Be sure to take David Njoku on tight end

The fantasy football draft season is always an exciting time. Your prep work kicks into high gear as you read draft guides, review all player ratings, and put your draft strategy into action with a few mock drafts.

Every nugget of information from training camp is carefully dissected, and you’ve probably put together a list of potential sleepers to grab in the final rounds. Before we finalize this list, we have another that is regularly overlooked, and your Tight End Whisperer is already screaming its name from the rooftops.

Cleveland Browns tight end David Njoku is a steal in the fantasy draft this year. He comes off most draft boards at 19th tight end and has a current ADP (average draft position) of 157.51. This means that in most 12-team leagues he is drafted in the 13th round, which is practically free. Whether you draft him as a second tight end or just play the position, you’re looking at a player who will vastly outperform his draft position and should provide you with top-10 production.

Last season, Njoku shared the tight end position with Austin Hooper and Harrison Bryant. He played 64% of the snaps, but was only targeted 53 times, while Hooper and Bryant combined for 89 targets. This season, with Hooper in Tennessee, Njoku is expected to play the lead role, while Bryant is expected to remain primarily as a blocker. Goals should see a 70-30 split in favor of Njoku.

With Jacoby Brissett under center for at least the first six games of the season, Njoku should see a strong target share in the overall passing offense. Amari Cooper has been brought in as the new top receiver, but the rest of the receiving corps is riddled with underperforming players and unproven rookies. Brissett is already known to favor the tight end as a passing target, so with the limited options, Njoku owners should expect an increased workload.

Even with a potential change at quarterback, depending on how NFL rules call Deshaun Watson, Njoku still figures to play a leading role and is the only threat to receive who figures to excel, little whoever is below center. Either Brissett will lean on him or he’ll become a prime target for Watson, one of the game’s most prolific passers. Whichever way you slice it, David Njoku, fantasy’s best-kept secret , is the sleeper you never knew you needed.

Howard Bender is Vice President of Operations and Head of Content at FantasyAlarm.com. Follow him on Twitter @rotobuzzguy and find him on the award-winning « Fantasy Alarm Radio Show » on the SiriusXM fantasy sports channel weekdays from 6-8 p.m. Go to FantasyAlarm.com for all your advice on fantasy sports, player projections and average draft positions.