| Tight
End Rankings - Dynasty |
| Rk |
Player |
Seasons |
Position
Rank '09 |
Yrs in Top 12
(Since 2000) |
Yrs in Top 24
(Since 2000) |
Projected Top 12
Seasons
(Next 3 Yrs) |
| 1 |
Antonio Gates, SD (30) |
7 |
3 |
6 |
7 |
3 |
| Gates
has been the most consistent performer at the tight
end position over the last six seasons and there is
no reason to expect a drop-off in his production any
time soon. He’s a virtual lock to rank among the
top-5 in fantasy for another 3-5 years. |
| 2 |
Dallas Clark, IND (31) |
7 |
2 |
4 |
6 |
3 |
| Clark
has improved upon his reception and yardage totals in
each of the last three seasons. He’s also shaken
the injury bug that plagued him throughout the early
years of his career. With Marvin Harrison gone, he has
now become the 1B option alongside Reggie Wayne in the
Colts vaunted passing attack. |
| 3 |
Jason Witten, DAL (28) |
7 |
8 |
6 |
7 |
3 |
| Like Gates,
Witten has been one of the most consistent performers
at his position over the last six years. It’d
be nice to see a boost in his touchdown production,
but it’s hard to find fault with a guy who is
a legitimate threat to record 80-90 receptions and 1000
yards each year at tight end. |
| 4 |
Vernon Davis, SF (26) |
4 |
1 |
1 |
3 |
3 |
| Davis
has always been known as an incredibly gifted athlete,
but it wasn’t until last season that he finally
lived up to his potential as the sixth overall pick
in the 2006 draft. Mike Singletary lit a fire under
his butt since being named head coach of the 49ers midway
through their 2008 campaign and Davis’ value has
sky rocketed since playing his first full season under
the former Chicago Bears linebacker last season. |
| 5 |
Jermichael Finley, GB (23) |
2 |
12 |
1 |
1 |
3 |
| When Finley
was drafted in 2008 it was already known he’d
be a great pass catcher at the tight end position. It
was simply a matter of how quickly he’d work his
way into the starting line-up as to when he’d
possess value in fantasy leagues. It only took one year,
as last season he started nine games, played in thirteen,
and recorded 55 receptions for 676 yards and 5 touchdowns.
Entering the season as the starter in 2010 he should
improve upon those already impressive totals. |
| 6 |
Brent Celek, PHI (25) |
3 |
4 |
1 |
1 |
3 |
| Celek
had been receiving rave reviews from the Eagles coaching
staff ever since they selected him in the fifth round
of the 2007 draft. He spent two years backing up L.J.
Smith, but still managed to impress with the few opportunities
he received on the playing field. He went into 2009
as the starter and continued to do the same as he posted
over 900 yards on 76 receptions while scoring 8 touchdowns.
In Andy Reid’s offense, he’ll remain a focal
point for a number of years to come. |
| 7 |
Kellen Winslow, TB (27) |
6 |
7 |
3 |
4 |
2 |
| Winslow
had some poor outings in his first season as a Buccaneer,
but his overall production proved to be fairly impressive.
He became a more consistent target within the offense
once rookie QB Josh Freeman took over under center in
Week 9, and as a result should improve upon last year’s
totals as Freeman enters his second season in the NFL
as a starting quarterback. |
| 8 |
Chris Cooley, WAS (28) |
6 |
27 |
4 |
5 |
2 |
| Cooley
has been one of the better players at his position since
his second year in the league, but an ankle injury limited
him to just 7 games last season and Fred Davis shined
in his absence. Cooley will still be the starter in
Washington and should have himself a fine season, but
the numbers we’ve become accustomed to from him could
slip depending on how much Fred Davis gets worked into
the offense. |
| 9 |
John Carlson, SEA (26) |
2 |
11 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
| Carlson’s
reception and yardage totals dropped a bit in his second
season, but he still hauled in seven touchdown passes.
Part of the reason his numbers dropped (touchdowns aside)
was due to holes the Seahawks had along the offensive
line which led to Carlson being relied upon more as
a blocker. New head coach, Pete Carroll, and more specifically
new offensive coordinator, Jeremy Bates, have been very
impressed by Carlson and plan to line him up all across
the field this season which means he should see more
use as a receiver which could lead to him recording
the best totals of his young career. |
| 10 |
Tony Gonzalez, ATL (34) |
13 |
5 |
10 |
10 |
2 |
| Gonzalez
may be the best tight end to ever play the game and
likely has another 2-3 years worth of Top 10 finishes
amongst fantasy tight ends before he retires. The only
reason he ranks at the bottom of the Top 10 fantasy
tight ends is due to his age. Go after him if your team
is built to win a championship now, or trade him to
a team in need of a tight end if you’re currently
rebuilding your dynasty squad. |
| Rk |
Player |
Seasons |
Position
Rank '09 |
Yrs in Top 12
(Since 2000) |
Yrs in Top 24
(Since 2000) |
Projected Top 12
Seasons
(Next 3 Yrs) |
| 11 |
Zach Miller, OAK (24) |
3 |
14 |
1 |
3 |
2 |
| Zach Miller
may just be the best offensive weapon the Raiders have
at the moment. He’s recorded impressive totals
since entering the league despite playing for what is
currently one of the worst franchises in the NFL. His
66 receptions, and 805 receiving yards were career highs
last season, and it’s possible he could match
or improve upon those totals with the Raiders making
a slight upgrade at QB with the addition of Jason Campbell
in place of the since released JaMarcus Russell. |
| 12 |
Heath Miller, PIT (27) |
5 |
9 |
3 |
5 |
2 |
| Heath
Miller had a terrific year for himself last season as
he recorded career highs in yardage (789) and receptions
(76). These are totals he hasn’t come close to
in his four previous seasons, but with the departure
of Santana Holmes Miller should again be targeted more
than he has been in the past and post solid numbers.
The six game suspension of Ben Roethlisberger could
hamper his production in the early goings of the current
season however. |
| 13 |
Greg Olsen, CHI (25) |
3 |
10 |
2 |
3 |
1 |
| The addition
of Mike Martz as the offensive coordinator in Chicago
this offseason should be good news for Jay Cutler and
his wide receivers, but it causes a significant downgrade
to Greg Olsen’s fantasy value. Martz’s offense
has never made much use of the tight end and despite
Olsen’s obvious talent it’s doubtful he’s
about to buck that trend. He should post respectable
totals, but it’s likely they will take a dive
from the career highs he set last season. |
| 14 |
Owen Daniels, HOU (27) |
4 |
17 |
2 |
4 |
0 |
| Daniels
was well on his way to the best season of his career
last year before a torn ACL forced him to the sidelines
after playing in eight games. This marks the third time
Daniels has torn his ACL, which makes him an injury
risk he as tries to recover from it in time for the
start of training camp. He signed a 1-year tender worth
$3.168 million dollars recently, but if he struggles
to return to full form it will drop his value and likely
lead to him becoming a free agent next season. It’s
also worth noting the Texans have high hopes for James
Casey and rookie Garrett Graham should Daniels fail
to perform at his previous level of play. |
| 15 |
Dustin Keller, NYJ (26) |
2 |
20 |
0 |
2 |
1 |
| Keller
failed to improve upon his rookie totals last year,
but is still regarded as one of the more promising young
tight ends in the league. Playing in the Jets primarily
run first offense is likely to hamper his production,
but New York may try to open things up a bit more in
the passing game as Mark Sanchez enters his second season
and Santonio Holmes has been added to a cast of wide
receivers that already features Braylon Edwards and
Jerricho Cotchery. |
| 16 |
Visanthe
Shiancoe, MIN (30) |
7 |
6 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
| Shiancoe
has made himself known the last two years after serving
little relevance to fantasy owners during the first
five seasons of his career. He had a career high eleven
touchdown receptions last season after recording seven
the year before, but if, and when, Brett Favre retires
one has to be concerned with the type of impact it will
have on Shiancoe’s production. |
| 17 |
Todd Heap, BAL (30) |
9 |
13 |
4 |
7 |
1 |
| Heap was
once regarded as one of the top tight ends in fantasy
leagues, but nagging injuries have hurt his production
in more recent times and it seems his best days are
behind him. While Heap is still safely atop the depth
chart at his position in Baltimore, it seems the Ravens
are already planning for his departure as they drafted
two tight ends in consecutive rounds in this year’s
draft (Ed Dickson in the 3rd, and Dennis Pitta in the
4th). |
| 18 |
Jeremy Shockey, NO (30) |
8 |
18 |
6 |
7 |
0 |
| Jeremy
Shockey – you got to love the way he plays the game,
but his rough and tumble approach on the field has taken
a toll on his body. He hasn’t played in more than fourteen
games during the last three seasons and with the Saints
addition of Jimmy Graham in the third round of this
year’s draft, the youngster is likely to push him for
playing time in the years ahead. |
| 19 |
Fred
Davis, WAS (24) |
2 |
15 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
| Once Chris
Cooley was lost for the year due to an ankle injury
just seven games into the season, Fred Davis stepped
in and filled his shoes more than admirably. A second
round pick in 2008, Davis has now shown us what he’s
capable of as a starter. The only reason he isn’t
ranked higher is due to the fact he’ll be competing
with Chris Cooley for looks at the tight end position
throughout the year. If he ever gets the chance to star
on his own at tight end his value will take a considerable
leap. |
| 20 |
Jermaine Gresham, CIN (22) |
R |
|
* |
* |
1 |
| Gresham
was the first tight end taken in this year’s draft
and is already receiving high praise from quarterback
Carson Palmer as he takes snaps with the first team
offense. Expectations for him as a rookie should be
limited, but in the years ahead Gresham’s value
should be on the rise. He’ll likely make the most
immediate impact among the rookies at his position this
year as he may be the only one that begins the season
atop his teams depth chart. |
| Rk |
Player |
Seasons |
Position
Rank '09 |
Yrs in Top 12
(Since 2000) |
Yrs in Top 24
(Since 2000) |
Projected Top 12
Seasons
(Next 3 Yrs) |
| 21 |
Kevin Boss, NYG (26) |
3 |
16 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
| Boss has
proven himself as a worthwhile outlet for Eli Manning
since he stepped in for an injured Jeremy Shockey late
in 2007, but it’s doubtful he’ll ever perform much better
than he did last year. He makes for a solid number two
tight end in fantasy leagues as he tends to receive
a fair amount of looks in the end zone. It’s worth noting
however that he had offseason surgery on his ankle and
back-up Travis Beckum could push him for the starting
position in the years ahead. |
| 22 |
Tony Moeaki, KC (23) |
R |
* |
* |
* |
0 |
| Moeaki
has been making a strong impression early on with the
Chiefs and could challenge Jermaine Gresham as the most
productive rookie tight end in the upcoming season.
Reports say he has been catching everything thrown his
way as he takes reps with the first team offense, receiving
praise from coaches and veteran players alike. He’ll
be worth keeping an eye on this season, and as he further
develops in the years ahead. |
| 23 |
Brandon Pettigrew, DET (25) |
1 |
25 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Pettigrew’s
career was off to a promising start last season, but
upon tearing his ACL on November 26th was forced to
the sidelines for the remainder of the year. Recent
reports state he is progressing slowly and is likely
to begin training camp on the physically unable to perform
(PUP) list. In the meantime, Tony Scheffler will run
with the first team offense, but Pettigrew still has
promise in dynasty leagues should he make a full recovery
– just don’t expect too much from him in 2010. |
| 24 |
Marcedes Lewis, JAC (26) |
4 |
21 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
| Lewis
is much like the player listed below him. He’s
a starter in the NFL, and usually records 35-45 receptions
for 450-550 yards. He plays in a run first offense which
limits any upside he may have, and has failed to catch
more than 2 touchdown passes within a season since entering
the league in 2006. There’s little reason to expect
his production to change. |
| 25 |
Bo Scaife, TEN (29) |
5 |
23 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
| Scaife
signed a one-year tender to remain with the Titans this
year, but in his five seasons in the league hasn’t done
much to impress fantasy owners. He may receive more
looks this season with the departure of Alge Crumpler,
but second year player Jared Cook may be able to work
himself onto the field at some point and challenge Scaife
for receptions. |
| 26 |
Anthony Fasano, MIA (26) |
4 |
26 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
| Fasano
signed a one-year tender recently to remain the starting
tight end this season for the Miami Dolphins. A Bill
Parcells favorite upon being drafted in 2006, he has
failed to establish himself as anything more than back-up
in fantasy leagues. If he isn’t scoring touchdowns,
he’s likely to disappoint if placed in your line-up. |
| 27 |
Ben Watson, CLE (29) |
6 |
19 |
1 |
4 |
0 |
| Watson’s
departure from New England and arrival in Cleveland
should lead to an increase in production for the tight
end, but he’s not someone you’d want to
rely on in your league as any better than a back-up
at the position. At the age of 29, it’s not as
if one should expect him to hold increased value in
the future either. |
| 28 |
Rob Gronkowski, NE (21) |
R |
* |
* |
* |
0 |
| Gronkowski
may have to compete with veteran Alge Crumpler and fellow
rookie Aaron Hernandez for playing time as a rookie,
but long term he holds more potential. Crumpler will
be used primarily as a blocker, while Hernandez may
see more time on the field as a rookie since the Patriots
are currently lining him up at a number of different
positions on the field. If Gronkowski impresses early
on however, he could be the Patriots stating tight end
either this year or next. |
| 29 |
Shawn Nelson, BUF (24) |
1 |
UR |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Nelson
will be battling Derek Schouman (recovering from a knee
injury) to become the Bills starting tight end, but
has so far made an good early impression on Buffalo’s
new coaching staff. It’s been a while since the Bills
have had a tight end of any fantasy relevance however,
so even though Nelson is regarded as a pass catching
tight end expectations for him shouldn’t be set all
that high at the moment. |
| 30 |
Ed
Dickson, BAL (23) |
R |
* |
* |
* |
0 |
| Dickson
was the first of two tight ends selected by the Ravens
in this year’s draft. He’ll be stuck behind
veteran Todd Heap this season, but could emerge in the
years ahead as the starter in Baltimore. He’s
worth keeping an eye on and stashing away in dynasty
leagues as a player that may prove valuable down the
line. |
| Rk |
Player |
Seasons |
Position
Rank '09 |
Yrs in Top 12
(Since 2000) |
Yrs in Top 24
(Since 2000) |
Projected Top 12
Seasons
(Next 3 Yrs) |
| 31 |
James Casey, HOU (25) |
1 |
UR |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Casey
has received high praise from the Texans coaching staff,
but failed to do much last season while filling in (along
with Joel Dreessen) for an injured Owen Daniels. If
Daniels is hampered throughout the year due to the ACL
he tore last season however, Casey could suddenly become
a surprise factor within the Texans offense. |
| 32 |
Travis
Beckum, NYG (23) |
1 |
UR |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| At the
moment, Beckum is nothing more than an insurance policy
should Kevin Boss have issues recovering from offseason
ankle surgery. He’s currently viewed more as an
H-back, but would line-up at tight end if Boss is unable
to go at any point. With that said, Boss is expected
to be at 100% by the start of the season. |
| 33 |
Jimmy
Graham, NO (23) |
R |
* |
* |
* |
0 |
| Graham
is currently third on the Saints depth chart at tight
end, but as a third round selection he could be viewed
as their future starter at the position. With Shockey
a bit of an injury risk, he could get an opportunity
to battle current back-up David Thomas for the starting
role sooner than expected. |
| 34 |
Dennis
Pitta, BAL (25) |
R |
* |
* |
* |
0 |
| Pitta
is the second of the two tight ends Baltimore selected
in this year’s draft. The Ravens are clearly getting
themselves prepared for the eventual departure of Todd
Heap, which means either Pitta or Dickson is next in
line to take over as the starter for the Ravens. Whichever
of the two rookies eventually handles that role will
hold value as at least being a back-up tight end in
fantasy leagues with the potential to be more than that. |
| 35 |
Garrett
Graham, HOU (24) |
R |
* |
* |
* |
0 |
| Garratt
Graham was a fourth round selection in this year’s
draft and will compete with James Casey for playing
time should Owen Daniels come back slowly from the ACL
he tore last season. If you have the roster space, he’s
worth adding and holding onto to see how he develops. |
