2022 Dynasty Target: Brevin Jordan

Today, we continue our series on players to target in your dynasty leagues this season. Let’s keep the train moving as we break down our next dynasty target, Brevin Jordan!

Picture it: I’m on a Clubhouse chat (remember Clubhouse?) hosted by Bob Gilchrist, focused on 2021 dynasty fantasy football rookies. At one point in the discussion, the phrase “the REAL TE2, Brevin Jordan” comes from my mouth. Of course, there was disagreement, but it was not to the level where people thought I was just so way off and my idea was inconceivable. I was on team “Athleticism at TE can be a real separator.” Of course, as we know, Pat Freiermuth, a member of team “Blocking can matter more and keep a TE on the field,” was drafted in the second round by the Steelers and had a very good 2021 season. Jordan, on the other hand, was projected for the third or fourth round but taken in the early fifth as TE8 by the Texans, who had six other TEs on their roster at the time. The relevance of Clubhouse for the dynasty fantasy football community has since faded, but my love for Jordan, and my optimism about his development, never did. Today, I will tell you why both remain and why you should get on board the Brevin Jordan Hype Train (I am the conductor) before it leaves its current station.

Background

Jordan was only 20 at the time of the draft and was a three-year starter at Miami, accruing 105 receptions for 1,358 yards and 13 touchdowns in 30 games as a ‘Cane. He had a breakout age of 18.1, a dominator rating of 27.9, and very good percentiles for his 40 time, speed score, and burst score (Player Profiler). He was billed as super athletic (even described as “cat quick“), but with a few tweaks needed on his route running, too much body catching, and of course subpar blocking.

He joined a team with a bad offense, including almost zero running game and Tyrod Taylor at QB, so his introduction to the NFL was going to be a tough one – plus Jordan Akins was still on the team as the TE1. In a move that disappointed fans, but that Jordan said was ultimately good for him, the Texans kept the rookie TE inactive for the first seven games of the season.

It’s the rookie, Brevin Jordan ????#WeAreTexans

pic.twitter.com/I2t15hPfUp
— TWSN (@TWSN___) November 28, 2021

Upon returning to the lineup, Jordan had 9 receptions for 80 yards and two touchdowns in his first four games. By that time Davis Mills, for whom I have shown my love in a variety of ways, was entrenched as the starter. The two showed the beginnings of chemistry, and Jordan finished the season with 20 receptions, 178 yards, and 3 touchdowns. Those are not great numbers, but Jordan showed good flashes and was getting red-zone targets.

Current Situation

Jordan is now the TE1 on the Texans and will have a chance to grow alongside fellow 2021 rookies Mills and Nico Collins (spoiler: both will be in later Dynasty Target articles). The Texans re-signed WR Brandin Cooks and tackle Laremy Tunsil, showing they are content with Mills as their starter, or at least have seen enough to make them willing to give him a longer audition rather than reboot. They made several acquisitions on both sides of the ball to improve the team.

In the 2022 draft, that trend continued. Most notable from a fantasy perspective, the Texans drafted wide receiver John Metchie in the second round (44th overall), and sorely needed potential lead running back Dameon Pierce in the fourth. Both should help the offense overall, which helps Jordan. Metchie could be some competition for targets, but he is still a rookie and recovering from a torn ACL. That will give Jordan more time to continue developing chemistry with Mills and get more comfortable with a new offense.

The haul Houston got from trading Deshaun Watson includes, but is not limited to, the Browns’ first-round pick in the 2022, 2023, and 2024 drafts. Houston seems poised to improve in the next few years, so Jordan’s current situation looks pretty darn good. I expect continued growth this year and beyond.

Outlook

If you have listened to either dynasty podcast of mine (one, Dynasty 365 w/co-host Tyler Heil, lives right here on the Fantasy In Frames network), read my tight end riser article, watched the FIF Sunday pre-game stream this past season, or been next to me at a urinal, you know my love for Jordan may know no bounds. I understand I am on the far optimistic side of the spectrum on him, but I am not off-base. Even Jeff Bell – who knows a thing or two about a thing or two – has identified Jordan as a shallow sleeper (by the way, he also tags Nico Collins in the article as a dynasty sleeper, so we are on the same page on this stuff). Yes, my ranking of him at dynasty TE12 is a bit aggressive, but given his age and upside, and the general volatility (grossness?) of the TE position for dynasty fantasy football beyond the top guys, I do not think it is wild or ridiculous.

If you are in a dynasty startup, Jordan could be a riser, but chances are your league mates are not as in love with him as I am. His May 2022 DLF positional ADP is TE28, which I find ridiculous, and his May 2022 DLF overall ADP has him as a mid-19th round pick. I of course have a higher value on him – if you can grab him there, I think you have almost as much of a draft-day steal as the Texans got. Even if you are not as high on Jordan as I am, the startup price is still a good bargain, so no need to reach it would seem.

On the trade market, I had been getting Jordan thrown into trades or buying him for maybe a third-round pick, but it has become more difficult to do that, as some people are getting hip to the arrow up on him. Still, you will not have to move much for him. For what it’s worth, in a standard 12 team, Superflex, PPR, TE premium format, Dynasty Trade Calculator had him pretty much exactly equal to the 2022 2.11 (and I’d take Jordan over just about anybody I saw picked there this rookie draft season) and just a hair below Laviska Shenault. As a seller, I would want more for Jordan, even with trying to calibrate for my bias. Some Jordan managers may see Metchie as a threat now, so kick the tires for sure. If you can get him for whoever went around 2.11, a 2023 3rd, or Shenault, I think you would have done very well. I believe Jordan’s cost will only increase as we get closer to the season and then probably hover until we see a couple of good games from him – so I say buy now.

OK, all aboard the Brevin Jordan Hype Train! Next station stop: your roster!