Week 3 at Cleveland Browns
Gerald Everett has not started the 2019 season with the kind of target volume fantasy managers were hoping he would receive, but he's definitely a player to keep an eye on. With Tyler Higbee slated to miss some time with a lung injury, Everett is virtually the only game in town at tight end, and he did receive the second-most targets on the Rams in Week 2 with five. The Browns have allowed two touchdowns to tight ends, so in deep leagues or DFS GPP tournaments, he could be worth a speculative play.
Week 2 vs. New Orleans Saints
Gerald Everett lined up for only 39% of the Rams' offensive snaps in Week 1 against the Panthers, which equated to 30 total snaps. He was only targeted once, and it was outside of the red zone, while teammate Tyler Higbee saw two red-zone snaps and converted one of them into a touchdown. There were offseason rumors of the Rams utilizing Everett more heavily, but if Week 1 is any indication, he's not seeing a snap volume that will make him fantasy-relevant. After seeing a 41% snap share for the Rams in 2018 that led to a TE23 finish, it's hard to bet on a 2019 breakout without a significant uptick in usage. Everett should remain on your bench for Week 2.
Week 1 at Carolina Panthers
The Los Angeles Rams spent more time in 11 personnel than any other team in 2018, which equates to only one tight end in the offensive grouping. Gerald Everett averaged just 3.2 targets per game last season, which isn't ideal volume for useful fantasy production, but he was targeted on 13.4% of his snaps, the 12th-highest among all tight ends.
Everett faces a Panthers defense in Week 1 that was close to the league average with 868 yards allowed to tight ends in 2018, but they did allow 8 touchdowns to the position, tied for fifth-most. If Everett's late-season increase in snap share continues into 2019, he could prove very useful in DFS contests.
Fantasy Upside
It took some time before Gerald Everett was relied upon as a legitimate receiving option for the Rams in 2018, but he was targeted at least six times in Weeks 14 - 16. For the season, Everett saw less than half the snap percentage of teammate Tyler Higbee, yet nearly tripled Higbee's target rate at 13.4% to Higbee's 4.2%. Everett also received 11 red zone targets, just one fewer than both Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods.
Fantasy Downside
Everett faces an uphill battle for target volume, behind three strong wide receiver target options for Jared Goff, and potentially behind two running back receiving options in Todd Gurley and Darrell Henderson. Everett set career highs with his 320 receiving yards and three touchdowns in 2018, which made him the fantasy TE23.
2019 Bottom Line
If you're punting tight end through the early-to-middle rounds of your draft, Everett is a strong last-round target at the position. Tight end is a notoriously slow-developing position, and while Everett's TE29 ADP matches his 4for4 projection entering his third season, he plays in one of the highest-scoring offenses in the league, and even a slight increase in his target volume could pay dividends at his price.
Week 19 vs. Dallas Cowboys
Gerald Everett failed to catch his lone target in the Rams’ Week 17 win over the 49ers. Tyler Higbee did record 36 receiving yards in the win but it came on one target. The Rams simply don’t get their tight ends involved enough, so if you’re playing DFS this weekend you might want to pay up for Travis Kelce, Eric Ebron or Zach Ertz. Everett does rank as our TE5 for the Divisional Round, but the projected fantasy points for tight ends fall off a cliff once you get past Rob Gronkowski, who is ranked fourth on our list. Avoid the Rams’ tight ends.
Week 17 vs. San Francisco 49ers
Gerald Everett caught five passes for 28 yards on six targets in the Rams’ Week 16 win over the Cardinals. While he wasn’t targeted downfield, Everett served as an outlet for quarterback Jared Goff. He has yet to produce more than 50 yards receiving in a game this year and hasn’t scored a touchdown since Week 11. If you’re looking for a tight end streamer or a DFS play this weekend, Everett isn’t your guy. He ranks as our TE17 for the Rams’ Week 17 matchup with the Cardinals.
Week 16 at Arizona Cardinals
Gerald Everett caught five-of-seven targets for 46 yards in the Rams’ Week 15 loss to the Eagles. It was the second time in two games that Everett saw seven targets but it was also the second time in as many games where he failed to reach 50 yards receiving. The tight end made a costly mistake as well, failing to get out of bounds to preserve clock with the Rams in catch-up mode on their final offensive possession. Ranked as our TE23, avoid Everett on Sunday when the Rams visit the Cardinals.
Week 15 vs. Philadelphia Eagles
Gerald Everett caught four passes on seven targets for 29 yards in the Rams’ Week 14 loss to the Bears. The seven targets were a season-high for Everett but on a night when quarterback Jared Goff threw for just 180 yards, no L.A. pass-catcher did much with their opportunities. Ranked as our TE20 for Week 15, we would avoid Everett Sunday when the Rams host the Eagles. The matchup is good but Everett is nothing more than a dart throw.
Week 13 at Detroit Lions
Gerald Everett caught three-of-four targets for 49 yards and two touchdowns in the Rams’ Week 11 win over the Chiefs. The tight end now has three touchdowns and a two-point conversion over his last three games and is an intriguing streaming option with Cooper Kupp on the shelve. His four targets were fifth on the team but this L.A. offense is one of the most explosive units in the league and he’s capable of scoring in any given week. Ranked as our TE20 for Week 13, if you’re tired of the Austin Hooper’s or the C.J. Uzomah’s, Everett offers some upside in a plus matchup this Sunday against the Lions (23rd against fantasy tight ends in 2018).
Week 11 vs. Kansas City Chiefs
Gerald Everett caught both of his targets for 15 yards and a touchdown in the Rams’ Week 10 win over the Seahawks. The touchdown was his first of the season and he was actually out-produced by Tyler Higbee. Ranked as our TE21 for Week 11, Everett is nothing more of a dart throw for Monday night’s game against the Chiefs. There are better options.
