Gerald Everett's Updated Fantasy Outlook for Rams After Week 5 vs. Seahawks

Los Angeles Rams tight end Gerald Everett recorded more receiving yards in Thursday night's 30-29 loss to the Seattle Seahawks than he had through the first four weeks of the 2019 NFL season.   

Everett led all receivers with a career-high 136 yards by catching seven of his 11 targets for 20.6 point-per-reception (PPR) fantasy points. 

Before Thursday night, the 2017 second-round pick had 87 yards and one touchdown on 11 receptions. His high for targets in a game this season was previously last week's eight against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and he had compiled just 25.7 fantasy points through four games.

Everett's most impressive play came late in the third quarter when he muscled his way to a 32-yard gain that led to Todd Gurley's one-yard rushing touchdown:

Fantasy owners will be frustrated an outstretched Everett was ruled down at the 1-yard line. But they should be encouraged by what the 25-year-old's overall performance could be foreshadowing for the future, and those in need of a tight end should take notice. 

An especially encouraging sign was the fact that quarterback Jared Goff continued to go to Everett on the Rams' final drive after a brutal miscue led to an interception the possession prior. In fact, four of Goff's nine targets on the final drive went Everett's way.

While Everett sits behind Tyler Higbee on the depth chart, each tight end entered Week 5 with 15 targets and one touchdown. As a result, Brandon Hamer of Gridiron Experts included Everett as a waiver-wire pickup following his five catches for 44 yards and a touchdown against Tampa Bay in Week 4:

"Goff was looking Everett's way often this Sunday, and for the most part, Everett rewarded him with a solid line of 5-44-1. Everett out-snapped his competition in Tyler Higbee and took advantage of the increased target share. Everett hasn't seen over an 8 percent target share all year up until last week where he saw 14.3 percent. Hopefully, this is a sign of things to come, after [head coach Sean] McVay stated over the offseason that he wanted to involve Everett more this year. In a shallow position like tight end, Everett is worth a shot in the case that this increase in usage continues." 

Pertaining to fantasy, the problem is that the Rams' offense either runs primarily through Gurley or an extremely talented receiving corps headlined by Cooper Kupp, Robert Woods and Brandin Cooks. As Cameron DaSilva of Rams Wire wrote in March:

"Les Snead said recently that McVay would like to put two tight ends on the field together, it’s just difficult because the Rams have three quality receivers who are tough to take off the field. If there was ever a time to play the tight ends more, it was last season after Cooper Kupp went down, but Everett’s role was still limited."

Through Week 5, 19.9 percent of Goff's targets have gone to tight ends, with 11.8 percent specifically to Everett. For context, the leading fantasy tight end with 72.1 PPR points is New York Giant Evan Engram, who has accounted for 23.9 percent of his team's targets through four games.

So what could be different that would propel Everett to more usage?

Even though Kupp's ACL injury last season didn't result in more opportunities for Everett, that doesn't mean the same would be true if a major injury hit the Rams this season, especially with the way the tight end has performed the last two weeks. Cooks notably left Thursday night's game in the fourth quarter to be evaluated for a concussion, the team announced. 

Everett must now be considered worthy of a flier on the waiver wire. If he continues to perform as he did against the Seahawks, he could even flirt with becoming a weekly starter.

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