Fantasy Football Top 20 Tight Ends For 2010

Tight end is probably the most unpredictable position for fantasy football owners.  In any given week, someone can surprise with a big game. That doesn’t mean there aren’t better options then others, however. Let’s take a look at my current draft day rankings:

1. Dallas Clark - Indianapolis Colts
2. Antonio Gates - San Diego Chargers
3. Vernon Davis - San Francisco 49ers
4. Jason Witten - Dallas Cowboys
5. Brent Celek - Philadelphia Eagles
6. Tony Gonzalez - Atlanta Falcons
7. Jermichael Finley - Green Bay Packers
8. Owen Daniels - Houston Texans
9. Kellen Winslow - Tampa Bay Buccaneers
10. Zach Miller - Oakland Raiders
11. Chris Cooley - Washington Redskins
12. Heath Miller - Pittsburgh Steelers
13. Visanthe Shiancoe - Minnesota Vikings
14. Greg Olsen - Chicago Bears
15. John Carlson - Seattle Seahawks
16. Bo Scaife - Tennessee Titans
17. Dustin Keller - New York Jets
18. Kevin Boss - New York Giants
19. Fred Davis - Washington Redskins
20. Jermaine Gresham - Cincinnati Bengals

Thoughts:

• We have heard about the potential upside of Vernon Davis since the day he was drafted but we finally saw it last season.  He had 965 yards and 13 TD, tying him for the most receiving TDs in the league. He’s clearly a major target in the red zone and should be considered among the top tight ends in the game. A full season of Michael Crabtree may cut into his TDs, but it also will take some of the focus off of him.

• Brent Celek emerged last season with Donovan McNabb at the helm. Kevin Kolb is going to need a safety valve, so look for him to continue producing.

• Tony Gonzalez is one of the best tight ends in NFL history, no one is going to argue that.  He is also on the downside of his career, another fact that people aren’t likely to argue. Still, he picked up 83 catches for 867 yards and 6 TD.  It was the first time he was under 900 yards since 2002, but it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him rebound over that level in 2010.

• It is easy to overlook Owen Daniels, with his season ending in Week 8 last year. Don’t make that mistake. He had emerged as a 'go to' option with 519 yards and 5 TD.  He has no competition at the position, so look for him to make an impact quickly once again.

• Speaking of injured TE, Chris Cooley is still a top option, but his problem is the emergence of Fred Davis. Who will be the starter?  Who will see the bulk of the snaps?  That dilemma hurts both of their draft values until things clear up.

• Once you get past the top 10-12 options, it really becomes a guessing game, doesn’t it? You just never know who is going to have a big game from week to week, so consider most of those names interchangeable at this point.

• The Raiders don’t really have any great receiving options, do they (click here  to view my thoughts on their receiving corps)?  With Jason Campbell now running the offense, Zach Miller could develop into a top 6-8 option.

• Jermaine Gresham is exactly what the Bengals needed, isn’t it?  The first round pick should slide seamlessly into their offense and become a major factor in the passing game.

What are your thoughts on these rankings?  Who is ranked to high?  Who is ranked to low?

Don’t forget about our other rankings:

• Top 25 Quarterbacks
• Top 40 Running Backs

Also, make sure to check out our recent rookie rankings:

• Top 5 Rookie RB
• Top 5 Rookie QB

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