In the final installment of PPR versus standard draft positions, we take a look at tight ends. Running backs and wide receivers were covered over the past week. Tight end data reveals a very different scenario than that of their smaller and faster counterparts.
The table below shows differentials between standard draft positions (via Yahoo) and PPR ADP (courtesy of our friends at NFFC).
| Player | Standard | PPR | +/- |
| Jimmy Graham (TE, Sea) | 29.7 | 31.0 | -1.3 |
| Kyle Rudolph (TE, Min) | 132.7 | 134.5 | -1.8 |
| Travis Kelce (TE, KC) | 49.6 | 51.8 | -2.2 |
| Rob Gronkowski (TE, NE) | 7.8 | 14.8 | -7.0 |
| Julius Thomas (TE, Jax) | 83.6 | 91.1 | -7.5 |
| Josh Hill (TE, NO) | 128.5 | 136.3 | -7.8 |
| Delanie Walker (TE, Ten) | 118.7 | 129.8 | -11.1 |
| Greg Olsen (TE, Car) | 50.8 | 62.6 | -11.8 |
| Tyler Eifert (TE, Cin) | 130.9 | 144.6 | -13.7 |
| Martellus Bennett (TE, Chi) | 61.4 | 77.8 | -16.4 |
| Vernon Davis (TE, SF) | 128.3 | 145.6 | -17.3 |
| Zach Ertz (TE, Phi) | 66.5 | 90.4 | -23.9 |
| Austin Seferian-Jenkins (TE, TB) | 134.8 | 161.5 | -26.7 |
| Antonio Gates (TE, SD) | 112.3 | 140.4 | -28.1 |
| Coby Fleener (TE, Ind) | 124.5 | 155.4 | -30.9 |
| Jordan Cameron (TE, Mia) | 74.0 | 105.6 | -31.6 |
| Jason Witten (TE, Dal) | 71.8 | 108.8 | -37.0 |
| Owen Daniels (TE, Den) | 102.9 | 141.3 | -38.4 |
| Ladarius Green (TE, SD) | 129.8 | 171.0 | -41.2 |
| Eric Ebron (TE, Det) | 126.2 | 172.0 | -45.8 |
| Jordan Reed (TE, Was) | 136.5 | 183.6 | -47.1 |
| Larry Donnell (TE, NYG) | 131.8 | 181.6 | -49.8 |
| Dwayne Allen (TE, Ind) | 124.5 | 176.3 | -51.8 |
| Heath Miller (TE, Pit) | 126.4 | 184.3 | -57.9 |
| Charles Clay (TE, Buf) | 130.7 | 197.9 | -67.2 |
As you can see, tight ends take a hit across the board in the PPR drafts examined here, which is somewhat expected, as the 2014 data showed a similar story. Unlike last year, however, not a single tight end is being drafted higher in NFFC leagues.
A lot of that has to do with the lack of consistent, high-impact options. Rob Gronkowski stands alone in the first tier, falling from a mid-first round selection in standard leagues to the second frame in PPR drafts. Former top-tier players like Jimmy Graham and Julius Thomas have gone from volume offenses to run-first schemes. As a result each player is down several rounds, equally in both formats, from their respective 2014 ADP.
The other factor is an enormous group of talented wide receivers like the NFL has never seen. Once the top two, maybe three tiers of tight ends are gone, there is really no reason to draft a middling player when so many high upside options are available at other positions.
What we see in these numbers, more than anything else, is fantasy owners are waiting on tight end until the end of their 2015 drafts. With the deeper NFFC leagues, you can see the disparity grow between the last tight ends taken as the drafts grow longer.