Some of our readers may remember this week’s dynasty sleeper when he played a different position altogether. Transitioning from one position to another, mainly tight end, is becoming a more common trend with each year that passes. 

This edition of dynasty sleeper of the week features a player who was just activated off of IR and may still be flying under the radar. Tyree Jackson wasn’t quite relevant last week but as always, changes can happen quickly in the NFL.

Tyree Jackson (TE – PHI)

SLEEPER HISTORY

Jackson began his football career playing quarterback and continued to do so at a fairly high degree through the majority of his career. In fact, in 2018 he won MAC Offensive player of the year and MVP as he led the Buffalo Bulls to a 10-4 season, a division title, and a bowl appearance. 

Jackson finished the 2018 season with 3,131 passing yards, 28 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions, but what was most alluring was his athleticism and mobility. He rushed 55 times for 161 yards and a whopping seven touchdowns. His challenges as a passer stemmed from poor decision-making and footwork along with inconsistent accuracy. He struggled with pressure and effectiveness in the red zone but clearly had a nose for the end zone. Jackson’s ability to find score as a rusher may have been prophetic of his need to transition to a skill position to find success at the next level. 

The Buffalo Bills took a shot on the developmental quarterback, signing Jackson as an undrafted free agent at the conclusion of the 2019 NFL Draft. He completed a comeback win in the preseason but was ultimately waived during final roster cuts. In 2020, he played a few games in the XFL with the DC Defenders before the season was canceled. In January of 2021, Jackson signed with the Philadelphia Eagles and shockingly transitioned to the tight end position upon arrival. There aren’t many details as to what triggered the transition but he’s certainly a threat at 6’7”, 245 pounds.

SLEEPER HERE AND NOW

The Philadelphia Eagles finally made the inevitable move many have anticipated and traded Zach Ertz. Ertz lands in Arizona but leaves a massive hole at the tight end position in his wake. The Eagles do have a solid backup in Dallas Goedert but Ertz was second on the team in target share (15.9%). He was one of Jalen Hurts‘ most trusted receivers. Goedert will likely receive the bulk of the work left behind as he was already consuming an 11.1% target share, which leads back to our dynasty sleeper of the week, Tyree Jackson. 

The Eagles appear to expect Jackson to slot in behind Goedert and, if true, he’s in line for some decent production considering what we’ve seen from the Ertz/Goedert combo thus far. 

Ertz and Goedert are currently back to back on the fantasy tight end leaderboard at TE15 and TE16 in full PPR leagues. Jackson turned heads during training camp and reports indicate he’s making a smooth transition, running crisp routes, and working with the veterans every day to improve.

DYNASTY ANALYSIS

The Eagles seem intent on getting Jackson involved as a tight end and it’s clear multiple tight ends from this team can be fantasy relevant. He was just activated off IR due to a back injury so he could still slip through the cracks in many of your dynasty leagues. With the current state of the tight end position, any potential option is a good option. 

I mean, we just witnessed Logan Thomas transition to tight end from a quarterback with extreme success at 30 years old. Jackson is just 23 years old with all kinds of potential. Tight ends can take up to at least three years to breakout, so have some patience with this one. Regardless, I’m willing to take a shot on the kid. I was able to scoop him up off waivers in many leagues. If he’s rostered, I’d love to get him as a throw-in piece in a larger deal sooner rather than later because you never know when the breakout will come considering how Philly utilizes the position. 

Thank you for reading. If you have any thoughts or questions and would like to discuss them, you can reach out to me on Twitter @WillieBeamanDFF.  You can read previous articles in this series here: Pharaoh Brown, Demetric Felton, Mekhi Sargent, Jaelon Darden, Derrick Gore