It remains to be seen if Dallas Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson’s fantasy football outlook for 2024 will be as sensational as Ferguson-based fantasy team names like “Fergalicious.” Still, he’s positioned himself as the likely No. 2 option in this pass-happy offense.
Ferguson saw north of 100 targets in 2023, but 2024 is a new year, so where does he stand?
Below, I’ll examine Ferguson’s value to the Cowboys and see whether he’s a top tight end in fantasy football this season.
Jake Ferguson’s Fantasy Profile for the 2024 NFL Season
If you cannot secure one of the top tight ends, one potential fantasy football strategy is to punt on the tight end position and aim for the upside.
Ferguson is going as the TE10 and No. 84 overall in PPR leagues. He lands in this category as a potential target later in drafts should you miss out on Sam LaPorta, Travis Kelce, and other top names.
Dak Prescott finished third in the NFL in passing yards with 4,516, sixth in yards per attempt with 7.7, and fourth in attempts with 590, according to TruMedia.
These are all positives when projecting a pass-catcher like Ferguson.
This offseason, the Cowboys let Michael Gallup leave, and the depth chart now includes CeeDee Lamb, Brandin Cooks, Ferguson, and perhaps Ezekiel Elliott as the primary pass catchers.
Lamb is easily the No. 1 option, so Ferguson will battle with Cooks for that No. 2 spot. Cooks ran 525 routes in 2023. He caught 54 passes on 81 targets for 657 yards and eight touchdowns. As for Ferguson, he ran 519 routes, saw 102 targets, caught 71 passes, and had 761 yards and five touchdowns, according to TruMedia.
While the touchdowns favor Cooks, 22.5% of Ferguson’s targets came in the red zone. He caught 12 passes for 94 yards and five touchdowns while Cooks caught seven passes for 48 yards and six touchdowns.
Cooks is only getting older, though. He’s 30 and Ferguson is 25. This could play a factor.
Is Ferguson a Good Fantasy Pick?
The short answer is “Yes.” Ferguson finished as the TE9 last year, so his ADP is on par with his finish last season.
Right now, he’s going behind David Njoku, and I’d take Ferguson over him. Other than that, there are other players like George Kittle (TE6) who will likely finish better than Ferguson, but I’d probably prefer Ferguson as I can get him a bit later in drafts for a minimal difference in points.
Cooks and Ferguson are used in many of the same ways, but 425 of Ferguson’s yards came after the catch — Ferguson averaged 10.7 yards per catch compared to Cooks’ 12.2.
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I’d side with Ferguson’s youth here. Cooks not only finished under 700 yards in 2023 but also in 2022. Before that, he had 1,000 yards or more in all but two seasons.
Thankfully, this offense will do more than enough to support Lamb, Cooks, and Ferguson, making Ferguson an excellent value at tight end.
I’d easily take him at No. 84 overall, the final pick of the seventh round. In doing so, you can load up on wide receivers and running backs in the first six rounds or potentially add a quarterback like Brock Purdy in the sixth round.