It may not be Easter Day, but in this series, we are going on a football-themed Easter egg hunt for one veteran player at each position that should be on your dynasty roster this season and beyond. We will also throw in a few “Easter eggs” about each player to have fun and help you understand why I’m such a believer.
I’ve been invested in the players we will cover for multiple years in dynasty, so I’ve experienced the highs and lows. Still, I’m personally counting on these guys to lead my teams to fantasy glory in 2022, and I believe each player can help you win as well.
Will Mark Andrews retain his TE1 championship belt in 2022? Let’s hop to it.
Be sure to read the previous articles in this series covering Lamar Jackson, Aaron Jones, and Tee Higgins!
2021 Recap
Look up most any tight end stat from 2021, and you’ll probably find Andrews in the first place. He unseated Travis Kelce as the overall TE1 in PPR after an impressive five-year reign from Kelce. It’s incredible when you consider that Andrews wasn’t even catching passes from Lamar Jackson for all 17 games. I wrote about it extensively earlier in this series when I covered Jackson, but 2021 was rough overall for the Ravens.
Due in part to the Ravens’ depleted run game last year, Andrews had 107 receptions on 154 targets (both first among Tight Ends). He played in all 17 games and logged 1,361 receiving yards (first) and nine touchdowns (T-first with Kelce, Knox, H. Henry). As if that wasn’t amazing enough, he also had an incredible 17.7 FPTS/G, so he was a big-time contributor for all fantasy managers who were able to roster him.
If you look at the advanced stats from his targets in 2021, they back up the notion that Andrews was and is the Ravens’ true WR1. Among tight ends, Andrews was tied for first in RedZone Targets (20) and was first in EndZone Targets (13). He led all tight ends with a 26.6% Target Share, boasted 8.8 Yds/Target, and scored 1.96 FP/Target. I remember an old “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” episode where the mantra on their high school basketball team was “Get the ball to Will.” In 2021 the Ravens’ mantra was “Get the ball to Mark.” I firmly believe Andrews will continue his reign as the TE1 in 2022.
2022 Fantasy Outlook For Andrews
If you’ve followed my work this offseason, you know I’m all in on the Ravens for fantasy this year. I covered the entire offense in our 2022 Fantasy Focus series and think guys like Jackson/Andrews/Dobbins/Bateman will be league winners for many managers. With a healthy Jackson and their connection cooking all year, Andrews is poised to finish 2022 as the TE1 again. As you can see by the above Twitter poll, the general consensus thinks Andrews will most likely end in the top five but not as the overall TE1.
Kelce and Kyle Pitts will be great this year, and I would be happy with a top-five finish for Andrews, but I think he is the tight end you want in fantasy. To me, he is worth drafting early in the first three rounds because he is essentially the Ravens WR1. I don’t know if he will see a staggering 150+ targets again this year, but I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s how the season shakes out. As much as I love the Ravens’ skill players, there are still enough question marks that the passing game should continue to flow through Andrews. You can’t predict injury, but Andrews also has an excellent track record of staying healthy, which only helps his case.
The intriguing wrinkle in the Ravens offense this year will be rookie TE Isaiah Likely. Likely was one of the breakout stars of the preseason and is poised to carve out a role for himself this year. Rookie tight ends aren’t historically great fantasy options, and I think Likely will take time to develop. He isn’t a concern for Andrews managers at the moment, but if you have Andrews, you want to try and roster Likely as well. This is one of the best tight end rooms in the NFL (Jake Oliver agrees) and worth investing in however you can.
Dynasty Outlook For Andrews
Andrews is going into his fifth season and just turned 27 (Happy Birthday!). I think he’s in the same elite tier as Kelce and won’t stop producing at a high level soon. You’d have to give up a lot to trade for him in a dynasty, but it’s not impossible. Acquiring Andrews now can anchor your team for years to come, even at a high price. If you feel your roster is contending or close to it, brainstorm some offers of future assets, you could put together for Andrews. Picks are essential, but if the situation is right, they shouldn’t be valued over a game-changing player. The tight end position is worth putting a lot of thought into as you build your roster.
If you’re going into a rebuild, think about selling Andrews for a premium offer and taking flyers on younger tight ends. I traded away Kelce several years ago in a rebuild for first-round picks/contributing players, and guess who I added from waivers before he broke out – Andrews. I’m not saying if you trade away Andrews, you’ll find the future TE1, but stranger things have happened. Andrews can also be a great anchor in rebuilding if you decide to hold.
I’m excited to watch the Ravens offense this year and glad I have Andrews on most of my rosters. At the very least, I know as long as I have Mark Andrews on my squad, my team won’t be laying any eggs.
*All stats from Fantasy Data unless otherwise noted
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