Fantasy football 2014 draft prep: Tight end position primer

Author:
David Gonos
Publish date:
Aug 5, 2014

In 2003, there were two players that scored more than 100 fantasy points from the tight ends position: Shannon Sharpe and the recently retired Tony Gonzalez. By comparison, 10 tight ends scored 100 fantasy points in 2013. Eleven tight ends did it in 2011, and again in 2012 (not the same tight ends).

FANTASY FOOTBALL POSITION RANKINGS AND PROJECTIONS:

Obviously, the explosion of the passing game is the reason for this, as quarterbacks are throwing more and tight ends are one of the beneficiaries. But innovation has also furthered the fantasy futures at the position, as there are more two-TE sets in passing games. Finally, tight ends have evolved into these big, fast, physical freaks that are dexterous enough to move all around, including lining up as a wide receiver – like Jimmy Graham did two-thirds of the time last season.

Graham recently lost an opportunity to be paid like one, as he fought the Saints’ franchise tag as a tight end, which meant he’d get paid the average of the top five tight ends in the league, rather than the better paid top-five wide receivers.

POSITION PRIMERS:
QB | RB | WR | TE | K | DST

In fantasy football, the position is no longer a matter of five great ones and then a mess of useless ones. Sure, Graham has separated himself from the pack, finding himself in the first round of most drafts. But there are about 10 excellent options at the position now and about 10 promising players behind them.

The lesson here: Either draft a stud early, pick an average fantasy tight end with a middle pick or roll the dice on one or two from the promising group. At some point, I believe, if tight ends continue to be as involved in NFL offenses, we’ll start seeing two-TE leagues popping up. There are 20 serviceable tight ends, much like the catcher position in fantasy baseball, and two starting tight ends would give us more chances to strategize.

2014 Fantasy Football Sleepers

Knile Davis - RB, Kansas City Chiefs

Davis is about as important a handcuff as you’ll find in the league. Davis would impact fantasy standings if Jamaal Charles goes down at any point. Davis picked up 81 yards and two TDs on 27 carries when Charles was resting Week 17 last season.

Terrance West - RB, Cleveland Browns

The rookie will need to beat out veteran Ben Tate for touches, but his upside is enormous. Browns running back coach Wilbert Montgomery recently told reporters, ''He has that Ricky Watters, Walter Payton, lure-you-to-sleep-on-the-sideline move that I can accelerate or play like I’m going to accelerate and come back inside. Those are traits I haven’t seen in a while.''

Dri Archer - RB, Pittsburgh Steelers

It’s possible that the undersized third-round pick is restricted to kick return duty in his rookie year. It’s also possible that Archer emerges as a dynamic RB/WR who could score anytime he touches the ball.

Lache Seastrunk - RB, Washington Redskins

The Baylor product is behind Alfred Morris and Roy Helu on the depth chart and has developed a reputation for having awful hands. He actually dropped 10 balls and only caught nine during his two years in college. That said, Seastrunk’s running ability would make him a fantasy asset if Morris goes down with an injury.

Ka’Deem Carey - RB, Chicago Bears

Carey is an all-around running back who is capable of stepping in and producing for fantasy owners if Matt Forte gets hurt. He’s the type of rookie who would be a hot commodity if he were drafted by a team without an elite running back.

Devonta Freeman - RB, Atlanta Falcons

There is a legitimate chance that Freeman will eventually start over Steven Jackson; the rookie's average draft position will skyrocket with a dominant preseason. The former FSU back should see the field a lot if he can handle pass protection.

Christine Michael - RB, Seattle Seahawks

Michael is an instant stud if Marshawn Lynch goes down. Either way, the Seahawks have hinted at a committee approach and Lynch’s brief holdout may not have helped matters for the veteran running back. Michael has the skill set to provide RB1 numbers if he receives enough carries.

Carlos Hyde - RB, San Francisco 49ers

Anyone who saw Carlos Hyde at Ohio State knew he wouldn’t get buried in San Francisco, even with a crowded backfield. He’s arguably the most talented rookie RB and is one Frank Gore injury away from fantasy stardom.

Tre Mason - RB, St. Louis Rams

Many fantasy owners are high on Zac Stacy entering the season. But ask anyone who drafted Daryl Richardson in 2013 if Jeff Fisher is afraid to make a change at running back. The dynamic rookie Tre Mason is too talented to ride the pine forever and he’d turn into a nice fantasy option if given carries.

Chris Polk - RB, Philadelphia Eagles

Even with Darren Sproles in town, Polk would hold a ton of fantasy value if LeSean McCoy were to miss time at any point. Chip Kelly’s offense turns RBs into fantasy stars and Polk is the clear-cut backup to McCoy.

Charles Sims - RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The rookie from West Virginia is expected to be an immediate handcuff to Doug Martin for fantasy purposes. Smith should contribute in passing situations early, but could steal carries from Martin as the season progresses.

Markus Wheaton - WR, Pittsburgh Steelers

Wheaton is expected to inherit a starting gig with Jerricho Cotchery and Emmanuel Sanders gone. The sophomore from Oregon State has big-play ability and could easily emerge as a must-start fantasy option on a weekly basis.

Marqise Lee - WR, Jacksonville Jaguars

Lee is a candidate to lead the Jaguars in receptions as a rookie, but his competition isn’t exactly elite. He should be able to rack up catches and yards with Jacksonville expected to be playing from behind more often than not.

Kenny Stills - WR, New Orleans Saints

Stills has a ton of breakout potential coming off a rookie season in which he posted 641 yards on 32 catches with five TDs. He’s a big-play threat on ever possession and should easily surpass the 46 targets he received last season. He might only need 50 catches to score double-digit TDs.

Kelvin Benjamin - WR, Carolina Panthers

The 6-foot-5, 240-pound, No. 28 overall pick is a perfect red-zone target and he could help the Panthers win games immediately. For fantasy purposes, he’s merely a WR3 or a WR4 until he proves he can be more than just a TD-dependent gamble on a weekly basis.

Tavon Austin - WR, St. Louis Rams

As a rookie in 2013, Austin only caught 40 passes for 418 yards and never really found a true role. He’s admitted that the adjustment from college to the NFL took a toll on him and he continuously dropped passes early in the season. If things click in his second year, Austin has the skillset to be a star.

Justin Hunter - WR, Tennessee Titans

The second-year receiver showed signs of his high ceiling last season with a few big games down the stretch. Hunter has the tools to develop into a WR1 in his prime and should play a prominent role on young Titans’ offense.

Jordan Matthews - WR, Philadelphia Eagles

DeSean Jackson’s departure opens the door for Matthews to step up. The 2014 season could turn into a perfect storm for Matthews to succeed with Jeremy Maclin coming off a torn ACL and Riley Cooper coming off a career season.

Eric Ebron - TE, Detroit Lions

The Lions turned heads when they selected Ebron No. 10 overall in May’s Draft. It might take a season or two for the UNC product to reach his potential, but Ebron is an elite fantasy TE in the making. He’s been compared to Jimmy Graham and has the skillset to live up to his lofty expectations.

Ladarius Green - TE, San Diego Chargers

The 6-6, 237-pound Green is an obvious red-zone target and has the tools to be an impact fantasy option if he receives ample targets. Antonio Gates, the incumbent TE in San Diego, is 34 and slowed significantly down the stretch in 2013. Green caught 17 passes for 376 yards and three TDs last season, highlighted by a three-game stretch in which he caught nine balls for 206 yards and two scores.

Elite

Jimmy Graham, New Orleans Saints -- The fantasy football world has never seen a tight end dominate the position like Graham has in recent seasons. Shannon Sharpe, Tony Gonzalez, Antonio Gates -- none of them have produced like Graham. He has two seasons (out of four) with over 1,200 yards receiving (Gonzalez did it twice in 12 years. Graham led the league with 16 touchdown catches in 2013 (the other three never caught more than 13 touchdowns in any one season). Graham is a worthy first-rounder in many formats, as he dominates his position unlike any other player.

Reach

Jordan Cameron, Cleveland Browns -- Cameron was expected to have a breakout season in 2013 – and he didn’t disappoint, catching 80 passes for 917 yards and seven touchdowns. Unfortunately, he also had Josh Gordon taking away a lot of attention – which is something he’s not expected to have this season. With one quarterback returning from a knee injury battling a rookie quarterback that might be more style than substance, Cameron looks like a reach at the position in the fifth round.

Steal

Greg Olsen, Carolina Panthers -- Rather than taking someone like Cameron too high in Round 5, Olsen makes for a great pick in the seventh or eighth round. Only three tight ends have eclipsed the 800-yards receiving mark: Jason Witten, Jimmy Graham – and Greg Olsen. The Panthers will once again key on him in 2014, as they work in rookie WR Kelvin Benjamin. Newton should target Olsen frequently near the goal line, too. Olsen hasn’t missed a game over the past two seasons either. He’s one of the reasons (along with Dennis Pitta and Jordan Reed) why waiting on taking some of the top guys might be a good idea.

Injury-risk

Rob Gronkowski, New England Patriots -- Gronkowski is the only player that could even dream about overtaking Graham in the top spot of the tight ends position. Both entered the NFL in the same season (2010), but Gronkowski just hasn’t been able to stay healthy. Even so, the Patriots tight end has averaged 13.80 fantasy points in every game he has played over the past three seasons, and Graham checks in at 12.06 per game. Gronk tore his ACL in 2013, but he’s looking good in camp and will pay big dividends for his fantasy owner. Unfortunately, he’s a huge risk/reward-type player.

Rookie

Eric Ebron, Detroit Lions -- Everyone knows at this point that it’s quite rare for a tight end to become fantasy worthy in his first season out of college. Tampa Bay’s Tim Wright was the best rookie tight end in fantasy last season, yet he didn’t even crack the top 12 tight ends in most formats. Wright was the best rookie since Gronk entered the league in 2010, so if you think Ebron has that potential, then you should jump on him late. With Matthew Stafford as his quarterback, Ebron has plenty of promise, but he’ll serve -- at best -- as the team’s third or fourth option in the passing game, after Megatron, Reggie Bush and Golden Tate.

Tier explanations

First tier -- When a player owns a tier all to himself, you know he’s pretty good. Graham is first-round worthy, despite playing at a position that has plenty of depth in 2014.


REC	REC YDS	REC TDS	BYE	VALUE
85	1,200	16	6	$37

Second tier -- Gronkowski and Thomas aren’t too far behind in the ADP, and if you roll the dice on Gronkowski, you can always pick up a good tight end off of waivers when he does get hurt. While you’ll do great in fantasy points per game at the position, you’ll unfortunately miss out on a stud player at another position.


REC	REC YDS	REC TDS	BYE	VALUE
58	840	10	10	$22


REC	REC YDS	REC TDS	BYE	VALUE
60	750	10	4	$18

Third tier -- You’ll have to burn a pick somewhere between the top 50 and 100 players to get a player from this tier.

Fourth tier -- Your last chance at getting a tight end that is expected to produce fantasy starter stats.

Fifth tier -- These are mostly guys coming off of subpar seasons, whether due to injury or a new offense.

Sixth tier -- At this point, you’re drafting a fantasy backup, and these players have all either seen some success in the past (Lewis and Allen), or they are promising young players (Eifert, Amaro, Fleener and ASF).

Seventh tier Don’t touch these guys unless you are in a very deep league or you like having tight ends that are not heavily featured in their NFL team’s passing games.


	PLAYER	TEAM	BYE	VALUE	REC	REC YDS	REC TDS	TIER
1	Jimmy Graham	NO	6	$37	85	1200	15	1
2	Rob Gronkowski	NE	10	$22	58	840	10	2
3	Julius Thomas	DEN	4	$18	60	750	10	2
4	Vernon Davis	SF	8	$11	55	750	8	3
5	Jason Witten	DAL	11	$10	67	805	7	3
6	Greg Olsen	CAR	12	$8	70	790	7	3
7	Jordan Cameron	CLE	4	$5	68	775	6	3
8	Jordan Reed	WAS	10	$2	65	705	7	3
9	Dennis Pitta	BAL	11	$1	60	645	6	4
10	Kyle Rudolph	MIN	11	$1	52	545	7	4
11	Martellus Bennett	CHI	9	$1	55	640	5	4
12	Charles Clay	MIA	5	$1	58	690	4	4
13	Zach Ertz	PHI	7	$0	55	670	4	4
14	Ladarius Green	SD	10	$0	45	580	5	5
15	Heath Miller	PIT	12	$0	60	630	4	5
16	Jared Cook	STL	4	$0	60	610	4	5
17	Antonio Gates	SD	10	$0	50	580	4	5
18	Eric Ebron	DET	9	$0	40	550	5	5
19	Delanie Walker	TEN	9	$0	50	505	5	5
20	Tyler Eifert	CIN	4	$0	52	550	4	6
21	Dwayne Allen	IND	10	$0	40	465	4	6
22	Garrett Graham	HOU	10	$0	38	405	4	6
23	Jace Amaro	NYJ	11	$0	37	395	3	6
24	Coby Fleener	IND	10	$0	34	380	3	6
25	Austin Sefarian-Jenkins	TB	7	$0	33	360	3	6
26	Marcedes Lewis	JAC	11	$0	30	290	2	6
27	Scott Chandler	BUF	9	$0	44	425	1	6
28	Levine Toilolo	ATL	9	$0	35	350	2	7
29	Travis Kelce	KC	6	$0	25	315	2	7
30	Andrew Quarless	GB	9	$0	31	305	2	7
31	Tim Wright	TB	7	$0	32	360	1	7
32	Owen Daniels	BAL	11	$0	30	350	1	7
33	Jermaine Gresham	CIN	4	$0	30	285	2	7
34	Mychal Riveral	OAK	5	$0	32	340	1	7
35	Brandon Pettigrew	DET	9	$0	26	280	2	7

Fantasy football 2014 draft prep: Tight end position primer

POSITION PRIMERS:
QB | RB | WR | TE | K | DST