TEs - 32 Teams Rankings

TEs – 32 Teams Rankings – Tuesday, August 10, 2010

32 Ranking Pos Rank – Player Name – (2009 Pos Rank – 2009 Fantasy Pts) 2010 Projection – ADP by round

1. TE1 Antonio Gates (3-163) 146 – 3-4th round
SAN DIEGO – Antonio Gates was one of three TEs with over 1000 yds receiving last year. He only had 8 TDs, which is low for him, otherwise he would’ve finished as the top fantasy TE. Instead, he finished 3rd. This year should be even better for Gates, especially in the red zone, where his targets should go up.

2. TE2 Dallas Clark (2-171) 139 – 2-3rd round
INDIANAPOLIS – Dallas Clark and Reggie Wayne each accounted for 100 receptions and 10 TDs in 2009. Clark has improved in receptions and yards in each of the last four years, culminating in a career best finish that ranked him 2nd among all TEs last year. There’s not much to criticize about him as a player – pencil him in for 80-90 catches, 1000 yards and a top 3 finish among TEs. The other TEs are Gijon Robinson, Tom Santi, and Jacob Tamme.

3. TE3 Vernon Davis (1-174) 138– 4th round
SAN FRANCISCO – Vernon Davis finished as the #1 fantasy TE last season. Mike Martz was gone, Davis was healthy and was the beneficiary of 14 TD catches. It’s easy to see that 4-6 of those TDs could be Crabtree’s this year, which brings Davis’ ceiling down as a fantasy prospect. Still, though, he will be a very good option for your team, barring injury, of course. Delanie Walker is the backup.

4. TE4 Jason Witten (8-115) 135 – 4th round
DALLAS – Jason Witten was the 1st and 2nd best fantasy TE in 2007 and 2008, respectively, and last year finished 8th as he only caught 2 TDs all year. The Cowboys have focused on redzone production this offseason and want to get back to Witten, which could mean a return to his earlier stats. The backup is Martellus Bennett, who the team likes, but he’s been inconsistent.

5. TE5 Jermichael Finley (13-95) 133 – 4th round
GREEN BAY – IF he can stay healthy, Jermichael Finley can be a fine TE1 on your fantasy team. If not, then you’ll be mad that you had to take him so high in your draft. The image of Finley dominating in the playoffs left an indelible imprint on his fantasy value, but apparently his knee injury from October of last year did too, as he is still experiencing tendonitis in that same knee. There are also several other receiving options on the Packers, which would make for competition for targets. The other TEs on the roster: Donald Lee & Spencer Havner, both of whom we’re spot starters when Finley was injured.

6. TE6 Tony Gonzalez (5-122) 120 – 5th round
ATLANTA – Tony Gonzalez had his worst season since 2002, with135 targets for 83recps. 867yds. and 6TDS, however he was the TE with the most targets in the red zone (25). While he’s not the elite guy he once was, he should be able to put a nice year together for your fantasy team and get back over 1000 yds receiving again.

7. TE7 Kellen Winslow Jr. (7-118) 115 – 7-8th round
TAMPA BAY – Kellen Winslow finished seventh among fantasy tight ends with 884 yards and 5 touchdowns on 77 catches. He was the team's most reliable receiver and was fairly consistent all season, with six games of 75 yards or more. There are concerns about his right knee that has been operated on 5 times, with another procedure this offseason. Also, he has yet to catch a TD from Josh Freeman, but that should change relatively early with Josh as the full time starter. The main backup is Jerramy Stevens.

8. TE8 Brent Celek (4-145) 111 – 5-6th round
PHILADELPHIA – Brent Celek burst up to elite TE status when Cornelius Ingram went down with a season ending ACL injury last year, leaving Celek as the full-time TE. The plan was for them to share the TE targets last year and that may be the case this year. However, that plan could be changed because of Celek’s success and Ingram’s knee is still not 100%. Celek and Kevin Kolb are roommates and good friends off the field – don’t discount that chemistry and trust, even though I’d feel more confident about Celek if McNabb was around. Rookie Clay Harbor was drafted to provide depth and will compete with Ingram for the backup spot.

9. TE9 Zach Miller (12-98) 108 – 9th round
OAKLAND – Zach Miller led all Raider receivers in catches, yards, and touchdowns last season. He and McFadden were the top receiving options. This should only be enhanced with Jason Campbell under center, attending practices, working out, participating as a professional football player. I feel that Miller could be a viable starting TE option this year given the history Campbell had with Cooley and Fred Davis last season.

10. TE10 Owen Daniels (17-81) 106 – 7th round
HOUSTON – Owen Daniels had 78 fantasy points through 8 games before going down with an ACL injury last November. He was having a monster season and would’ve projected to be the #1 fantasy TE (156 pts) if he could’ve kept up this pace. Now, he’s not expected back from injury until Week 1, possibly the last week of the preseason at the earliest. This tempers the fantasy forecast for him, with a slow start expected. And, oh yeah, Daniels is in a contract year. Who gets the snaps in his absence? Joel Dreessen, who’s more of a blocker, but filled in nicely last year. James Casey, who saw limited time last year and shows promise this offseason now that he’s solely focused on playing TE. The Texans drafted a rookie TE in the fourth round as insurance: Garrett Graham **sleeper alert**– he’s more of a dynasty prospect should Daniels move on to another team at the end of the season. They both went to Wisconsin, btw.

11. TE11 Heath Miller (9-114) 106 – 12th round
PITTSBURGH – When Heath Miller came into the NFL, one of the owners in my dynasty league drafted him too high thinking I wanted him on my team just because we had the same first name. I didn’t. He should benefit from the absence of Santonio Holmes, believe it or not, and either Leftwich or Dixon will be happy to have him as a checkdown option. 60-70 receptions and 700 yards are not out of the question for Heath – not bad for a 12th round pick, huh? Matt Spaeth is the backup here – the other two guys are blockers in the run game.

12. TE12 Visanthe Shiancoe (6-122) 102 – 8-9th round
MINNESOTA – Last year, Visanthe Shiancoe joined a list of fantasy TEs brought to prominence by the fact that Brett Favre likes to target TEs in the red zone. Shiancoe caught 11 TDs with over 500 yards last year and showed consistent hands all year. As long as Favre comes back, those numbers should be about the same, red zone targets and all. It’s tough to count on TD production year-to-year, though, so think more around 7-8 TDs instead of 11. Jim Kleinsasser is the backup.

13. TE13 Chris Cooley (26-43) 95 – 9th round
TE21 Fred Davis (16-86) 65 – 19th round **value pick**
WASHINGTON – Chris Cooley has five seasons with at least 700 yards and four seasons with at least six scores -- none of them with a strong fantasy producer at quarterback. Even with third-year talent Fred Davis flashing his potential after Cooley missed nine games last year with an ankle injury, Cooley will remain a significant part of the offense. His RAC abilities and consistent production can’t be ignored. Fred Davis may be the 2nd best receiving option on the team behind Santana Moss and he showed lots of ability when Cooley was out last year, so expect more 2 TE sets to get the better receivers on the field.

14. TE14 John Carlson (11-99) 90 – 11th round
SEATTLE – John Carlson started last year off with a bang (21 fantasy pts), then saw mediocre stats for several weeks as he was kept in to block with injuries to the O-line, and then came on late toward the fantasy playoffs. The new regime in Seattle likes to run 2 TE sets, and with Chris Baker as the blocking TE, this will free up Carlson to catch some passes. He has the upside to crack the top ten TEs this year, provided Hasselbeck and the O-line can stay healthy.

15. TE15 Dustin Keller (20-64) 74 – 11th round
NEW YORK JETS – Everyone in NYC is gaga over Dustin Keller’s production late last season and into the playoffs, but the breakout season that people predicted for him in 2009 never really materialized. He finished as the 20th fantasy TE for only 64 pts and his targets went up by only 4 for the season. If he’s going to breakout, the coaching staff needs to call his number more, and with all the new receiving options on the Jets (which includes Tomlinson out of the backfield too, a new thing for Gang Green), I don’t see it happening. Ben Hartsock is the other TE on the roster – dude is a mean blocker. If Keller goes down with injury, they will go outside the organization to replace him as a receiver.

16. TE16 Kevin Boss (15-87) 70 – 15th round
NEW YORK GIANTS – Kevin Boss is coming off his best season in his 4 year career (42 rec, 567yds, 5tds), but he also had offseason ankle surgery that may slow him down in training camp. He should be fine by the beginning of the regular season. Second year TE Travis Beckum will get the majority of reps in Boss’ absence (both of these guys are hurt right now, though). The Giants like his potential, but he’s yet to show the consistency & promise he showed in college at the pro level.

17. TE17 Jeremy Shockey (18-74) 57 – 13th round
NEW ORLEANS – Jeremy Shockey has an injury history and he’s not at all expected to play a full 16 game season. He’s had an apparent seizure during minicamp, then a back injury and most recently a sore knee. His injuries are making the way for rookie and former UM basketball standout **Jimmy Graham**sleeper alert** and David Thomas (not the Wendy’s guy) to stand out. Graham seems to be the long-term replacement and Thomas has filled in admirably when called upon.

18. TE18 Greg Olsen (10-109) 55 – 12-13th round
CHICAGO – Greg Olsen seems to have the most to lose in terms of fantasy value in the Mike Martz offense. Take a look at Vernon Davis’ year under Martz (31 rec, 358 yds, 2tds = 52 fantasy pts) and that’s what we might expect from Olsen. I would give him a little more just in case he lines up wide in the preseason. I’ll be avoiding the former UM TE in all formats, just as Martz’ offensive system does. The rest of the TEs are blockers mainly, and therefore useless on your fantasy team.

19. TE19 Tony Scheffler (22-53) 55 – 18th round
TE24 Brandon Pettigrew (24-47) 50 – 19th round
DETROIT – It’s not 100% clear how the Lions plan to use Tony Scheffler and Brandon Pettigrew this season. Pettigrew was showing good chemistry with Matt Stafford but then missed the last 5 games with a knee injury. He still finished as the 24th ranked WR in fantasy. Then, Detroit went out and got Tony Scheffler. Now, they say he’ll be used more as a WR, but with Pettigrew being the better blocker, why do I see a split workload here in two TE sets? You can take a flyer on one of these guys as a backup TE on your roster, but I wouldn’t count on either as your #1 starter.

20. TE20 Todd Heap (25-126) 57 – 18th round
BALTIMORE – Todd Heap played 16 games for the second year in a row and caught 53 passes for 593 yards and six touchdowns – his best year to date. His reward? The Ravens drafted two TEs to replace him and added more receiving options for Joe Flacco to limit his targets. This will be the last season we are talking about Heap as a top 25 TE in fantasy. Who are the rookies? Dennis Pitta and Ed Dickson – Pitta seems to be the better pass catcher, but let’s see who can block AND catch passes. The Ravens are known to run the football just a little bit, don’t ya know?

21. TE25 Anthony Fasano (30-41) 55 – 21st round
MIAMI – In my redraft league last season, someone took Anthony Fasano in the 7th round – my jaw dropped and then one of the other owners berated and mocked the guy who made the pick, who was “rewarded” with 41 points and the 30th fantasy TE in a round where he could’ve picked Ray Rice….Ouch! Temper your enthusiasm for Fasano in this, his contract year, and leave him undrafted. While he’s a good option as a bye week fill-in, figure he should be on and off the waiver wire should you need him. The other TE in Miami is Joey Haynos, who has a massive wingspan and jumping ability. Good for you if you can figure out which game they’ll feature his skills in the redzone for the two fantasy relevant days he’ll have this upcoming season.

22. TE22 Bo Scaife (24-48) 52 – 22nd round
TE30 Jared Cook (70-7) 43 – 19th round
TENNESSEE – The Titans employ a TE by committee approach. Last year, three TEs caught 82 passes. If circumstances lead to one guy being “the guy”, then any one of these players can be a fantasy starter. They’re just spread too thin right now. Bo Scaife was the leading TE of the group last year, and caught 45 balls for 440 yards and 1td. Alge Crumpler is in New England now, which allows Jared Cook to leap up the depth chart to be the backup. Cook has Antonio Gates-like skills, but isn’t much of a blocker. This explains why he had only 9 catches last season. The third of this season’s triumvirate of TEs is third year pro Craig Stevens. Don’t draft these guys, please.

23. TE23 Ben Watson (19-70) 42 – 20th round
CLEVELAND – Ben Watson has the talent to be the top receiving option for the Browns, but my question is why did New England let him go? It must be that Brady lost confidence in him. Too many times did I see Brady slump a little after Watson wasn’t able to make the play that he was called upon to make. Now that he has Delhomme throwing the football to him, do we think this inconsistency in his play is going to get any better? I don’t think so. Alex Smith is a heck of a blocker, so he’ll see some time at TE. The guy to watch, though, as a receiving TE may be Evan Moore – he’s essentially an oversized WR, but his blocking is a question mark. The whole situation has committee written all over it, but let’s see what happens in the preseason and if Delhomme and Watson build any chemistry.

24. TE26 Zach Miller (37-33) 46 – 22nd round
TE28 Marcedes Lewis (21-63) 44 – 23rd round
JACKSONVILLE – Both Zach Miller (the “other” Zach Miller, I should say) and Marcedes Lewis will probably form a TE by committee for David Garrard and the Jags. Marcedes is the starter and had his best season in 2010 with over 500 yds and 2tds, but Miller had a strong finish that has many believing he could overtake Lewis for the starting job. Let’s see if he makes the most of this opportunity in training camp. With the lack of viable weapons at the WR position, we may see these guys play a prominent role sooner rather than later.

25. TE27 Jermaine Gresham (Rookie) 40 – 14-17th round
CINCINNATI – Reggie Kelly is listed as the starter for the Who Deys, but rookie Jermaine Gresham is expected to be the starter Week 1 as the pass catching TE. He will add a dimension to an offense that hasn’t had a viable pass catching TE in quite a few years. 30 receptions, 300-350 yards and 4-5 TDs should be about right for the rookie from Oklahoma.

26. TE29 Aaron Hernandez (Rookie) 34 – 21st round
NEW ENGLAND – Aaron Hernandez has first round talent but dropped to the fourth round in the NFL draft because of one word: Marijuana. Now, he hasn’t tested positive in the NFL, and only tested positive once at Univ. of Florida. No matter he smoked or didn’t smoke, his skills as a receiver and blocker are undeniable. He was called ‘our Percy Harvin’ last year at UF. In other words, he was the “mismatch maker”. I would think that Belichick could find a use for such a player in order to create mismatches vs. their opponents.

27. TE31 Shawn Nelson (50-19) 31 – 22nd round
BUFFALO – I can’t say that I’m not too excited by the Buffalo Bills fantasy-wise, but Shawn Nelson is a fast, talented guy who runs crisp routes and looked good as a rookie in limited duty. He could use to put on some muscle, which would improve his blocking. I just wish he played in a more potent offense. He’s a waiver wire guy at best, but with the lack of quality receiving options and the new coaching staff, he could garner 50-60 targets this year. Derek Schouman, Jonathan Stupar, and Michael Matthews are battling for a spot here as well. Ignore them on draft day.

28. TE32 Daniel Graham (36-34) 38 – waiver wire
DENVER– Daniel Graham is a strong blocker for the running game, yet he’ll probably grab 2-3 TDs this season and catch a couple of passes per game. The departure of Tony Scheffler opens things up for Richard Quinn, who has been compared to Graham throughout his career. Expect the same type of production from him, should the Broncos rely a little more on the TEs rather than the slot guys in the short passing game.

29. TE33 Tony Moeaki (Rookie) 40 – 19th round **value pick**
KANSAS CITY – I like Tony Moeaki a lot, and so do his teammates thus far. Reports of players chanting his name when he makes a play have become commonplace. This is a guy who has the opportunity to start, the talent to take advantage of the opportunity, and he can block. The only question with him is durability – he played in 20 games the past three years at Iowa. Still, though, Charlie Weis will find a way to get him involved. If healthy, 4-6 targets/game for 40 yards and the occasional score don’t seem unreasonable, which translates into 48 catches, 640 yards and 5 TDs over the season. That’s around 85 fantasy points, and would put Moeaki in the borderline starter/bye week replacement category. I have him ranked low because of these durability concerns. Leonard Pope and Brad Cottam are the backups.

30. TE35 Daniel Fells (28-43) 46 – waiver wire
ST. LOUIS – Daniel Fells was a part-time player last year, playing behind Randy McMichael. Now, he’s the starter in his third year, but I wouldn’t draft him – not utilized enough.

31. TE36 Gary Barnidge (46-24) 34 – waiver wire
CAROLINA – Gary Barnidge is in his third year, and if he could get a lion share of the targets, he’d be a viable fantasy option, but he shares targets with Dante Rosario and Jeff King, making all of them waiver wire fodder unless something changes about their opportunity.

32. TE41 Steven Spach (115-19) 13 – ouch
ARIZONA - None of the tight ends had more than a dozen catches last year, and for the most part they are afterthoughts both in the Cardinal passing attack and in fantasy football.