Fantasy Football 2012: Undervalued TEs That'll Be Quality Contributors

If you aren't able to draft Rob Gronkowski or Jimmy Graham in your fantasy football league, all hope is not lost. 

Even if you can't grab Vernon Davis, Jason Witten or Jermichael Finley, need not worry. 

There are a few relatively undervalued tight ends that won't carry your team in 2012, but they'll be far from a liability. 

Let's call them quality contributors.

Dustin Keller, New York Jets

Keller's easily the best and most established tight end on this list. However, due to the perceived occasional ineptitude of Mark Sanchez and the fact that many believe a quarterback controversy may be on the horizon for the Jets, Keller's vastly undervalued. 

Also, because he's not a menacing 6'5'' target with amazing athleticism or an imposing physique—Keller goes about 6'2'' and 245 pounds—he doesn't get the notoriety of some of the other tight ends around the league. 

Funny, but true. 

Although he plays in a less dynamic offense than guys like Gronkowski, Graham and Witten, he's managed to be rather productive with Sanchez under center.

And he's been trending upward since 2009. 

Keller's targets, receptions and receiving yards have all increased over the last three years. In 2011, the former Purdue standout had 65 catches on 116 targets for 815 yards and five touchdowns.

He's clearly Sanchez's favorite target, and with Plaxico Burress gone from the team, Keller's red zone viability is even better than last season. 

Scott Chandler, Buffalo Bills 

Chandler was a touchdown-catching machine at the start of the 2011 season, which coincided with the Bills' hot start that eventually deteriorated down the stretch. 

He had four touchdowns in the first three games and caught two more touchdowns in Toronto against the Washington Redskins the day before Halloween. 

Then, injuries hit the Bills and they weren't able to stay afloat in the AFC after a tough road stretch. Chandler missed two games himself and didn't have a touchdown grab the rest of the season. 

However, he has many things going for him from a fantasy standpoint. 

First and foremost, he's the unquestioned starter at the tight end position for the Bills. He won't be dealing with any legitimate TE No. 2 taking targets away from him. 

Also, Buffalo's receiving corps is far from intimidating. Stevie Johnson has reeled in 17 touchdowns over the last two years, but he's the only established red zone option for Ryan Fitzpatrick. Past him, it's hard to peg a favorite target for the Bills' quarterback inside the 20. 

At 6'7'' and 260 pounds, Chandler could be the beneficiary of Chan Gailey's spread system that'll create room for the huge target when Buffalo nears the goal line. 

Not a sexy pick, but Chandler could certainly pay off as a steady contributor in 2012. 

Jermaine Gresham, Cincinnati Bengals

Because Andy Dalton's not a gun-slinger and A.J. Green resides on the Bengals' roster, many people will overlook Gresham in their fantasy drafts.

Don't be one of those owners. 

Gresham is a supremely-gifted tight end that's rarely limited athletically. At 6'5'' and 260 pounds, he boasts ideal size, but has the foot speed to run past most linebackers in coverage. 

In 15 games as a rookie, he has 52 receptions for 471 yards with four touchdowns. Last year in 14 games, the former Oklahoma Sooner had 56 catches for 596 yards and six touchdowns. 

Got to love that, like Keller, his numbers are improving. 

Gresham will become a comfortable target for a quarterback under a relatively large amount of pressure like Dalton, a signal-caller many expect to build on a quality rookie campaign. 

With added defensive attention on Green and rookies Marvin Jones and Mohamed Sanu, Gresham will get more one-on-one opportunities and make the most of them.