difficult situation to handicap, and one that could scare many away, which might not be wise.
There could be good value with one (or more) of these tight ends. The Giants ran a ton of two-tight-end sets at training camp, and both Donnell and Tye made their fair share of plays. It could extend into the season.
Larry Donnell
ESPN Fantasy projection: 27.2 receptions, 278.9 yards, 3 TDs
Over or under: Over on all. Look, Larry Donnell is never going to morph into Antonio Gates. Donnell falls to the ground wherever he catches the football. He’ll never have good yards-after-catch numbers. He averaged a paltry 3.1 YAC in 2015. But Donnell does have a useful skill set and an ability to go up and catch the football. His size (6-foot-6, 265) makes him a viable red zone target that quarterback Eli Manning values. Donnell’s 1.3 red zone targets per game over the past two seasons are better than Rob Gronkowski (1.2). This alone gives him some fantasy value, especially as a weekly stand-in.
Will Tye
ESPN Fantasy projection: 35.6 receptions, 363.1 yards, 3.7 TDs
Over or under: Over on receptions and yards, under on touchdowns. Tye is the more nimble of the two Giants tight ends. He averaged 4.2 yards after the catch last season, and the hope is that will only get better now that he's refined his route running and knows the offense better. Tye, 24, was a rookie out of Stony Brook last year who was just learning his way. The biggest question is how many targets and opportunities will he receive. Right now, it appears to be a 50-50 timeshare between Tye and Donnell, limiting both of their potential values. Tye still remains the better fantasy option because he has the bigger upside.
Who else could see time: LaCosse had a strong spring and start to the summer. It could earn him a place as the Giants’ third tight end. But he’d need to have an injury to become a viable fantasy option. Meanwhile, sixth-round pick Jerell Adams is raw. He’s unlikely to receive much playing time and targets as a rookie.
