Fantasy Football Preview: Tight Ends
By Brian Miller
We move on into our fantasy football preview with a look at the NFL tight ends. Fantasy leagues, especially private and custom leagues are revving up with draft dates being set and I am sure you are dying to join something. If your like me, you probably have already drafted at least one team…just to see how it all shakes out. The TE position is not a make or break roster spot, but with a little ingenuity and some planning, you can add a profitable scorer to your lineup.
The issue with TE’s is really when should you draft one? While most leagues will see the likes of Antonio Gates and Tony Gonzalez coming off the boards early, the real drama begins when someone takes the TE in round 5 that usually will spawn a run on the position…usually a bit too early.
Like I have done with the other positions, I have a few other bloggers who have shared their thoughts on the TE positions on their respective teams. Take a look.
Dave Wagner – RiggosRag – Chris Cooley
Avoid the WRs for now (Moss is #2 receiver but his catches will drop) , but look carefully at the waiver wire in case one of our new WRs emerges. And of course, don’t forget Chris Cooley, our stud TE who won’t lose too many catches to new draft pick Fred Davis.
Chris Cooley is solid draft pick, scoring 8 touchdowns last season he is a bargain in the middle rounds of the draft. Most TE’s will start coming off the board in rounds 7 and 8, but there is always one team who will make a move early, and that is when you can see a guy like Cooley come off. If you want him, you will need to spend a 5 or a 6 to get him. He won’t be there in the later rounds.
DJ – LombardiAve – Donald Lee
…other potential pickups include tight end Donald Lee, quite the
sleeper…
DJ didn’t have a lot to say in regards to the TE position when he submitted his top 2 guys from the Packers. He mentioned him as an afterthought. Still, the notion that Lee is a sleeper, is intriguing. Young QB’s tend to rely on the TE more than veterans do when it comes to getting out of trouble. Lee may be a good beneficiary of Aaron Rodgers, although the Favre situation surely needs monitoring. Either way, Lee should still be available after round 10.
Bob – Beargoggleson – Chicago TE’s
Don’t make the mistake of going too high on Greg Olsen, he looks like a big
time tight end but the Bears just resigned Desmond Clark and they will
platoon at the position. Both tight ends are capable of making big
plays, which means they will both get opportunities and have mediocre
fantasy numbers.
I couldn’t agree more, and unless you are looking for a bye-week fill in, I would not make plans on either one of them to be drafted. Although the Bears resigned Clark, Olsen is still the better option in my opinion, if you do get stuck.
Other Notables:
Jason Whitten – Whitten is being drafted in the 3rd and 4th round this year. In fact, he has taken over the Tony G spot in fantasy drafts as the 2nd most coveted TE. If I were you, I would make him your number 1 TE. Whitten, it is being reported, will be seeing some playing time split out in the number 2 WR spot. If that happens Whitten becomes an extra receiver on your roster for free. While it may seem early to take a TE in rounds 3 or 4 not named Gates, it may be the wiser of the two.
Dallas Clark – With 11 TD’s last year, Clark is staking his name as one of the top TE’s in the league. While that is true, and his production should be close this year to last, Clark is still finding himself taken in the 6-8 round range. Another solid season this year and that will change.
Heath Miller – Miller is proving that he is an NFL player. Possibly a star in the future. Solid hands and good route running has earned confidence from Ben Rothlisberger. Not a bad option in the 8-10 round range.
Sleepers:
I have two. The first is Tony Scheffler out of Denver. Scheffler can be had late in the draft, in fact, I took him in round 13 in a 12 team draft. However, his value should be slightly higher in the 11 round range. Scheffler is said to be 100 percent and finished last season with 5 TD receptions in the last 3 games. A viable starter who should get better with a more confident Jay Cutler.
Number 2 is Miami’s own Anthony Fasano. Fasano is young and holds a lot of promise. With Miami in transition and not expected to put up a ton of WR points, the TE position may finally get the looks it deserves. Young QB’s on Miami’s roster should look to dump often and if your in a yardage or reception league, Fasano should get both. Fasano has gone undrafted or drafted in the last round.