Packers: Robert Tonyan early 2021 fantasy football predictions
Robert Tonyan was a breakout star in the Green Bay Packers‘ offense last season.
Tight end is often a difficult position to fill in fantasy football unless you’re willing to draft early with a superstar like Travis Kelce, George Kittle, or Darren Waller.
With fantasy football drafts just around the corner for many leagues, where should you consider drafting Tonyan this year?
How Tonyan finished in 2020
Few fantasy managers would’ve drafted Tonyan last year, outside of perhaps a few Packers fans who saw him lined up for the starting job. But incredibly, he finished as the TE3 in half PPR scoring last season, according to Fantasy Pros.
While he didn’t post the superstar numbers we saw from Kelce and Waller — they were in a league of their own — Tonyan provided steady numbers for fantasy managers throughout the season. A key part of that was his 11 touchdown receptions.
Tonyan provided a steady floor with five or more catches in six different games. In an important stretch of the fantasy season from Weeks 11 to 15, he caught one touchdown in each game, although he only had one reception for 17 yards in the fantasy championship.
What to expect in 2021
Tonyan has established his role as a reliable target in the middle of the field, and that’s unlikely to change anytime soon. Tonyan should again be the Packers’ number one receiving tight end and one of Aaron Rodgers’ most trusted targets.
If anything, his numbers could improve overall as he builds his connection with Rodgers and enters year three in Matt LaFleur’s system.
Maybe the arrival of Amari Rodgers will take some targets away, but Tonyan is always going to be a solid option. He’s targeted often in the red zone, plays in a high-scoring offense, and rarely makes mistakes, which means the ball keeps going in his direction.
If you miss out on the top tight ends in fantasy, Tonyan can be a solid choice.
Fantasy draft
Despite having a great 2020 season, Tonyan is slipping under the radar. According to Fantasy Football Calculator, he’s currently the 16th tight end coming off the board and dropping as low as the 12th round. Tight ends like Dallas Goedert, Evan Engram, and Irv Smith Jr. are all being picked earlier than Tonyan.
If you still need a tight end late in the draft, Tonyan can provide great value to your roster.