TE Ranking (1 Viewer)

[Hoss_Cartwright]

Sorry if this is a honda because it's from 2/16.

http://www.rotoworld.com/articles/nfl/37359/69/dynasty-ranks-tight-ends

Dynasty Ranks: Tight Ends

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

This is the fourth in Rotoworld's four-part Dynasty ranks series to kick off the fantasy football offseason. Running backs and quarterbacks and wide receivers have already been posted.

Tier One

1. Jermichael Finley, Packers

2. Antonio Gates, Chargers

3. Vernon Davis, 49ers

4. Jason Witten, Cowboys

5. Dallas Clark, Colts

I'm tempted to leave Gates at No. 1, but he's heading into his age-31 season. Would you rather have a shot at 3-4 dominant seasons with Gates or a shot at 8-10 with Finley catching passes from Aaron Rodgers? I'll roll the dice with Finley. … Davis has finished first and third in fantasy points the past two seasons. He's as talented as any tight end in the league, but there's uncertainty heading into 2011 with a new offense and a question mark at QB. … In 11 games with Jon Kitna and Stephen McGee, Witten averaged 6.5 receptions, 66.5 yards, 0.73 TDs, and 11.0 fantasy points. In five games with Tony Romo, Witten averaged 4.6 receptions, 54 yards, 0.2 TDs, and 6.6 fantasy points. … Clark turns 32 next season, but he remains one of a handful of weekly difference-makers at the position.

Tier Two

6. Zach Miller, Raiders

7. Jimmy Graham, Saints

8. Aaron Hernandez, Patriots

9. Rob Gronkowski, Patriots

10. Owen Daniels, Texans

11. Dustin Keller, Jets

12. Marcedes Lewis, Jaguars

This tier gave me more trouble than the rest combined. There are only a half-dozen sure-fire plug 'n' play tight ends heading into the 2011 season. Isn't it better to play a young lottery ticket like Hernandez, Gronkowski, or Graham, hoping they develop into a tier one difference-maker? … An interesting note: Miller has four years under his belt, and he's still just a year older than Jimmy Graham. If not for a painful plantar faschia injury, he would have finished as a top-five tight end in 2010. … The late-season fade obscures the fact that Hernandez exceeded expectations with a 45/563/6 line as the youngest player in the NFL. … Gronkowski looks like a young Todd Heap as Tom Brady's favorite red-zone weapon. … Expect the freakishly athletic Graham to play the same role for Drew Brees. … Keller's fast start last season hints at his potential, but consistency remains elusive. … Daniels recaptured his 2007-09 form over the final four weeks of the season, leading all tight ends in targets while averaging 5.5 receptions and 68 yards. Coach Gary Kubiak made it clear that re-signing Daniels is a high priority for the Texans this offseason. … Lewis is underrated as an NFL tight end, but he's going to be overvalued as a fantasy property coming off a 10-TD season.

Tier Three

13. Brandon Pettigrew, Lions

14. Jared Cook, Titans

15. Chris Cooley, Redskins

16. Jermaine Gresham, Bengals

17. Kellen Winslow, Buccaneers

18. Brent Celek, Eagles

19. Heath Miller, Steelers

20. Greg Olsen, Bears

In 10 games started by Shaun Hill, Pettigrew averaged 5.6 receptions and 61.5 yards. In three games started by Matthew Stafford, Pettigrew averaged 2.0 receptions and 10.7 yards. … The Titans turned over the tight end position to Cook late in the season, and he responded by finishing 10th in fantasy points over the final five weeks and sixth in the final three weeks. He's a strong breakout candidate for 2011. … Gresham benefited from Carson Palmer's checkdown tendencies, but the majority of his rookie-year production came in garbage time with the Bengals in hurry-up mode. … The final numbers of Cooley and Winslow look decent, but fantasy owners spent the entire 2010 season looking for superior options at the position. Winslow, in particular, was boosted by a Week 16 outlier. … Celek is an interesting buy coming off a down season, but he's not going to reach the heights of 2009 with Michael Vick at QB. … Miller has the game to bounce back to top-10 production, but his fantasy production rests on the Steelers upgrading the pass blocking. … The Bears' surprisingly successful season saved Mike Martz's job, effectively killing Olsen's 2011 value.

Tier Four

21. Todd Heap, Ravens

22. Fred Davis, Redskins

23. Tony Moeaki, Chiefs

24. Ben Watson, Browns

25. Tony Gonzalez, Falcons

26. Visanthe Shiancoe, Vikings

27. Kevin Boss, Giants

28. John Carlson, Seahawks

Heap is the same age as Antonio Gates, and he proved in 2010 that he has plenty of game left. His 10-catch, 108-yard effort in the playoffs was one of the most impressive tight end games of the season. … Davis is entering a contract year, but his 2012 freedom hinges on the next CBA. … Moeaki showed plenty of promise as a rookie, but he's injury-prone with a relatively low fantasy ceiling. … Gonzalez has lost any semblance of playmaking ability at age 35. … Watson's 68/763/3 line was good for a career year, but he was a maddening fantasy play all year. … Shiancoe's value has plummeted with Brett Favre out of the picture. … Boss is mediocrity personified. … Carlson could end up losing snaps to Cameron Morrah if he doesn't snap out of his year-and-a-half tailspin.

Tier Five

29. Martellus Bennett, Cowboys

30. Ed Dickson, Ravens

31. Tony Scheffler, Lions

32. Jacob Tamme, Colts

33. Jeremy Shockey, Saints

34. Cameron Morrah, Seahawks

35. James Casey, Texans

36. Anthony Fasano, Dolphins

37. Joel Dreessen, Texans

Bennett is due to hit free agency after next season. … Dickson looks like the successor to Heap. … Scheffler was outplayed by Pettigrew. … Unless you're into handcuffing tight ends (I won't judge you), Tamme is practically valueless with Dallas Clark signed through 2013. … Shockey is about to take a backseat to Jimmy Graham. … Morrah can't block a lick, but his speed is intriguing as a "move" tight end. … Casey has been broken in slowly, but he still has a chance to be the tight end of the future in Houston. … About those tight end handcuffs, Dreessen may enter the season as the starter if Daniels gets away. … Fasano is a poor man's Kevin Boss.

Tier Six

38. Fendi Onobun, Rams

39. Gary Barnidge, Panthers

40. Evan Moore, Browns

41. Zach Miller, Jaguars

42. Michael Hoomanawanui, Rams

43. Shawn Nelson, Bills

44. Bo Scaife, UFA

45. Andrew Quarless, Packers

46. John Phillips, Cowboys

47. Dennis Pitta, Ravens

48. Chase Coffman, Bengals

49. Clay Harbor, Eagles

50. Travis Beckum, Giants

Onobun remains a project, but his measurables are off the charts. … Hoomanawanui's pass-catching ability is better than advertised, but his fantasy potential is capped by Josh McDaniels' offense. … Barnidge, Moore, and Miller are essentially souped-up wide receivers with impressive pass-catching ability, but they don't block well enough for consistent snaps. … Nelson still has his Dynasty league true believers, but he done nothing but miss games and underwhelm onlookers in two years. … Scaife is done as a fantasy factor. … Quarless is blocked by Jermichael Finley. … Phillips was coming on as an interesting backup before suffering a torn ACL last summer.

Follow Chris Wesseling on Twitter.

 

[FantasyTrader]

Solid list and good reasoning. Only a couple of issues that I have. I kinda feel like back-to-back Pats at #8 and #9 is hedging theirs bets. No way in hell are both Hernandez and Gronkowski top 10. Call your shot.

That, and Pettigrew is too low. Not by much, but he's top 10 in dynasty.

 

[BigSteelThrill]

Solid list and good reasoning. Only a couple of issues that I have. I kinda feel like back-to-back Pats at #8 and #9 is hedging theirs bets. No way in hell are both Hernandez and Gronkowski top 10.That, and Pettigrew is too low. Not by much, but he's top 10 in dynasty.

Good calls. Swap Gronk And Pettigrew.

 

[moderated]

Always enjoy wesseling's rankings. Some of the more thought out rankings on the net.

 

[bonesman]

Nice comprehensive list. Very please by how deep he went. Gotta disagree w/ one point though

Shiancoe's value has plummeted with Brett Favre out of the picture

Not that I think he should be ranked particularly high, but Shank had a 42/596/7 season before Favre ever got to town, so I don't think his value is tied to the Old One.

 

[hooptd]

Chris Cooley is too low in my opinion. He's a solid top ten guy.

 

[bonesman]

Chris Cooley is too low in my opinion. He's a solid top ten guy.

Gresham is the guy who looks out of place in that tier. I'd bump him up over Mercedes or Daniels.

 

[Dr. Octopus]

Solid list and good reasoning. Only a couple of issues that I have. I kinda feel like back-to-back Pats at #8 and #9 is hedging theirs bets. No way in hell are both Hernandez and Gronkowski top 10. Call your shot.That, and Pettigrew is too low. Not by much, but he's top 10 in dynasty.

I think it's possible that both NE TEs could be top 10 as they play very different roles in the offense. Hernandez is used as more of a WR in that offense while Gronk plays the traditional TE role. The Pats run a ton of two TE sets when both are healthy. Why couldn't both strive?

 

[Bri]

Solid list and good reasoning. Only a couple of issues that I have. I kinda feel like back-to-back Pats at #8 and #9 is hedging theirs bets. No way in hell are both Hernandez and Gronkowski top 10.That, and Pettigrew is too low. Not by much, but he's top 10 in dynasty.

Good calls. Swap Gronk And Pettigrew.

Pettigrew is a gem. His second year, he became a huge part of the Lions offense-as big as any TE with 7 and 8 catches a few weeks. He kinda tailed off at the end there, but you want a young player to develop and a team to show faith in him and...he's setup perfectly to succeed.

 

[Bri]

Always enjoy wesseling's rankings. Some of the more thought out rankings on the net.

I'm not pretending his are always this way, but I thought this was clearly a thrown together first go'round type list. I mean 32 teams and 3 Texans in top 37 is ...er not good.

 

[Tackling Dummies]

Always enjoy wesseling's rankings. Some of the more thought out rankings on the net.

I'm not pretending his are always this way, but I thought this was clearly a thrown together first go'round type list. I mean 32 teams and 3 Texans in top 37 is ...er not good.

He can defend/explain on his own, but it's my understanding that a clear line was drawn with the amount of distance between Daniels at 10 and the others at 35 & 37 (just a tick above Tier 6 which is filler for the most part). Lastly, a tell (again, to me) is that knowing that Daniels's uncertainty about his contract and he is still ranking him at 10 and the others way behind is that he loves him some Owen Daniels.

 

[FantasyTrader]

Solid list and good reasoning. Only a couple of issues that I have. I kinda feel like back-to-back Pats at #8 and #9 is hedging theirs bets. No way in hell are both Hernandez and Gronkowski top 10. Call your shot.

That, and Pettigrew is too low. Not by much, but he's top 10 in dynasty.

I think it's possible that both NE TEs could be top 10 as they play very different roles in the offense. Hernandez is used as more of a WR in that offense while Gronk plays the traditional TE role. The Pats run a ton of two TE sets when both are healthy. Why couldn't both strive?

It's never happened before? Don't get me wrong, if ANY team could do it this Patriots team could. But I'd venture to guess no team has put two TE"s in the top 10 in the same scoring format in the same year...ever. Let alone top 10 in dynasty, where you're saying these guys will be Nos. 8 and 9 year in and year out. It can't happen unless Welker falls of the edge of the earth and the Pats find themselves with NOTHING at receiver other than these two. In that very rare scenario, I agree it would be plausible for a year. But even then, the Pats are focusing on WR in the next FA/Draft pool. Two long term top 10 TE's just don't exist on the same team. Period.

 

[NorrisB]

Id move Hernandez down to the teens where Pettigrew and Cook are

 

[Dr. Octopus]

Solid list and good reasoning. Only a couple of issues that I have. I kinda feel like back-to-back Pats at #8 and #9 is hedging theirs bets. No way in hell are both Hernandez and Gronkowski top 10. Call your shot.

That, and Pettigrew is too low. Not by much, but he's top 10 in dynasty.

I think it's possible that both NE TEs could be top 10 as they play very different roles in the offense. Hernandez is used as more of a WR in that offense while Gronk plays the traditional TE role. The Pats run a ton of two TE sets when both are healthy. Why couldn't both strive?

It's never happened before? Don't get me wrong, if ANY team could do it this Patriots team could. But I'd venture to guess no team has put two TE"s in the top 10 in the same scoring format in the same year...ever. Let alone top 10 in dynasty, where you're saying these guys will be Nos. 8 and 9 year in and year out. It can't happen unless Welker falls of the edge of the earth and the Pats find themselves with NOTHING at receiver other than these two. In that very rare scenario, I agree it would be plausible for a year. But even then, the Pats are focusing on WR in the next FA/Draft pool. Two long term top 10 TE's just don't exist on the same team. Period.

I'd argue that that's not exactly what the rankings are saying.

 

[thriftyrocker]

Always enjoy wesseling's rankings. Some of the more thought out rankings on the net.

I'm not pretending his are always this way, but I thought this was clearly a thrown together first go'round type list. I mean 32 teams and 3 Texans in top 37 is ...er not good.

Show me rankings where a lot of thought was put into garbage tier TEs. That said, do you disagree with his reasoning for the rankings of Dressen and Casey:

Casey has been broken in slowly, but he still has a chance to be the tight end of the future in Houston. … About those tight end handcuffs, Dreessen may enter the season as the starter if Daniels gets away.

He's saying Dressen has a lot of short term value if Daniels doesn't resign, and that Casey still has long term value if he is given more of a chance. Both I think are pretty true.

 

[NorrisB]

I think Id swap Gresham and Hernandez

 

[WiDDoW_MaKeR]

Finley's too low.

 

[Bri]

Thrifty-your Q about disagreeing is fairly involved.

I'd never ranked 3 TEs in the top 32 from the same team. Rolling with Daniels on another team, maybe one but not both of Casey and Dreesen.

To me that screams of a position they are going to address.

Dreesen is a good backup that's somewhat come along since he was on the Jets. In FF 500 yards from a TE is nothing to sneeze at, but I'd expect him to do less and back someone up.

I liked Casey and have been waiting on him. I mean really liked him. I don't think he's got "it" though. My love for Casey has faded. I imagine the Texans give him another year with hopes attached and then they start penciling him in as their 3rd TE each year.

One thing I do- and correct myself often of- is sorta create something where there's nothing. FF is all about opportunity, no doubt, but sometimes in the offseason we "push our luck" too much. I'd say Chris, the ranker, is doing this.

The Texans are going to address it. If not by getting a TE in the draft or FA, then they are rolling with more 3 WR sets.

(I believe Scheffler is a free agent)

In this imaginary scenario, I'd rather pencil in Scheffler over Dreesen since I imagine Kubiak will inquire about the former Bronco.

It's hard to play the "what if" game. Once you do it for one player in your rankings it has a ripple effect that just sorta throws things. I would rank Daniels as a Texan and then change the rest when it's time. If he's a Texan, then Dreesen and Casey aren't in my top 30-35.

 

[thriftyrocker]

Thrifty-your Q about disagreeing is fairly involved.I'd never ranked 3 TEs in the top 32 from the same team. Rolling with Daniels on another team, maybe one but not both of Casey and Dreesen.To me that screams of a position they are going to address.

Not to me. It screams of a plug-n-play situation which is very valuable. The TE in Hou or SD or Indy will have a lot of value no matter who he is. Some situations lack a lot of value - hasn't been a fantasy TE in Carolina since Wesley Walls.

(I believe Scheffler is a free agent)

Nope. Signed a 4y deal late last year.

It's hard to play the "what if" game. Once you do it for one player in your rankings it has a ripple effect that just sorta throws things. I would rank Daniels as a Texan and then change the rest when it's time. If he's a Texan, then Dreesen and Casey aren't in my top 30-35.

Factoring in all the "what if"s is the only reason to do rankings. What if Grant restructures. What if Michael Bush signs with another team. If you aren't factoring in what if's and the probabilities your rankings have no value (?).

 

[FUBAR]

Gonzalez has lost any semblance of playmaking ability at age 35.

He's probably in the right tier for Dynasty, but really?

 

[Bri]

Factoring in all the "what if"s is the only reason to do rankings. What if Grant restructures. What if Michael Bush signs with another team. If you aren't factoring in what if's and the probabilities your rankings have no value (?).

like I said in the beginning it's fairly involved.You have to draw the line somewhere on "whatifs"

 

[dgreen]

Chris Cooley is too low in my opinion. He's a solid top ten guy.

Yeah, that's a very curious ranking.Not sure about PPR, but in non-PPR Cooley's rankings are:2004 - 142005 - 42006 - 52007 - 62008 - 82009 - 28 (7 games)2010 - 7And they have him ranked 15th?

 

[pghrob]

I am glad to see this thread. Ridiculously, I have now have 4 TE's on my team. 12 teams in this PPR league with 25 roster spots. Start just 1 TE.

When we had our initial draft 2 seasons ago, I drafted Tony Gonzales and Finley hoping to get a good year's production while I waited to see if Finley would pan out. After the 2009 off season, I was sure Finley would pan out so I started thinking it would be nice if Tony G. just retired so I wouldn't have to plan how to get him off my roster. When we went into the 2010 rookie draft, I did some depth drafting and drafted Aaron Hernandez in the 2nd and Jimmy Graham in the 4th. With the Finley injury in 2010, I was lucky old Gonzo was still on my team, as I used him and Hernandez this past season.

So going into 2011, I think I am fairly well set at TE but damn if old Tony Gonzales ain't coming back again.

I see Chris W. has Tony G. as a low tier TE for dynasty, but was curious how you peg his value. Is he someone you drop or do you try to peddle him for whatever you can get? I doubt I could get a 4th round rookie pick for him and maybe he is just toss in value on a trade, but I am skeptical someone would want to tie up a roster spot for him. That said, I see some redraft rankings with him as a #10 ranked TE. Any insight would be appreciated.

 

[NorrisB]

Can someone explain to me the Hernandez love because I just think putting someone who sees 20 snaps a game in the top 20 10 seems a little out of place

 

[pghrob]

Can someone explain to me the Hernandez love because I just think putting someone who sees 20 snaps a game in the top 20 seems a little out of place

Prior to the start of the 2010 season, I was high on Hernandez and feeling good after his good start. Then Gronkowski emerged and gave BB justification to split their time pretty evenly, if not more with Gronkowski since he would seem to be the better run blocker. I still have reason to be optimistic that over the long haul, Hernandez should pay dividends as he is still very young and has really impressive talent as a route runner and pass catcher who creates match-up headaches for defenses. So while the opportunity might not be there right now, his skill set is such that if you have roster space, you hold onto him.

 

[NorrisB]

Heres how I see it:

Jermichael Finley, Packers

Antonio Gates, Chargers

Vernon Davis, 49ers

Jason Witten, Cowboys

Jimmy Graham, Saints

Tier Two

Zach Miller, Raiders

Dallas Clark, Colts

Chris Cooley, Redskins

Jermaine Gresham, Bengals

Rob Gronkowski, Patriots

Dustin Keller, Jets

Tier Three

Marcedes Lewis, Jaguars

Brandon Pettigrew, Lions

Owen Daniels, Texans

Kellen Winslow, Buccaneers

Aaron Hernandez, Patriots

Brent Celek, Eagles

Jared Cook, Titans

Heath Miller, Steelers

Greg Olsen, Bears

Fred Davis, Redskins

 

[Hoss_Cartwright]

Does anyone see Martellus Bennett getting traded? He's a FA after 2011. He could be a sleeper TE very soon.

 

[Mr. Peterson]

Not sure if it belongs here, but I'm really excited to see what Virgil Green does at the combine. The dude is a freak.

He could be a very nice fantasy TE.

 

[NorrisB]

Does anyone see Martellus Bennett getting traded? He's a FA after 2011. He could be a sleeper TE very soon.

Id put him at the end of that last tier how about you?

 

[Hoss_Cartwright]

Does anyone see Martellus Bennett getting traded? He's a FA after 2011. He could be a sleeper TE very soon.

Id put him at the end of that last tier how about you?

I'd raise him quite a bit if he gets traded to a good situation because he has the talent. I just wish he maturity would catch up to his talent.

 

[NorrisB]

Id probably put him ahead of Hernandez and possible Winslow if traded but right Id keep him at about Fred Davis level. Fred Davis has just shown me that he can get it done so I like him better as a prospect.

 

[Tackling Dummies]

Can someone explain to me the Hernandez love because I just think putting someone who sees 20 snaps a game in the top 20 10 seems a little out of place

He was the youngest player in the league and finished much better than you think.

2010 TE ranking