2022 Fantasy Upside
Mark Andrews has always been good but he was unstoppable last year. Fantasy’s TE1, he finished 2021 with nine touchdowns and 1,361 yards on 107 receptions. He was the primary cog in the offense during a season where the Ravens were decimated by injuries. With Lamar Jackson back under center, the offense should improve – 17th in points scored last year after ranking seventh in 2020 – which means those nine touchdowns could actually increase in 2022. Also, with Marquise Brown in Arizona, there are plenty of vacated targets to go around.
2022 Fantasy Downside
The only real downside for Andrews is regression from a career year and the premium cost it will take to draft him. It seems difficult to imagine repeating the year he had in 2021, particularly with how much separation he had from the rest of the tight ends not named Kelce in fantasy points. Having Andrews or Kelce gave you a huge advantage at the position last year. Having anyone else, not so much. His ADP is in the middle of the second round right now, so you’ll pay for him if you want him. To justify that, he’ll need to heavily outscore the tight ends going in the third and fourth rounds, which might be a lofty expectation.
2022 Bottom Line
Andrews has a high floor and should be a dynamite fantasy option once again. He’s one of the few “set it and forget it” options at the position and there’s no doubt the passing game will continue to run through him. He’ll cost a pretty penny and I often advocate for a patient approach to the tight end position, but fantasy managers who take the plunge will have an advantage at the position if they decide to invest.