It’s never too early to check in on player news ahead of the 2022 season, and our news desk has you covered. Let’s take a look at the latest news and notes around the NFL. Reports out of Bengals’ camp are that Hayden Hurst is extremely motivated. Should he be on your radar as a 2022 tight end sleeper?
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Hayden Hurst viewed as sleeper in 2022
Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic believes Cincinnati Bengals tight end Hayden Hurst should be viewed as a sleeper at the position in 2022. He writes that Hurst, who signed with the Bengals this past offseason, “arrived remarkably motivated, still a first-round-pick caliber of athlete and only 28.”
Fantasy Impact: Hurst replaces C.J. Uzomah, who departed for the New York Jets in the offseason. Hurst consistently played behind Mark Andrews and Kyle Pitts in Baltimore, never getting a true opportunity to break out. However, he should get that opportunity now. As Dehner notes, “Hurst offers a higher ceiling in the pass game than Uzomah, and the solid numbers Uzomah put up last year should be considered the base of expectations.” For reference, Uzomah totaled 49 receptions, 493 yards, and five touchdowns, finishing as the TE17 in standard fantasy leagues. Hurst should be viewed as a late-round sleeper with top-12 tight end upside.
Hayden Hurst 2022 Fantasy Football Outlook
Bengals tight end Hayden Hurst is hardly a world-beater, but it’s hard to not view him as a winner post-draft. The former Falcon is in sole possession of C.J. Uzomah’s vacated role from last season offers some fantasy appeal.
Uzomah’s 78% route participation ranked fourth-highest among tight ends in 2021
Every-down tight ends on the field that often in high-scoring environments will stumble into fantasy scoring. It’s a highly coveted role primed to ooze fantasy points. However, being on the field doesn’t always translate to the requisite fantasy production especially in offenses loaded with other weapons. Uzomah’s 13% target rate per route run ranked last among tight ends with at least 40 targets in 2021. Hurst’s 15% target rate wasn’t much better.
It doesn’t exactly inspire confidence that Hurst is the clear-cut late-round tight end to target in 2022, but he is well worth targeting late in drafts. Hurst is just one year removed from a TE9 overall finish in 2020.
– Andrew Erickson
2022 Consensus Best Ball Rankings
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