Fantasy Football Sleepers: 2 Young Tight Ends Destined to Dominate

Joe Robbins/Getty Images

Great fantasy tight ends are extremely difficult to find.

Aside from about five sure thing’s, nobody knows what they are going to get from their starter.

From week-to-week no other position is as inconsistent. Yet there are an emerging group of young player’s that are poised to be the next generation of superb fantasy tight ends.

Here are two young guys ready to break out and provide you with consistent fantasy value week in and week out in the 16-week grind that is the NFL.

1. Rob Gronkowski- New England Patriots

Anybody that gets to catch passes from Tom Brady is already at a huge advantage. Factor in the terrific speed and route running ability of Gronkowski and you have yourself the perfect tight end.

Sure he is splitting time with Aaron Hernandez at the position, yet from Week 9 to the end of the season Gronkowski played in over 70-percent of the team’s offensive snaps.

Clearly he was the winner in the battle of two rookie tight ends and now he enters the season with very high expectations. He had 147 yards and three TDs halfway through ’10 only to finish with 546 yards and 10 TDs by the end. He made the necessary adjustments and now has a year of familiarity under his belt.

Expect the production of the second half to carry over this season, which means over 900 yards and 10-12 TDs.

2. Jermaine Gresham- Cincinnati Bengals

While steering clear of most of the Bengals offense is a good idea, one player to consider is Gresham.

Last year he was stuck in the middle of ego wars with T.O. and Chad Ochocinco. This year there are plenty of balls for everyone.

Rookie Andy Dalton is going to be pressured early and often in his first season under center. Having a safety valve in the middle of the field to dump the ball off is huge for Dalton. Gresham has the burst and agility to do some serious damage after the catch.

After all, there was a reason he went 17^th overall in the 2010 draft.

I expect his 471 yards and four TDs in 2010 to almost double. Rookie QBs need guys to get open quickly and Gresham will be happy to oblige.