Fantasy Football Week 4 Rankings: Rob Gronkowski and This Week's Star TEs

We are only three full weeks into the NFL season and it has already been a huge year for tight ends. More teams are working their tight ends into the flow of the offense.

That's good news for fantasy owners.

Tight ends, when they are on their game, can give you the production of a top wide receiver. The following three tight ends will give you that type of production in Week 4. 

Rob Gronkowski, New England Patriots

I'm not sure I've ever seen a tight end be so key in a team's offensive game plan. Tom Brady is looking for Gronkowski in all situations, on all sides of the field.

With Aaron Hernandez injured and Chad Ochocinco ineffective so far, the Patriots will need Gronkowski more than ever.

Through three full weeks, Gronkowski's stats are nothing short of gaudy. He has caught 17 passes for 281 yards and five touchdowns. Tight ends that average over five catches per game and almost two touchdowns per game are few and far between, no matter how small the sample size.

The Patriots' Week 4 matchup against the Oakland Raiders isn't ideal, as the Raiders have an underrated defensive unit. However, it doesn't matter who they are facing at this point. Gronkowski is a fantasy stud.

Jermichael Finley, Green Bay Packers

Not that Finley had been struggling earlier in the season, but against the Chicago Bears in Week 3, we saw what Finley could do at his very best. He caught seven passes for 85 yards and three touchdowns. He was getting open no matter who was defending him.

It's tough to predict if he will duplicate that type of production, but he has a pretty good matchup to do so. The Denver Broncos, his team's Week 4 opponent, are nothing to write home about from a defensive standpoint.

The Packers, led by Aaron Rodgers, are as steady as they come. They don't put up huge numbers in every game, like the Patriots or Saints, but they will be solid every time out. That type of steady production bodes well for owners of Jermichael Finley. 

Jimmy Graham, New Orleans Saints

As good as the Saints' passing game has been over the last several seasons, the tight end position hasn't always been a big part of it. However, with Jimmy Graham now holding down the position, that trend might be changing.

This season, Graham has 14 catches for 235 yards and two touchdowns. At 6'6", it would be easy to pigeon-hole Graham as a red zone target, but he has proven to be much more than that. He can stretch the field and make big plays.

Thanks to the Saints' high-powered offense, Graham will always be a safe fantasy play, but this week looks good in particular. The Saints are set to take on the Jacksonville Jaguars, a team that has failed to be competitive more often than not this season. 

Joseph Healy's Fantasy Tight End Rankings for Week 4

1. Rob Gronkowski

2. Jermichael Finley

3. Jimmy Graham

4. Jason Witten

5. Vernon Davis

6. Owen Daniels

7. Tony Gonzalez

8. Greg Olson

9. Dustin Keller

10. Fred Davis

11. Antonio Gates

12. Scott Chandler

13. Dallas Clark

14. Brandon Pettigrew

15. Marcedes Lewis