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2017 fantasy storylines: Cameron Brate, fantasy MVP

ARLINGTON, TX - DECEMBER 18: Cameron Brate #84 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers celebrates after catching a touchdown pass from Jameis Winston #3 during the third quarter against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium on December 18, 2016 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

(This week, some of the PFF Fantasy team will be offering up their forecasts for some of the biggest storylines of the 2017 season. It’s Time Machine Week.)

Austin Seferian-Jenkins…

How long did the fantasy community wait for Seferian-Jenkins to happen? It’s hard to believe that Seferian-Jenkins only played in Tampa for two years before he was famously pulled over for a DUI early last season and the Buccaneers released him to find new football life with the New York Jets.

Even before Seferian-Jenkings’ problems, there were rumors of unrest. Supposedly the Bucs thought that he had a work ethic problem. When you couple a work ethic issue with a sordid injury history that prevented Seferian-Jenkins from playing more than nine games in any of his three seasons in the NFL, well… you’re in a “fantasy no-fly zone.” Do not draft. Do not collect $100.

Reports came out that Cameron Brate had already jumped ahead of Seferian-Jenkins on the depth chart during the preseason, but most people believed that the team was just trying to motivate Seferian-Jenkins. After the tape came out, reality set in, and Brate became an official go-to target for Jameis Winston.

Cameron Brate is not a touchdown-lucky next-man-up for Tampa. Cameron Brate is your 2017 fantasy MVP.

Cameron Brate scored eight touchdowns last season, which tied Hunter Henry for the most by a tight end.

Neither Henry or Brate played in all 16 games, and yet there they are atop the touchdown stat line. Touchdowns were a big part of Brate’s fantasy production this year and touchdowns as fantasy production is both a good and a bad thing.

My friend and colleague, Daniel Kelley, wrote Tuesday about touchdown regression and Brate was the headliner. Kelley’s main concern was with regards to Brate’s touchdown percentage as compared to his total targets (10.26 percent). He is one of four tight ends and wide receivers who received 50 or more targets and turned 10 or more percent of them into touchdowns. The only player in the last 10 years who put up back-to-back years with 50-plus targets and 10-plus percent of those targets resulting in a touchdown is Rob Gronkowski in 2011 and 2012.

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