Fantasy Football: Top 20 Tight Ends for 2010 (Final Preseason Rankings)

Will Jermichael Finley emerge as a fantasy stud?  That is just one of the many questions surrounding what is certainly the most unpredictable positions in fantasy football. 

I feel like a broken record, but from week-to-week, you really just never know who could come out of nowhere to post a huge week.

With that said, let’s take a look at how my final rankings look (outside of some major news between now and the start of the season):

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

Thoughts:

• There is certainly room to debate who should be the top tight end on the rankings: either Dallas Clark or Antonio Gates. To find out why I think Clark is the hands down choice, click here.
• I know everyone wants to dub Jermichael Finley the top tight end based on the talk in Green Bay and the performance he’s put up this spring. It has been extremely impressive, with 12 catches (tied for second in the league) for 163 yards (fifth in the league) and a pair of touchdowns. He could emerge as one of the elite two or three tight ends in the league by year’s end, but that is no guarantee. How much better than Jason Witten’s 94 catch, 1,030 yard season from 2009 can he be (outside of the 2 TD, which I do believe was an aberration)? I think he’s top five, but I can’t rank him higher then that yet.
• Do not underestimate the potential value of Zach Miller this year.  The Raiders receiving corps is extremely weak, but the team has improved dramatically at quarterback by importing Jason Campbell.  He has to throw the ball somewhere and Miller could easily better last year’s 66 catch, 805 yard performance.
• Sidney Rice’s injury will certainly have ripple effects throughout the Vikings’ lineup. One person who easily could gain from his absence is Shiancoe, who had 11 TD last season. While he may not improve on that mark, he should beat his career high 56 catches he set last season. Unlike Zach Miller, however, Shiancoe still has competition in the passing game.
• Owen Daniels is hurting and may not see regular playing time the first few weeks of the season. That has to send him down a few spots in the rankings. If you draft him, make sure to grab another viable option for the first few games.
• If you are looking for a sleeper out of the tight end position, Michael Hoomanawanui could be your man. To find out why, click here.
• Dustin Keller has the potential to emerge as a go-to option for Mark Sanchez this season. He is coming off a five catch, 46 yard performance with a touchdown in the third preseason game. He’s certainly not an elite option, but as a reserve he’s certainly worth it.

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

Make sure to check out Rotoprofessor’s 2010 rankings:

• Top 25 Quarterbacks
• Top 40 Running Backs
• Top 60 Wide Receivers
• Top 15 Kickers

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

• Top 5 Rookie RB
• Top 5 Rookie QB
• Top 5 Rookie WR
• Top 3 Rookie TE

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