Fantasy Upside
Hayden Hurst is coming off a mediocre season with the Bengals. He caught 52 balls for 414 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He also averaged a career-low 8.0 yards per reception. Hurst joins Carolina this season and should have a path to a starting role, or he should at least be the primary receiving tight end, given the blocking prowess of holdovers Ian Thomas and Tommy Tremble. Rookie quarterback Bryce Young was lauded for his efficiency in college, which should translate well for his intermediate targets, and new coach Frank Reich has had success with the tight end position before.
Fantasy Downside
We’ve been hoping for Hurst to break out for years, and it just hasn’t happened. This will now be his fourth team and he’ll be 30 when the season starts. Plus, Tommy Tremble has a chance to take a leap in his third year. Known as a blocker, Tremble is a gifted athlete and showed flashes as a receiver in 2022.
2023 Bottom Line
Hurst is probably worth a gamble as a second tight end or as a periodic streaming option this year, but he’s not likely to move the needle for your fantasy team. He should stay on waivers to open the season in most formats, and we barely have him ranked inside our top-25 tight ends.