Fantasy Football: Keep Saints’ Adam Trautman on your radar

Fantasy Football drafts are still months away, but it’s never a bad time to starting paying attention to rankings that pop up. While many may skip over the Saints outside of Thomas and Kamara, sleeping on second-year tight end Adam Trautman may not be a wise move.

Trautman may not be a top-tier tight end, but if he’s used as frequently as expected, he should be able to provide some fantasy value. That said, Trautman will be the No. 1 tight end in a dynamic Saints offense.

The New Orleans Saints are going to have a different starting tight end this coming season, and fantasy football managers need to know his name.

Last season, the Saints had Jared Cook. The veteran was set to be a free agent regardless of what the Saints wanted, but after his fumble in the team’s divisional game, not that that crushed their chances completed, it felt unlikely he’d return.

Cook is now out, and Trautman is now in.

Trautman played his collegiate football at Dayton and was one of the team’s two third-round picks in the 2020 NFL Draft. Both the young tight end and second-year linebacker Zack Baun are expected to make huge leaps forward in their sophomore season.

As for Trautman, he played in 37 percent of the team’s offensive snaps. While that seems like quite a bit, Trautman really didn’t get involved in the Drew Brees-led offense much. He totaled just 16 targets and 15 receptions. He ended the season with 151 yards and 1 touchdown.

With Jameis Winston leading the charge, the hope is that Trautman will explode.

The last time Winston was a starting quarterback, the team’s tight end did little. Cameron Brate ranked outside the top-15 in receptions for tight ends. However, it was a two-man show as Mike Evans and Chris Godwin racked in the bulk of the targets.

With just Michael Thomas and a pinch of Alvin Kamara, there should be some targets for the taking, and Trautman, at 6-foot-5, should make himself a solid option. With a wide frame, he should be able to shield off safeties at a high rate.

Expect a big-time season from Trautman, and that production should make him a top-ten fantasy option. He’ll often have touchdown-or-bust potential which will be aggravating, but for a long-round flyer, he’ll be worth the risk.