Zach

Sudfeld

Sudfeld (6-foot-7, 255) only had one impact season in college, while two seasons were marred by injury. The behemoth tight end spent six seasons in total at Nevada. Sudfeld missed the 2008 campaign due to shoulder surgeries, a broken wrist, and knee surgery, and he then missed all of 2011 with a broken leg. Coach Bill Belichick loves him some tight ends, so we can’t write Sudfeld off.

Reporter Field Yates calls Sudfeld a “smooth pass catcher” who will likely “compete for reps through training camp.” A 6-foot-7, 255-pound monster out of Nevada, Sudfeld had just two career catches before posting a 45/598/8 line as a senior. The health of Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez will play a huge part in Sudfeld’s roster chances.

Sudfeld was behind Michael Hoomanawanui on the depth chart, while his lone target resulted in a Tom Brady interception after Sudfeld couldn’t make a play on a catchable ball. Few offenses change up the game plan more week to week than the Patriots, but it’s safe to consider Sudfeld’s sleeper bubble burst. He still deserves another week or two on fantasy rosters, but it’s clear he’s not a viable starter for the time being. He’ll be bumped down significantly in next week’s tight end ranks.

Per ProFootballFocus, Sudfeld ran just nine routes on those 19 snaps. He also only played four snaps in the second half after he was involved in an interception. With Rob Gronkowski (back) possibly back by Week 3, Sudfeld’s fantasy appeal is on thin ice. It doesn’t look like the Patriots have any intention of using him in an Aaron Hernandez role after Gronk gets healthy.

Sudfeld put in a week of limited practices, just like most Patriots on the injury report. After posting a goose egg in the opener, Sudfeld is not a viable starting option this week at less than 100 percent.

WR Aaron Dobson is active. As is RB/KR Leon Washington, who could see some third-down snaps Thursday evening. Michael Hoomanawanui is getting the start at tight end, but shouldn’t draw more than 3-4 targets. As NFL.com’s Chris Wesseling pointed out on Twitter, Hoomanawanui has never cleared 50 yards in a game. Bolden’s absence means LeGarrette Blount could get some pretty decent run behind Stevan Ridley. Slot WR Julian Edelman is a strong bet to lead the Pats in targets this evening.

It’s yet another loss for the undermanned Patriots, though Sudfeld failed to make an impact both before and after his injury in Sunday’s win. It leaves the Pats with just Michael Hoomanawanui and Matthew Mulligan at tight end. Hoomanawanui might draw 3-4 targets in the passing game, but is well off the fantasy radar.

After missing Week 2, Sudfeld will likely give it a go this week against the Bucs. Despite all of the preseason hype, Sudfeld is not a start-able fantasy tight end at this point. We have him as our No. 32 tight end for Week 3.

Sudfeld quickly fell out of fantasy favor when it became clear in Week 1 he wouldn’t play a significant offensive role. He did, however, flash big-time pass-catching tools during the preseason and has impressive measurables. The 24-year-old is very much worth a flier for a Jets team with no long-term solution at tight end. Kellen Winslow and Jeff Cumberland aren’t answers.

The Pats didn’t actually take the field ahead of their Thursday night game against the Jets, but were required to issue an injury report. Sudfeld played through the injury on the final drive of Sunday’s win, so there’s a decent chance he’ll be ready to go. Either way, he flopped in his bid to transfer hype into actual fantasy value against the Bills. He’s not a viable starter.