Fantasy Upside
Greg Olsen is one of the most consistent tight ends in fantasy football. He finished second to Travis Kelce (1,125) at the position with 1,073 yards and was fourth among tight ends with 80 receptions. Olsen has also been remarkably durable, separating him from the Jordan Reeds and Rob Gronkowskis of the world. He’s started all 16 games in each of his last five seasons, and he’s had at least 1,000 yards in each of the last three.
Fantasy Downside
Olsen turned 32 this year, so there’s always the concern he’ll start to decline, and the Panthers also added some talent in the passing game with rookies Christian McCaffrey and Curtis Samuel. Both players could vulture targets from the reliable Olsen. Also, Olsen has never scored more than eight touchdowns in a season, and only had three last year. The Panthers run the ball and use quarterback Cam Newton a lot in the red zone.
2017 Bottom Line
Olsen should continue to be one of the best fantasy tight ends in the game. Despite having more weapons to work with, it’s hard to believe Newton will stop relying on his trusty tight end after five straight seasons with over 100 targets. With his durability and high volume of receptions, Olsen is one of the few players at the position you can plug-and-play. His fourth-round ADP is reasonable if Travis Kelce is already off the board. He also presents better value than the injury-prone Reed and Gronkowski, who are often drafted in the second and third rounds.
