Week 3 Fantasy Football Rankings: 3 Tight Ends Who Will Come Alive

If you happen to own Rob Gronkowski, Dustin Keller, Tony Gonzalez, Jason Witten or Fred Davis, the tight end spot on your fantasy team is pretty well set.

As for the rest of us, it's a crapshoot. Tight ends are puzzling creatures who don't like to produce fantasy points on a regular basis and they certainly don't respond to a stern talking to via your computer screen.

Too bad. Since us fantasy football players can't influence our tight ends, we have no choice but to wait and hope that good things happen.

In Week 3, some fantasy owners are going to have their patience rewarded. There are many tight ends around the league who have been dormant through the first two weeks of the season, but there are three in particular that I think are due to wake up.

3. Zach Miller, Seattle Seahawks

In his first two games with his new team, Zach Miller has spent much more time blocking than he has catching passes. Tarvaris Jackson has found him just three times for a grand total of 32 yards.

For some reason, Seattle is paying both of them the big bucks.

But fret not, Miller owners. Sooner or later, Miller is going to bust out. I happen to think it will be sooner.

Miller and the Seahawks will play their first home game on Sunday, which I think will energize the offense. More importantly, the Seahawks are hosting the Arizona Cardinals, who have given up 13 receptions for 215 yards to opposing tight ends.

Sounds like an invitation for Miller to have a big game.

2. Vernon Davis, San Francisco 49ers

The 49ers haven't done much of anything on offense in the early goings this year and Davis' numbers are a perfect reflection of that. He's the biggest playmaker in San Francisco's offense, yet he's caught just seven passes for 65 yards.

But the odds are good that Davis is going to break out this weekend in Cincinnati. If you look back to Week 1, you'll notice that the Bengals gave up 80 yards and a pair of touchdowns to Cleveland tight ends.

That's not all there is to it, though. The 49ers won't have Braylon Edwards in this game and who knows how long Michael Crabtree is going to last before getting hurt again? There is extra work to be had for Davis, which could very well lead to some much-needed production.

1. Marcedes Lewis, Jacksonville Jaguars

Jags Pro Bowl tight end Marcedes Lewis managed just a couple catches in Week 1 before limping off with a calf injury and then had to sit out Week 2.

The word from Sporting News is that Lewis expects to play when the Jags take on the Carolina Panthers this Sunday, which is a big help to rookie quarterback Blaine Gabbert.

It's kind of a tired stereotype that rookies tend to favor throwing to tight ends, but I think it applies in Gabbert's case. He showed against the New York Jets that he's going to play it safe, as he completed five of his six passes for nothing longer than 14 yards. Lewis will be a valuable target for him.

For what it's worth, Carolina had a tough time with Arizona's tight ends in Week 1, as Jeff King and Todd Heap hauled in four passes for 101 yards and a touchdown.