Fantasy Friday: Titans’ Jonnu Smith may be a risk worth taking

Jonnu Smith has become an interesting option to fantasy football owners. He is a risky option, but it may be a risk worth taking.

If you’re anything like me, you are already looking ahead towards Fantasy Football season. You’ve probably already started developing your draft plan too.

Fantasy Football is one of the more popular ways fans compete against their friends. It is a platform in which you can virtually draft players onto your fantasy team, and gain or lose points based on your players’ weekly performance.

If you get lucky, your players do well every week on your way to a Fantasy Football championship! But, if you are like the majority, your team epically flops, and you’re left wondering what went wrong.

Well, I am here to help you choose who you should draft. I am not a fantasy football expert, but I am very educated when it comes to the Tennessee Titans. So, every Friday, I will be giving you insight on a Titans player’s situation and let you know whether you should draft them or avoid them.

This week, we are starting with tight end Jonnu Smith. Smith was drafted by the Tennessee Titans in 2017 and spent a few seasons learning under well-respected tight end Delanie Walker.

Smith, in my opinion, is an intriguing fantasy football option this season. He has a few compelling reasons why you should consider him for your fantasy team.

Good news for Smith, he is now finally the primary tight end. For the last few seasons, the Titans were notorious for targeting their tight ends. Delanie Walker spent several seasons as the Titans’ top target, and when Smith came along, the Titans did not hesitate to get him into the mix.

The difference between the Delanie Walker-led Titans and the current Titans is the variety now at receiver with A.J. Brown, Corey Davis, Adam Humphries, and Kalif Raymond. Despite that, Jonnu Smith still has a fair chance to explode onto the scene, because he has the speed and the athleticism that mirrors his predecessor Delanie Walker.

Last season, when Delanie Walker went down, Smith was called upon. Having no more than six receptions in a game might be a little alarming, and he finished the season with 435 yards and three touchdowns on 35 receptions, but the upside is tremendous.

There are certain reasons to avoid him as well. Out of his 35 receptions, only five of them have come in the red zone. If that persists, a lot of Smith’s touchdowns would need to come from big, unexpected plays.

That is not very reliable, especially for a tight end. You want a tight end that gets attention in the red zone, and you shouldn’t have to rely on big plays from a tight end not named George Kittle.

There is a chance the Titans could rely on him more next season, given he will be the primary tight end. But, with a weapon like Derrick Henry, I wouldn’t be surprised if Jonnu Smith is substituted in the red zone for a tight end who can block for Henry.

It is worth mentioning that the Titans used Jonnu Smith a few times on end-arounds and as running back. It will be interesting to see if that continues because, given Smith’s speed, he can make some plays in those formations.

It is safe to bet that Smith will be given the opportunity, but Smith will be a bit of a risk pick. Because of that, I would draft him in the later rounds to your Fantasy Football team, but make sure to secure you a more trustworthy tight end beforehand.

DRAFT: YES

RISK: FAIR