Fantasy Football 2011: Early TE Rankings

Ryan LesterJun 28, 2011

Here’s an early look at the 2011 tight end rankings:

1. Antonio Gates, San Diego Chargers: Gates was limited to 10 games last year, but his 10 touchdowns and 782 yards were enough maintain the top slot.

2. Jason Witten, Dallas Cowboys: Steady as they come. He’s topped 90 catches and 1,000 yards in three of the past four years. His “off” year was still 81 and 952.

3. Jermichael Finley, Green Bay Packers: His ability is not an issue. Durability is a different story. High-risk, high-reward pick.

4. Vernon Davis, San Francisco 49ers: In 2009, he proved he wasn’t a bust with 965 yards and 13 touchdowns. Last year, he proved he wasn’t a fluke with 914 yards and seven scores.

5. Dallas Clark, Indianapolis Colts: The Colts did not miss a beat when Dallas went down. That shouldn’t take anything away from Clark though. He’s big and fast, runs clean routes and has great hands.

6. Zach Miller, Oakland Raiders: Miller showed unbelievable toughness last year and still managed to turn in another solid season. He has averaged 756 yards over the past three years.

7. Rob Gronkowski, New England Patriots: Gronkowski caught 10 touchdown passes last year as a rookie. There will be times when fellow second-year Aaron Hernandez gets the looks, but Gronkowski is the better red zone option.

8. Jimmy Graham, New Orleans Saints: Jimmy proved to be a nice red zone threat thanks to his 6’6″ frame. Consistency could be an issue because Brees likes to spread the ball around, but there will be catches to be had if Reggie Bush is shown the door.

9. Kellen Winslow, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Winslow regressed a bit, but his 730 yards and five scores were still solid.

10. Brandon Pettigrew, Detroit Lions: Pettigrew had 722 yards and five touchdowns. He didn’t finish strong with 36 or fewer yards in four of his last five games, but the talent is clearly there.