Week 11 at Oakland
Tyler Eifert had only two catches in rookie QB Ryan Finley's debut but one was a touchdown reception, his second of the year. Many thought a healthy Eifert would mean a good fantasy tight end but that just hasn't happened.
Even with a great matchup against Oakland who is 30th in aFPA to tight ends, the Bengals offense will continue to struggle which devalues all the skill players including Eifert. Keep him on the bench as a low-end TE2.
Week 6 at Baltimore
Although Tyler Eifert is the tight end for Cincinnati that gets all the fantasy attention, he was only on the field for 27% of the snaps last week. He still had four targets which has been the norm, but isn't producing much offense.
Eifert will face the Ravens who are 23rd in aFPA to tight ends. The lack of time on the field has made it tough for Eifert to put up numbers. He ranks a TE2 for Week 6 so keep him on your bench.
Week 5 vs Arizona
The last three weeks have been disappointing for a healthy Tyler Eifert. He really is splitting time with C.J. Uzomah and in that stretch only has 11 targets and six catches. With injuries to the wide receiver corp, you hope that QB Andy Dalton will look more his way this Sunday.
It's a great matchup for Eifert who will face the Cardinals. Arizona is ranked dead last in aFPA to tight ends in the NFL. Hopefully, this will get Eifert more involved in the offense, but it still only makes him a TE2 for Week 5.
Week 4 at Pittsburgh
Tyler Eifert had only one catch last week so he still hadn't been involved with the offense as much as the Bengals would like nor fantasy owners thought a healthy Eifert would be involved. He also is splitting playing time with C.J. Uzomah and has only played on 41% of the snaps.
Pittsburgh is up this Monday and the Steelers are 23rd in aFPA to tight ends. He ranks a TE2 for Week 4 so unless you have a league that starts two tight ends, he should be on the bench.
Week 3 at Buffalo
Tyler Eifert has been targeted 11 times so far in 2019 and that is third-highest on the Bengals roster. His results have been limited to eight catches for 36 yards, but he did score a touchdown last Sunday which is a good sign because Eifert has shown when he is healthy to be proficient in the red zone.
Buffalo is up next and they ranked seventh in aFPA to tight ends last year. Eifert's overall numbers have not been good enough to earn a starting spot in your fantasy lineup. You don't want to be counting on red zone touchdowns to justify playing him. Eifert rates a TE2 for Week 3.
Week 2 vs San Francisco
The Bengals are being cautious with Tyler Eifert as he played only 49% of the plays while backup C.J. Uzomah played 70% of the plays. Cincinnati will use him in situations where he can help the passing game so this could limit his production. He still caught five passes for 27 yards.
Eifert will face the Niners who are eighth in aFPA to tight ends. He is basically depth at this point as he ranks a TE2 for Week 2. If the Bengals limit his playing time, he will probably be a TE2 most of the season.
Week 1 at Seattle
In six seasons, Tyler Eifert has missed 54 games including 12 games in 2018, so his health is the biggest issue. He had an outstanding 2015 season which proved he could be an effective fantasy tight end, especially in the red zone. How long he stays on the field will determine his value week to week.
Eifert will start the season in Seattle against a defense that was 12th in aFPA to tight ends. The Seahawks defense is expected to improve so a road game in a hostile environment does not bode well for any Bengals skill players.
Eifert rates as a solid TE2 for Week 1. His biggest asset will be in the red zone where he could steal you some points with a touchdown.
Fantasy Upside
When healthy, Tyler Eifert has shown he can be a major weapon on the Bengals offense. In 2015, he had 52 receptions for 615 yards and 13 touchdowns. That’s a very good fantasy tight end. No doubt he is going to be a major part of the Cincy offense.
Fantasy Downside
Eifert has played in 14 games over the past three seasons and only four in 2018. Injuries have derailed a promising career and have been a frustrating element for Eifert and the Bengals.
2019 Bottom Line
Eifert is healthy going into the 2019 season, but that’s not saying much considering his history. If he remains healthy, he is a low-end TE2 with a chance to be even better as he stays on the field. Eifert is being drafted 200th right now which is the appropriate spot for him to be selected. Plenty of risk taking him any higher.
Week 4 at Atlanta Falcons
Tyler Eifert is playing and that's an improvement already. He has been on the field at least 64 percent of the offensive snaps the last two games. Last week, he caught six passes for 74 yards. He hasn't caught that many balls since Week 8 in 2016. Eifert also had a season-high eight targets against Carolina.
Eifert will face Atlanta, who is ranked seventh in aFPA to tight ends. Even with the tough matchup, he seems to be playing like the old, healthy Tyler Eifert. Start him in Week 4 as a low-end TE1 against the Falcons.
Week 3 at Carolina Panthers
The Bengals were very conservative in Week 1 with Tyler Eifert, who has been injury prone during his NFL career. But in Week 2, Eifert was on the field for 64 percent of the snaps, up from 40 percent the previous week. The targets are still low (seven) and his overall numbers are average—five receptions for 67 yards. However, the fact he is getting more playing time is a positive sign.
Eifert will face the Panthers this week, who are ranked eighth in aFPA to tight ends. Even though we expect some better games ahead, Week 3 sees Eifert rate as a solid TE2, so he should remain on your bench. This will likely be his weekly rating until we start to see better results, especially in the red zone.
