Fantasy Football Week 8 Rankings: Top 25 Tight Ends

Jermichael Finley outside the Top 15?  Heath Miller a Top Five option?  Where does a healthy Jimmy Graham fall?  Let’s answer these questions and all the rest for Week 8:

1. Rob Gronkowski – New England Patriots – at St. Louis
2. Jimmy Graham – New Orleans Saints – at Denver
3. Tony Gonzalez – Atlanta Falcons – at Philadelphia
4. Heath Miller – Pittsburgh Steelers – vs. Washington
5. Antonio Gates – San Diego Chargers – at Cleveland
6. Aaron Hernandez – New England Patriots – at St. Louis
7. Jason Witten – Dallas Cowboys – vs. New York Giants
8. Vernon Davis – San Francisco 49ers – at Arizona
9. Kyle Rudolph – Minnesota Vikings – vs. Tampa Bay
10. Brent Celek – Philadelphia Eagles – vs. Atlanta
11. Brandon Pettigrew – Detroit Lions – vs. Seattle
12. Dustin Keller – New York Jets – vs. Miami
13. Martellus Bennett – New York Giants – at Dallas
14. Greg Olsen – Carolina Panthers – at Chicago
15. Jacob Tamme – Denver Broncos – vs. New Orleans
16. Jared Cook – Tennessee Titans – vs. Indianapolis
17. Jermichael Finley – Green Bay Packers – vs. Jacksonville
18. Marcedes Lewis – Jacksonville Jaguars – at Green Bay
19. Coby Fleener – Indianapolis Colts – at Tennessee
20. Joel Dressen – Denver Broncos – vs. New Orleans
21. Anthony Fasano – Miami Dolphins – at New York Jets
22. Dwayne Allen – Indianapolis Colts – at Tennessee
23. Dallas Clark – Tampa Bay Buccaneers – at Minnesota
24. Brandon Myers – Oakland Raiders – at Kansas City
25. Lance Kendricks – St. Louis Rams – vs. New England

Thoughts:

• While the Rams defense hasn’t given up much to opposing tight ends this season, Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez are not your typical tight ends.  Look for them to produce as normal this week.
• If Jimmy Graham is healthy he has the potential to be the top tight end, given the match-up.   However, after missing Week 7 we have to consider that a real uncertainty.  We are going to rank him as if he is going to play, but make sure to monitor the news just in case.
• Would anyone have predicted Heath Miller being a Top Five option in any given week?  He faces one of the worst defenses at stop opposing tight ends in the Washington Redskins and has seen his role expand significantly (he’s not just a red zone target).  In other words, you should be rewarded with a very nice afternoon this week.
• Jacob Tamme has more receptions and yards than Joel Dressen, but Dressen is the tight end in Denver with three TD (Tamme has one).  Who would you rather own?  I would still put Tamme as the better play, but at this point both should be considered more as TE2 options.  However, a favorable match-up at least brings consideration for TE1 status.
• No, having Jermichael Finley so low is not a typo.  How can we trust him at this point given his continued struggles?  I obviously wouldn’t drop him, but keep him stashed until he shows us something.
• Anthony Fasano had six catches for 47 yards against the Jets in their first meeting this season.  While the match-up is favorable, that is actually his high game for the season.  I would continue to view him as more of a TE2 option.
• The match-up with a Titans team that has continually been torched by tight ends put Dwayne Allen and Coby Fleener in the Top 25.  The problem is that neither has provided overly impressive numbers for fantasy owners.  Consider them as TE2 and nothing more.

Make sure to check out all of our Week 8 rankings:

• Top 25 Quarterbacks