Week 6 at Atlanta Falcons
The O.J. Howard and Cameron Brate production with Jameis Winston back in the lineup would have been interesting to see, but Howard will miss a few weeks due to injury. Which means Brate, Winston's go-to guy the last couple of seasons, is suddenly put back into the fantasy spotlight despite a mostly poor season so far.
The matchup against the Falcons isn't too bad. Atlanta has allowed decent games to good tight ends, and didn't allow much to bad tight ends because, well, they just don't get the ball. Brate should be back in the TE1 conversation this week.
Fantasy Upside
Cameron Brate made a name for himself two years ago with his eight-touchdown season and 660 receiving yards. He followed that up with a solid 2017 campaign, finishing with 591 yards and six scores. The Bucs rewarded his great play with a six-year contract, which means they clearly have trust in him, despite the arrival of 2017 first-round pick O.J. Howard.
Fantasy Downside
If you read our fantasy profile on Howard, then we’ll basically say the same thing here about Brate. Both of these players are capable of putting up TE1 numbers, but the two of them together is a headache for fantasy owners as they’ll likely make each other TE2 options. Brate is talented, but it’s hard to have two tight ends put up consistent production in fantasy every single week.
2018 Bottom Line
Brate should have a solid season for the Bucs, especially as a red zone threat, but don’t expect a Pro Bowl campaign as he splits time with Howard. Brate is a decent late-round option or waiver pickup as a streaming option depending on the matchup. He’ll be a good touchdown-or-bust choice most weeks.
Week 17 vs. New Orleans Saints
We're not sure what happened to Cameron Brate this season, but he's really fallen off in recent weeks. Last week he had just 13 yards on 3 catches. We thought he might be more involved with O.J. Howard done for the season, but he instead put up a lousy performance.
Brate still has some upside as a red zone threat, but that's pretty much all he has at this point. He's a TD-or-bust option as a low-end TE1.
Week 16 at Carolina Panthers
Cameron Brate had his most receiving yards last week (49) since Week 8, as he saw some increased targets due to O.J. Howard being hurt. The rookie has since been placed on injured reserve, which makes Brate an interesting option moving forward.
He's struggled lately, but his early-season start combined with no Howard should make him a solid option this week in a decent matchup against the Panthers. He should be viewed as a low-end TE1.
Week 15 vs. Atlanta Falcons
Cameron Brate reverted back to being bad last week. We thought maybe Jameis Winston was the magical formula, but Brate finished with just 1 reception for 11 yards last week. He now has just 7 total catches in his last six games, making him a very hard option to trust. He's a strong red zone threat, but he has just as much of a chance of catching one pass as he does a touchdown.
In a fairly tough matchup against Atlanta, Brate is nothing more than a TE2.
Week 14 vs. Detroit Lions
Cameron Brate came alive last week due to the return of Jameis Winston. For some reason, Ryan Fitzpatrick hated Brate and barely threw to him when he was the starter. But with Winston, Brate has pretty much been a lock for a TD every week, proven in Week 13 with his two scores.
While the touchdowns were exciting, it's worth noting they were his only catches of the game. While it's nice to see him in the end zone again, it's important to temper expectations. But owners should be excited this week in a favorable matchup against the Lions. Brate is back to being a TE1.
Week 13 at Green Bay Packers
Cameron Brate's value took a nosedive with Ryan Fitzpatrick at quarterback, catching just one pass in each of his last four games. The good news is Brate gets Jameis Winston back this week in a decent matchup against the Packers.
Owners are probably upset at Brate's production as of late, but considering the trend started when Fitzpatrick took over it has to mean there's a correlation. It's hard to trust Brate this week, but don't be surprised if he's able to bounce back. He should be viewed as a TE2 with upside.
Week 12 at Atlanta Falcons
Cameron Brate's struggles with Ryan Fitzpatrick continued last week as the tight end only caught 1 pass for 12 yards on 3 targets. Brate was an easy TE1 with Jameis Winston at QB, but with Fitz behind center the last three games he has just 1 reception in each game.
Brate has fallen out of the TE1 picture now, which has to be frustrating for owners. O.J. Howard, on the other hand, was fairly involved last week, catching 3 passes for 52 yards and a touchdown.
Week 11 at Miami Dolphins
We expected Cameron Brate to have a decent game last week with Mike Evans out, but that was not the case. With new QB Ryan Fitzpatrick in charge, Brate only saw 3 targets, catching 1 pass for 10 yards. Brate now has just 2 catches in his last two games, both of which were with Fitzpatrick at QB. Is this just a temporary slump, or a sign of a new quarterback not favoring his tight end like the old one?
We should be able to know more this week as Brate gets a favorable matchup against the Dolphins. Miami has allowed the fifth-most fantasy points to the position, so if Brate has an off-game again, then we can likely tie it to Fitzpatrick.
Still, Brate is one of the few at his position to have success this season, and can still be viewed as a low-end TE1. But fantasy owners have to be concerned with his last two outings.
Week 10 vs. New York Jets
Cameron Brate had by far his worst game of the season last week, catching just 1 pass for 9 yards. He was also held without a touchdown for the third game in a row after a four-game stretch with a score.
He should bounce back this week, however, in a favorable matchup against the Jets. Not only is it a great matchup, but with Mike Evans out, the Bucs will need a big body to throw to and Brate fits that bill perfectly. He should be viewed as a low-end TE1 this week.
