Fantasy Football Week 1 Rankings: Top 20 Tight Ends

Tight ends are an unpredictable group, as we always say.  Still, there a few situations this week that seem to be perfect for a tight end to erupt for a big week.  Let’s take a look at how things shake out for me:

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

Thoughts:

Witten torched the Redskins for 11 catches and 160 yards in his two matchups with them in 2009.  He’s among the top tight ends in the league and should certainly be viewed like one this week.

The Raiders receiving corps is littered with question marks, which easily could lead to Jason Campbell leaning on Zach Miller early and often in 2010.  Look for Miller to get things started quickly against the Titans.

Greg Olsen continues to have a ton of potential, but I’ll believe Mike Martz will utilize the tight end in a significant fashion when I see it.  That makes him a low-end option to start the season.

Shiancoe has a chance to pile up the touchdowns, as he should be a big redzone threat for the Vikings in Sidney Rice’s absence.  In a game where both teams could post a ton of points, that gives him a lot of value in Week 1.

The Steelers are without both Ben Roethlisberger and his backup, Byron Leftwich, for the first few weeks of the season.  It’s certainly possible that Dennis Dixon leans on Heath Miller as a safety valve early and often in their absence.

With Sam Bradford getting the start in Week 1, his favorite target in the preseason, Hoomanawanui, could be in line for a solid NFL debut.  We’ve mentioned him as a potential sleeper at tight end before, so keep a close eye on him right from the start.

Owen Daniels has the talent to be a fantasy starter, but word is that he is not going to be 100 percent early in the season.  That certainly should cause owners to look at other options for now.

Make sure to check out the rest of our Week 1 Rankings:

• Top 25 Quarterbacks
• Top 40 Running Backs
• Top 60 Wide Receivers
• Top 15 Kickers (coming on Wednesday)
• Top 15 Defenses (coming on Wednesday)

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