Greg Olsen, TE, Carolina Panthers
#Panthers 2nd-yr TE Ian Thomas is screaming Dynasty buy with underrated 2019 potential in TE premium leagues:
* No. 6 among NFL TEs in yards last Weeks 13-17
* 91st-percentile SPARQ athlete
* Greg Olsen likely in last season; 3 foot fractures + torn plantar fascia last 2 yrs
— Evan Silva (@evansilva)
The Case
Greg Olsen has developed a great relationship with quarterback Cam Newton, becoming his favorite target since being acquired via trade before the 2011 season. Olsen is the first tight end in league history to record three consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons from 2014-2016.
Unfortunately, over the last two seasons, Olsen has been hampered with injuries and has even considered retirement and moving to the broadcasting booth. He has played in only 17 of the 33 games in the last two seasons with diminishing skills to add icing to the negative fantasy cake.
The 34-year-old tight end returns after a healthy offseason but will he will able to avoid another season-ending injury? The Carolina Panthers will be very careful in managing his workload this season, especially with the emerging weapons on the Panthers offense. One of those weapons is 2018 fourth-round pick tight end Ian Thomas. When Olsen went down with an injury in December, the Panthers were forced to rely on Thomas, and he provided a sneak peek of the future at the tight end position.
Thomas took advantage of his opportunity, starting six games grabbing 36 receptions, 333 yards, and two touchdowns. The sophomore tight end made some big plays in December. Thomas looks to be the heir apparent to Olsen once he finally decides to go to one of the NFL broadcasts.
Thomas averaged 9.3 yards per reception, and in the final two regular-season games, he recorded a touchdown in each of those contests.
The Carolina Panthers also finally decided to invest significantly in more weapons for Cam Newton. The team has a history of struggling to find a No. 1 wide receiver. Greg Olsen was their primary and only threat resulting in those monumental seasons.
However, the Panthers now have intriguing offensive weapons, which starts with elite dual-threat workhorse Christian McCaffrey. McCaffrey was a fantasy football stud last season and was one of only three players with 50-plus targets and zero drops. Easy Ed should be proud! With young receivers D.J. Moore, Curtis Samuel, and the addition of former New England Patriot Chris Hogan, there is a lot of expectations for this Carolina offense.
The Verdict
Greg Olsen is no longer needed to carry the Panthers offense. I project Olsen to finish fourth at best in both targets and receptions on the team. Olsen was a fantasy monster in the 2014-2016 seasons. However, this is a different squad, and he doesn’t belong on your 2019 fantasy football rosters.
The Panthers should limit his snaps to keep him healthy, but in turn that curtails his fantasy football value. With Ian Thomas surfacing as the tight end of the future, Olsen will be drafted on name alone and should not be expected to be fully healthy throughout the 2019 season.
Greg Olsen is the No. 15 tight end in current ADP, which is not expensive draft capital. However, I would instead take my fantasy chances on Jordan Reed staying healthy. Mark Andrews outplaying his ADP would even be better than taking a late-round flier on Olsen.
