O.J. Howard
  • O.J. Howard

  • TE
  • ,
  • 30
  • 251 lbs
  • 6' 6"
PtsRecYdsRecTDRecRuYds
00000
Full Season Projection
  • Full Season Projection
  • Dfs Projection
  • $
  • -
  • -
  • $
  • -
  • -
  • $
  • -
  • -
  • Left-scroll
  • middle-scroll
  • Right-scroll

Scouting report

by Jordan Heck

TB TE O.J. Howard - Week 10 Fantasy Football Outlook

Week 10 @ Washington Football Team

Rob Gronkowski returned for a bit in Week 8 before exiting after only playing six snaps. O.J. Howard didn't do a whole lot in Gronk's place, finishing 2-16 on three targets. Howard was also out-snapped by Cameron Brate, who saw four targets of his own. When Gronk is active, he sees pretty much every target. But with Gronk out, the Bucs split duties between Howard and Brate making both options unappealing. Howard isn't much more than a desperation play at TE in Week 10.

by Jordan Heck

TB TE O.J. Howard - Week 7 Fantasy Football Outlook

Week 7 vs. Chicago Bears

O.J. Howard emerged from the shadows last week to turn in a 6-49-1 performance on seven targets. We thought Howard would get more usage in Rob Gronkowski's absence, but last week was the first time we really saw it. There were some signs of this coming, as Howard's playing time dramatically increased after Gronk's injury, but it's nice to see the production follow as well. He's still pretty risky considering he's had just one good game, and he faces a Bears defense this week that's allowed the sixth-fewest receiving yards to tight ends this season. But with bye weeks and tight end being a shallow position, Howard could be a decent streaming option in Week 7.

by Jordan Heck

TB TE O.J. Howard - 2021 Fantasy Football Outlook

Fantasy Upside
O.J. Howard is back and healthy this year, and ready to return to action. Howard looked strong in his four games with Tom Brady last season, averaging 4.8 targets, 2.8 receptions, 36.5 yards and 0.5 touchdowns. If you extrapolated those numbers over the full season, Howard would have finished as the No. 8 scoring tight end in full PPR.

Fantasy Downside
The obvious downside to Howard is the fact he plays in a crowded offense. Targets would be hard to come by with the wide receivers alone (Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Antonio Brown), but it makes it even tougher when he’s battling with Rob Gronkowski and even Cameron Brate at tight end.

2021 Bottom Line
If Gronkowski gets hurt at any point this year, Howard will end up being a strong play. But the two of them in this offense together will make it challenging for either to have a big season. It’d be nice if you could have a single tight end named like O.J. Gronkowski or something, but unfortunately, that’s not an option. Howard is outside of the top 20 tight ends.

by Jordan Heck

TB TE O.J. Howard - Week 4 Fantasy Football Outlook

Week 4 vs. Los Angeles Chargers

O.J. Howard finished 3-49 on four targets in Week 3 as he's now 8-96 through three games. The Bucs may rely on Howard more this week with Chris Godwin and Scott Miller expected to be sidelined. However, he's still a tough option to trust, especially with Rob Gronkowski also in the lineup. He's a risky TE2 play in Week 4 vs. the Chargers.

by Jordan Heck

TB TE O.J. Howard - Week 3 Fantasy Football Outlook

Week 3 at Denver Broncos

O.J. Howard had a quiet Week 2, finishing with a lone reception for 11 yards (saw three targets). This is now his sixth game in the past two seasons where he's had one catch or less. Howard should be viewed as a touchdown-dependent TE2 moving forward.

by Jordan Heck

TB TE O.J. Howard - Week 2 Fantasy Football Outlook

Week 2 vs. Carolina Panthers

O.J. Howard had a solid Week 1, finishing 4-36-1 off six targets. He played fewer snaps (53%) than Rob Gronkowski (77%), but was more involved in the passing game. We'll see if this trend continues for the rest of the season, or if it was just a Week 1 fluke. Howard should be viewed as a TE2 moving forward.

by Jordan Heck

TB TE O.J. Howard - Week 1 Fantasy Football Outlook

Week 1 at New Orleans Saints

The Bucs spent a first-round pick on O.J. Howard in 2017 and he's shown some promise since then. But 2019 was a disappointing year for Howard as he finished with just one touchdown and a career-low 8.7 yards per target. With Rob Gronkowski in the picture now, it's hard to see Howard finding a role that will make him a consistently productive player for fantasy. It's best to leave Howard on the bench in Week 1.

O.J. Howard news