Dynasty Fantasy Football Rookie Update: Kahale Warring, TE HOU

Kyle Holden Posted On May 27, 2019

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Name: Kahale Warring

Position: Tight End

Pro Team: Houston Texans

College Team: San Diego State

Draft Status: Round three, 86th overall

VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS

COMBINE REVIEW

Height: 6’5”
Weight: 252 pounds
Arms: 32 ¾”
Hands: 9 ¾”
40-Yard dash: 4.67 seconds
Bench press: 19 reps
Vertical jump: 36.50”
Broad jump: 122.0”
20-yard shuttle: 4.25 seconds
Three-cone drill: 7.21 seconds

STRENGTHS

Athletic background (basketball)
Leaping ability
Savviness to box out defenders and position body
Solid quickness and movement (helps him to get open on out and wheel routes)

WEAKNESSES

Experience as a tight end
Blocking (both passing and running)

OPPORTUNITIES

The snaps might not be there right away, but Warring has a great opportunity in Houston. The team released Ryan Griffin in May but Jordan Akins and Jordan Thomas currently remain ahead of Warring on the depth chart. They were selected by the Texans in the third and sixth round respectively in the 2017 NFL draft but neither has really broken out. Perhaps Houston is looking for another answer as they re-invested in the position again this year. If Warring transitions well to the NFL and develops his game he could very likely leapfrog the two on the depth chart sooner rather than later.

THREATS

As mentioned above, the Houston Texans have invested in the tight end position numerous times over the last few years. While they have not invested first round picks, they have spent multiple day-two picks on the position. Warring is not going to just walk into the starting role. He is going to have to earn it.

In addition to tight ends, the Texans also have one of the most talented wide receiver groups in the NFL. DeAndre Hopkins is a top-five wide receiver whose play demands 150 plus targets per year and Will Fuller is an explosive touchdown scorer when healthy. The formula for an elite fantasy tight end usually involves a lack of an elite wide receiver gobbling up targets, so Warring’s ceiling figures to be capped with Hopkins around. However, Warring still has the potential to be a reliable fantasy contributor.

SHORT-TERM EXPECTATIONS

Tight ends almost always take a few years to develop in the NFL, especially ones with limited production from a school like San Diego State. Therefore, having Warring on your roster is going to take some patience to let him develop. If you have room to let him sit on your bench for a couple of years he could very well return a profit later on.

LONG-TERM EXPECTATIONS

Warring had an intriguing athletic profile entering the NFL combine and achieved day-two NFL draft status as well. This combination makes him a very interesting prospect. Tight ends are often hard to project at the NFL level but Warring’s profile makes him a good investment. He has limited experience at the position but his athletic background (you guessed it, another basketball convert) gives him the upside to be a significant contributor in the NFL.

NFL PLAYER COMPARISON

In my opinion, tight ends are one of the hardest positions to make comparisons for. Many have nuances to their games that do not show up on the stat sheet and we rarely see their full games on display at the collegiate level.

If I had to compare Warring to someone, I would choose a player of the Dennis Pitta mold. Neither exudes athleticism like David Njoku or Noah Fant but both have enough to shake defenders and create big plays. Like Pitta, Warring projects better as a pass-catcher and playmaker than a blocker. This is good news for your fantasy teams.

PROJECTED ROOKIE DRAFT RANGE

Warring came in as the 40th player with an ADP of 39.90 in our May single-quarterback rookie mock drafts. As I write this, he also has an MFL rookie ADP of 43.05 for single-quarterback leagues. This places him near the beginning of the fourth round of rookie drafts.

Considering I like his profile and have him higher in my rankings, it is likely I will snag a few shares of him this off-season. I usually target running backs or day-two tight ends in the third and fourth rounds of rookie drafts and Warring fits this strategy.

Using our handy trade-finder tool, a quick search of recent trades involving Warring shows pretty much what one might expect. There has not been a lot of activity involving him, with only four trades made in the last six weeks. In the trades that did occur, very little value was given up to acquire Warring. I am not advocating giving up anything significant for him, but merely pointing out it does not take much to acquire him.

I would be more interested to see a log of rookie draft-day trades to see what teams gave up to move up and select Warring. I am guessing it still did not take much unless someone in the league was really set on taking him. Warring might never pay dividends, but he is a great investment to make at his third or fourth-round rookie price tag.

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Kyle Holden

Writer at Dynasty League Football

Kyle was introduced to fantasy football at a young age, tagging along with his dad and brother for work league drafts. From calling out draft picks to placing the stickers on the big board, he was immediately hooked. His favorite format is devy leagues because there is always so much to study and learn.