WNBA Best Bets (Wednesday 9/25)
Josh Gross
Staring down the pass-catching depth chart for Tennessee after A.J. Brown is a scary proposition. After Brown lies a laundry list of no-names and cast-offs with Josh Reynolds, Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, Chester Rogers, Dez Fitzpatrick and Cameron Baston, to name a few. This is precisely why I’m bringing Anthony Firkser to your attention. Firkser now sits atop the tight end pecking order with New England ponying up the big market money for Jonnu Smith. Firkser might have the look of an ugly duckling in your drafts, but he could be regularly swan diving for six points this year.
Anthony Firkser Late Round Tight End Stud or Dud?
Make no mistake, when Firkser is on the field, his primary (and only) role is as a receiver. Last year among all tight ends with 15 or more targets, Firkser led all tight ends with 71.3% of his snaps played from the slot. While his slot usage increased last year, he’s never been the inline type. During his three-year career, 82.4% of his snaps have come via the slot or as an outside receiver. Returning depth chart mate tight end Geoff Swaim is a perfect compliment to Firkser. Last year, Swaim played inline 76.1% of his snaps.
As a pass-catcher, Firkser has been efficient and hyper-targeted when on the field. In 2020, he was second among all tight ends in targets per snap (18.3%). Last season among all tight ends with 15 or more targets, he ranked ninth in yards per route run (1.67), immediately behind Mark Andrews. Over that 52 target sample, he also displayed a dependable set of soft hands with zero drops.
Anthony Firkser 2021 Fantasy Football Outlook
Firkser is primed for late-round tight-end stud status. The Titans heavily utilized their tight ends last year and considering the surrounding weapons, that should repeat in 2021. In 2020, Jonnu Smith accounted for 25% of the red-zone targets and a 15% target share. The last time we saw new offensive coordinator Todd Downing call plays, Jared Cook saw similar usage. In 2017, Cook commanded a 15.4% target share and played in the slot or outside on 75.3% of his snaps. That year, Cook also had to contend with Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree.
Firkser doesn’t have that type of target competition with only Brown standing in his way. Even on a team that will probably be in the bottom five in neutral script passing rate, Firkser could push for 80-90 targets. Don’t let Firkser slip through your fingers (TE16, 140.2 overall) at the end of drafts.
