Jesse James

Detroit committed a lot of money to James last offseason, and it's tough to say whether the team is pleased with the return on its investment after one year. While James is a competent blocker, he's not viewed as being dynamic in that area, and his limitations as a receiver make him less useful there than other tight ends around the league. Look for T.J. Hockenson to bring in the majority of the Lions' production from the tight end position in 2020.

The four-year, $25 million deal the Lions threw at James is mostly tied to his blocking ability, as he's never been a top-20 fantasy performer at tight end through four NFL seasons. But perhaps the Lions will find more use for James' height at the goal line than the Steelers did. It was interesting to see his yards per target spike last year in a season where his opportunities cratered, but that's probably more of a small-sample anomaly than anything else. If James and Matthew Stafford show rapport in September, you can go to the market with a restrained FAAB bid. Of course, the requisite cold water applies here, too - Detroit used the No. 8 overall draft pick on T.J. Hockenson, who is a vastly superior athlete. Even with increased use of two-TE formations, the Lions will have a tough time finding regular targets for both players.

The Steelers traded for Vance McDonald a week before the regular season started last year, popping whatever fantasy upside James had coming into 2017. But the 6-7 James showed what he had to offer in Week 1 while McDonald got acclimated, catching six of eight targets, including three inside the 10-yard line, for two TDs. That's as good as it got, though. Even in the six games McDonald missed, James didn't do much. He caught 17 of 26 targets in those game but posted only 5.5 YPA and scored just once more. McDonald is back to handle the starting role this season. Even if McDonald, who has missed 22 games in five seasons, were to sustain an injury, James' upside is limited because tight end has been somewhat of an afterthought in the Pittsburgh offense.

The first key point with James is his age -- although he's already played two pro seasons, he didn't turn 23 until early June. To put this in perspective, James is only a few months older than O.J. Howard, the first tight end selected in this year's draft. Benefitting from Ladarius Green's absence for most of last season, James was Pittsburgh's No. 2 red-zone target (13 looks), turning those chances into seven catches, six first downs and three touchdowns. However, he faces new competition in Vance McDonald, whom Pittsburgh acquired in an August trade with San Francisco. It's possible this could turn into a tight-end-by-committee situation before long, leaving both with marginal utility in fantasy.

Catching eight of 11 targets for 56 yards and a touchdown, James made the most of limited playing time in his rookie season. It appeared he was poised to assume the starting tight end job after Heath Miller abruptly retired during the offseason, but the signing of free agent Ladarius Green suggests the Steelers may not believe James is ready to take on that role. Still, James should see an increase in offensive snaps, particularly within the red zone, making him an interesting late-round draft pick with upside in touchdown-only formats.

Recognizing that Heath Miller can’t play forever, the Steelers selected James in the fifth round of the draft. His size (6'7/261) and athleticism suggest he can create mismatches, particularly in the red zone, but his poor blocking skills will likely limit his playing time, and subsequent fantasy value, this season.