Will Delanie Walker outperform his Fantasy Football ADP in 2019?

Will Tennessee Titans tight end Delanie Walker outperform his current ADP?

While many in the fantasy football world might be sleeping on Tennessee Titans tight end Delanie Walker in 2019, don’t make the same mistake.

Walker, who is coming off a 2018 campaign in which he played in just one game after suffering a serious ankle injury, was a perennial top tight end in fantasy from 2014 through 2017, and there’s little reason to suspect he’ll be any different this season.

According to Pro Football Focus, Walker’s current average draft position (ADP) is TE13. PFF believes the veteran tight end will outperform that ADP in 2019.

"Walker played five years for the Titans before last year’s wildly abbreviated season. In those five years, his average fantasy finish was TE6, including fifth or better in each of 2015-2017. Yes, he’ll be 35 in Week 1, he played one game last year, and it’s a run-heavy offense this year, but he’s certainly a candidate to rise. All he has to do is what he’s already done before."

It’s borderline absurd to think that people believe there are 12 other tight ends better than him, especially given the fact of how consistent he has been, with PPR finishes of TE8, TE3, TE5 and TE4 in each of the past four seasons prior to his injury-shortened 2018.

Delanie Walker will be TE10 at worst

Over the course of those aforementioned four years, Walker averaged 74 catches for 896 yards and five touchdowns per season.

The No. 10 tight end in PPR last season was the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Vance McDonald, who totaled 50 receptions for 610 yards and four touchdowns.

That tells us that even a down year for Walker could translate to a top 10 finish in PPR formats, which should be considered the baseline of what the Titans tight end can accomplish this season.

Sure, he’ll have more competition for targets than in years past, but Walker remains the most-trusted target of quarterback Marcus Mariota.

And, having slot receiver Adam Humphries over the middle, as well as wideouts Corey Davis and A.J. Brown on the outside, will only open things up for Walker. He will also be a dependable target in the red zone for the Oregon product.

The tight end position is a tricky one in fantasy. So many times we’ve seen players at the position get built-up on hype alone and not answer the bell, but Walker is a proven commodity who has done it year in and year out.

You can go ahead and take the flashy name to see what happens, or you can take as sure a bet as there is at the tight end position in Walker. Outside of the big three at the top of the list, only Walker has proven he has the goods to even sniff top-tier production.