We’ve gone through the QB, RB, and WR fantasy rankings. Now we’ll rank the tight ends. Can Titans TE Delanie Walker build on his productive 2013 campaign? It’s possible, but first let’s get to the top 10:
1. Jimmy Graham, New Orleans Saints
2. Julius Thomas, Denver Broncos
3. Vernon Davis, San Francisco 49ers
4. Rob Gronkowski, New England Patriots
5. Jordan Cameron, Cleveland Browns
6. Greg Olsen, Carolina Panthers
7.Jason Witten, Dallas Cowboys
8. Kyle Rudolph, Minnesota Vikings
9. Jordan Reed, Washington Redskins
10. Zach Ertz, Philadelphia Eagles
– Jimmy Graham holds the #1 spot by a wide margin, but I would rather see if he falls to round 2 in fantasy drafts, rather than reaching for a tight end in round 1.
– If Rob Gronkowski could possibly play all 16 games, he would be on the same level as Jimmy Graham, if not higher. But he is extremely injury prone, representing one of the biggest risk/reward options in fantasy football.
– Greg Olsen has a chance to become a top 5 tight end just by default. With Carolina revamping their wide receiver core, Olsen is one of the few familiar targets QB Cam Newton has to throw to.
Here’s 11-20
11. Dennis Pitta, Baltimore Ravens
12. Charles Clay, Miami Dolphins
13. Martellus Bennett, Chicago Bears
*****14. Delanie Walker, Tennessee Titans*****
15. Ladarius Green, San Diego Chargers
16. Dwayne Allen, Indianapolis Colts
17. Tyler Eifert, Cincinnati Bengals
18. Eric Ebron, Detroit Lions
19. Heath Miller, Pittsburgh Steelers
20. Antonio Gates, San Diego Chargers
– Charles Clay has a versatile skill-set, as he also lines up in the backfield quite often. The more QB Ryan Tannehill grows, the more Clay should produce o the field.
– Titans TE Delanie Walker had a career year in 2013, and he should only improve on those numbers with a healthier offensive environment. New HC Ken Whisenhunt brings a much-needed offensive mind, and if QB Jake Locker can stay healthy, Walker could break into the top 10. He is a nice late round option.
– Will Antonio Gates pass the torch over to Ladarius Green in San Diego? It trended that way towards the end of last season. Green is a freak athlete for a tight end, the only question is how many targets he will receive in 2014.
My strategy would be either to get a top 5 tight end, or wait till the end of the draft to find one. There isn’t much of a difference between the #8th ranked tight end and the #14th in my opinion.
Thanks for reading, and let us know what you think of these rankings in the comments section below.