Week 10 at Tennessee
Greg Olsen had four catches and a touchdown against the Packers last week, as the Panthers progressed to 8-0 on the season. Olsen has been one of the most consistent fantasy players this season and remains an excellent option at the position. He’s been targeted more than any tight end in the league, and he’s currently third and fourth among tight ends in receiving yards and touchdowns, respectively.
Olsen gets a nice matchup this week against the Titans. Tennessee has been middle-of-the-road against the pass this year, but last week gave up eight catches, 82 yards and a pair of touchdowns to the trio of Saints tight ends. Olsen is an elite fantasy option and the primary target in the Panthers passing game and should be active in all leagues.
Week 9 vs. Green Bay
Greg Olsen had another nice game against the Colts on Monday night. He was targeted a team-high 12 times, catching six passes for 79 yards and a touchdown as the Panthers advanced to 7-0 on the season. Olsen remains the top option in the Panthers passing game and is a security blanket for quarterback Cam Newton.
This week, Olsen will face a Green Bay defense that has been solid against the pass this year, but they’ve been less effective against the tight end position. Virgil Green and Owen Daniels combined for 105 yards on a six catches against them last week, and neither have near the talent Olsen has. Olsen is an elite TE and as the number two right end on our board this week, he should be active in all leagues.
Week 7 vs. Indianapolis
Greg Olsen had three catches for 65 yards last week against the Eagles in a Panthers victory. The Eagles came in with a strong game plan against him, putting their athletic linebacking corps and their physical safeties on the veteran tight end. Olsen still led the team in receiving yards and remains one of the best in the league at his position.
This week, he gets to face a Colts team that gave up nine catches, 90 yards and a touchdown to the tight end position last week and ranks 30th in the league in passing yards allowed this season. Olsen should bounce back and have a great game and should be active in all leagues.
Week 7 vs. Philadelphia
Greg Olsen had a great game against the Seahawks last week, catching seven of the 11 passes thrown his way for 131 yards and a late touchdown that sealed the victory for the Panthers. Olsen now ranks fourth in the league in receiving yards among tight ends, and he remains the primary option in the Carolina passing game.
This week, Olsen will go up against a Philadelphia pass defense that ranks in the bottom half of the league in yards and touchdowns allowed to opposing offenses. The Eagles have actually been very good against the TE position this season, but Olsen is a special breed who dominates his team in targets and should still be active as an elite TE option in all fantasy leagues.
Week 6 at Seattle
Greg Olsen is coming off a down game against the Bucs in Week 4 before the bye, finishing with only 28 yards on two receptions. However, only a few tight ends in the league have been targeted more than he has and he remains an elite fantasy option as the top passing target in Carolina.
This week, he faces a tough matchup at Seattle, but the Seahawks have actually given up plenty of fantasy points to the tight end position this season (including 90 yards and a pair of touchdowns to Tyler Eifert a week ago). Olsen should be active in every league every week, and he’s inside our top-5 TE rankings for Week 6.
Week 4 at Tampa Bay
Greg Olsen had a huge game against the Saints last week, catching eight of the 11 passes thrown his way for 134 yards and two touchdowns. After Gronk, Olsen is as good as anyone at the tight end position and is an excellent fantasy option every week.
The Bucs have been pretty good against the tight end position so far this season, but they haven’t faced anyone of Olsen's caliber. With no other reliable targets for quarterback Cam Newton to throw to, he should continue to get the bulk of the looks in the Carolina passing game. With Gronk on a bye week, Olsen is the top tight end fantasy option and should be active in all leagues.
Week 3 vs. New Orleans
Greg Olsen bounced back after a poor Week 1 with six catches and 70 yards against the Texans on Sunday. Olsen was also targeted a team-high 14 times, which bodes well for him moving forward. He continues to be the primary target in the Carolina passing game and is an elite fantasy option.
Olsen faces the Saints this week, a team that struggles on the defensive side of the ball. The last time Olsen faced New Orleans, he had 10 catches, 72 yards and a touchdown. In a nice matchup and on an offense that looked better in Week 2 than they did in Week 1, Olsen is a top-5 TE option for fantasy owners and should be active in all leagues.
Week 2 vs. Houston
Greg Olsen had a hugely disappointing outing against the Jaguars last week, catching only one pass for 11 yards on just three targets. Olsen should be an elite TE option for fantasy owners, but he was limited by the Panthers struggles on offense.
Olsen should get back on track against the Texans this week. While the lack of offensive production in Carolina is concerning, Houston gave up six catches, 106 yards and a pair of touchdowns to Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce last week. It may be asking a lot for Olsen to duplicate those numbers, but he should rebound back into a solid starting option for fantasy owners this week and should be active in all leagues.
Week 1 vs. Jacksonville
As good as Greg Olsen has been as a Panther over the past four seasons, he may be in for a career year as arguably the only viable option in the passing game with sophomore WR Kelvin Benjamin shelved for the season. He set career highs in receptions and yards last season and has a chance to duplicate or improve on those totals in 2015.
Olsen starts the year against the Jaguars, who were average against the tight end position a year ago, but ultimately struggle on the defensive side of the ball. Regardless of matchup however, Olsen is an elite fantasy option at the TE position, with only Rob Gronkowski presenting a more consistent option. Owners should start Olsen with confidence and celebrate all the targets coming his way this week.
Greg Olsen was second last year among tight ends with 1,008 yards, tied for the most on the team. He remains a primary option in the Carolina passing game and has developed nicely as a security valve for quarterback Cam Newton. The Panthers have been prioritizing size in their receiving core to go with their huge quarterback, and Olsen fits right in as an athletic player who can move.
Fantasy Upside
Olsen has enough speed to stretch the seam and the ball skills needed to be a threat in the red zone even though he finished with only six touchdowns last year. Olsen puts up fairly consistent numbers at the tight end position and is coming off his best year as a pro, with career highs in both yards and receptions. With a healthy quarterback this year and another outside target in Devin Funchess to take the pressure off him, Olsen could be even better this season.
Fantasy Downside
While Funchess may take defense away, he might also take some targets. Additionally, Olsen won’t be likely to improve much on his touchdowns because of the way the Panthers operate in the red zone. Cam Newton tends to steal some scores in that area, and rookie Devin Funchess may excel as a red zone target as well.
Bottom Line
Olsen is a step below the Rob Gronkowski’s of the world, but he’s about as consistent as it gets year-to-year and can usually be had for a much better value pick than the elite players at the position. Other owners are getting wise to Olsen as a nice starter, so his ADP is inching up, but if you decide to wait on tight end and Olsen is sitting there in the sixth round, he’s excellent value as an every-week fantasy starter.
