The smell of football is in the air. Here are my 2012 Week 1 fantasy football tight end rankings.

1. Rob Gronkowski, New England Patriots

Teams will likely have new strategies to deal with him, but his size and athleticism will make him a nightmare for Tennessee.

 

2. Jimmy Graham, New Orleans Saints

I really consider him 1-B. He is the same mismatch problem for Washington.

 

3. Vernon Davis, San Francisco 49ers

Another freak athlete who came on in the playoffs. He will be hard for Green Bay to slow.

 

4. Aaron Hernandez, New England Patriots

The Patriots don’t shy away from using both of their tight ends. Hernandez is right on par with Gronk, which says a lot.

Hi-res-hi-res-136322212_crop_exact Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

 

5. Antonio Gates, San Diego Chargers

Gates is slowing a bit, but he’s still a force and the most reliable option Rivers has. He’ll be motivated against Oakland.

 

6. Jermichael Finley, Green Bay Packers

He could be along the lines as the guys above him if he could stay healthy and cut down on drops.

 

7. Fred Davis, Washington Redskins

RG3 would be wise to rely on his big tight end against the Saints.

 

8. Tony Gonzalez, Atlanta Falcons

Old Man Gonzo keeps churning it out. With Julio and Roddy it’s easy to forget the most prolific tight end in NFL history. He should do well against his old team.

Hi-res-hi-res-136909442_crop_exact Al Bello/Getty Images

 

9. Brandon Pettigrew, Detroit Lions

With a questionable running attack, he should see plenty of short passes when they aren’t going deep to Megatron and Titus.

 

10. Jermaine Gresham, Cincinnati Bengals

Had two solid games against Baltimore last year and should have another decent effort.

 

11. Greg Olsen, Carolina Panthers

The Panthers envision Olsen as a Gronk type. I'm not buying that, but he should be solid against Tampa Bay.

 

12. Coby Fleener, Indianapolis Colts

Against the Bears, Luck will look to a familiar face in Fleener.

 

13. Jared Cook, Tennessee Titans

Another freak athlete. Will try to give Patriots a taste of their own medicine.

 

14. Dustin Keller, New York Jets

I have a hard time trusting the Jets’ offense right now. Keller is probably the best bet in the passing game.

 

15.  Kyle Rudolph, Minnesota Vikings

He has good size and athleticism. He's a decent play against the Jags.


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