Fantasy football season is approaching fast, and it’s time to identify this year’s potential difference-makers. One tight end who’s been on my mind: Tucker Kraft.
Kraft tore his ACL, and somehow his fantasy stock went up. Green Bay gutted its receiver room this offseason, and the tight end who was already the league's most efficient weapon just inherited the whole target tree. Let that sink in for a second.
A guy who led every tight end in yards per target by a full 1.5 yards over the field, then somehow got better after the catch, posting the highest yards-after-catch mark for any tight end with 25-plus targets in two decades of PFF charting, is now walking into a Green Bay offense with Romeo Doubs gone, Dontayvion Wicks gone, and Skyy Moore as the lone free-agent replacement, brought in for special teams. The Packers didn't draft a receiver either. They just handed Kraft the offense and shrugged.
Adam Schefter says Green Bay believes he can be ready for Week 1, which is either great news or a mild disaster depending on how much you trust ACL recoveries to snap back on schedule. Before the injury, Kraft was averaging 14.7 PPR points a game, tied with Brock Bowers and George Kittle for second among all tight ends. His target rate was still just 19th at the position last year. There's more room to grow, and less competition to fight through to get there.
Nobody's rushing to draft an ACL recovery in the first few rounds, and that's fair. But treat Kraft as a top-three tight end ceiling play if the medicals clear, because the opportunity waiting for him is about as wide open as it gets. Health is the only obstacle left standing between him and WR1 numbers at tight end.
