Gunnar

Helm

Helm finishes a successful rookie season with a 44/357/2 slash line, and looked to be making a climb up Tennessee’s target pecking order before injuries largely derailed his final month. It’s hard to rely on anything in Tennessee’s offense until we see exactly what happens with the coaching staff, but there are offseason runouts that will put Helm as a high-end TE2 with Chig Oknokwo slated for free agency.

Helm is now on the wrong side of questionable, which benefits TE Chig Okonkwo, who has scored a touchdown in consecutive weeks. Okonkwo is scheduled to enter free agency at the end of the season and has a chance to earn a decent payday with another strong showing.

Helm is good to go, which is nice for QB Cam Ward. The promising rookie tight end has made good on his fourth-round draft capital, though the Titans’ distributive offense makes him too dicey a start for Week 17. Helm is up to 52 targets on the year, while averaging 1.58 yards per route run.

The Titans have been distributing the ball across the skill position corps in recent weeks, and we see no reason for that to change in Week 17 against the Saints. Helm is a touchdown-dependent fantasy-starter in re-draft formats. His rookie season showings have been encouraging overall.

Helm’s missed connection was a fourth down grab where he couldn’t quite get both feet in bounds. It wasn’t the best awareness from the rookie tight end, but a rare notable mistake for a player who has been looking lively down the stretch, even if it’s not always reflected in the box score. Despite that intrigue, Helm will not be a top-24 option for the fantasy finals against the Saints. The Titans don’t generate enough pass attempts, and spread the ball around too much on the targets they do disperse.

As is Van Jefferson (back). It means this undermanned Titans skill corps is at least at full strength as it tries to steal a victory vs. the dazed and confused Chiefs. Inactive for the Titans are OL Brandon Crenshaw-Dickson, OL Garrett Dellinger, OL Drew Moss, DL Cam Horsley, LB Cedric Gray and S Erick Hallett.

Both entered the weekend listed as questionable but it appears as if rookie quarterback Cam Ward will have his normal supporting cast available for a marquee matchup with the Chiefs on Sunday. Neither player is overly enticing in a fantasy setting.

He practiced in full on Friday and should be considered on the optimistic side of questionable. Helm should be a solid TE2 in Week 16 against a Chiefs defense with little to play for after Week 15’s 4/49/1 receiving line.

Helm has put together back-to-back limited practices and seems likely to go on Sunday against the Chiefs. He’ll be smack dab in the middle of the TE2 ranks for that matchup.

Helm led the Titans in all receiving categories last week on the back of a 4/49/1 line through the air. A limited practice shouldn’t be an issue for him this early in the week. Assuming he is removed from the injury report by Friday, Helm will have some TE2 appeal for Week 16.