Eric

Ebron

The Giants are disastrously thin at tight end. Ricky Seals-Jones and rookie Daniel Bellinger were set to battle for the starting role in camp, but Bellinger was placed on the PUP list with a quad injury. Ebron could unseat Seals-Jones as the starter if he signs with New York. Playing for the Steelers, Ebron struggled through injuries and appeared in just eight games last year. He isn’t likely to be a viable fantasy option, even if he earns the starting job.

Ebron underwent season-ending knee surgery after going on I.R. following Week 11. The 29-year-old (in April) will be looking for a new team with the Steelers set at the position with Pat Freiermuth.

It’s possible Ebron’s season is through after he injured his knee last Sunday evening. Ebron’s loss locks Pat Freiermuth into every-week top-10 status, and arguably higher. In the final (non-voidable) year of his deal, 28-year-old Ebron has caught only 12 passes in eight games, scoring once. The light has gone out in Dynasty leagues.

Ebron is reportedly “bracing” to undergo season-ending knee surgery and is currently gathering a second opinion. Pat Freiermuth was splitting reps with Ebron, running a route on 54% of the team’s dropbacks in three games alongside the latter since Week 6, but experienced increased usage — route on 70.8% of dropbacks, 20.2% target share — in two games without Ebron in that time. Expect Ebron to officially be placed on injured reserve in the coming days.

Ebron scored a red-zone touchdown in the fourth quarter, but he suffered a knee injury on the play and did not return afterward. The extent of the injury is unknown at this point, and his Week 12 status will need to be monitored. If he can’t go, second-round rookie tight end Pat Freiermuth would be a clear-cut TE1.

The full session puts Ebron on track to play for the first time since Week 6. Pat Freiermuth has emerged during that span, and Ebron was already playing limited snaps before the injury break. Ebron’s return raises some concerns for Freiermuth’s TE1 viability, but Ebron is not a fantasy option himself.

After missing the last two games, Ebron is now on track to return this week against the lowly Lions. Ebron’s return could be a drag on Pat Freiermuth, but hopefully the Steelers will notice Freiermuth deserves to keep the TE1 job.

Ebron is again out with his hamstring issue. It’ll be Pat Freiermuth and Zach Gentry handling tight end duties.

This will be another chance for Pat Freiermuth to establish himself as a big weapon in the receiving game. Ebron has now missed back-to-back contests since the bye week with this hamstring injury and is droppable if you’d been holding on to him in deeper leagues.

Ebron returned to practice Friday and not practicing on Thursday. The Steelers play Monday so his status for Week 9 is still unknown. If Ebron returns it will take some of the air out of the Pat Freiermuth balloon. Both tight ends would likely play limited snaps in a split role, with neither being fantasy relevant.