NFL Week 11 Fantasy Rankings: Anthony Fasano and Sleeper TEs Worth Starting

Bye weeks always seem to come at the most inopportune of times, and that is certainly the case in Week 11 of the NFL season. Many elite offensive players will be unavailable to their fantasy owners in what promises to be a crucial week for playoff positioning.

The tight end position will certainly be decimated this week, as starting-caliber players like Jimmy Graham, Owen Daniels and Heath Miller are all on the bye. This means that some lower-end options will have to be explored. Here are three, sleeper tight ends who should produce well this weekend.

Jermaine Gresham, Cincinnati Bengals

Cincinnati Bengals tight end Jermaine Gresham has been a border-line fantasy starter this season as he has performed fairly consistently. Due to the fact that he has to go up against the Baltimore Ravens' dominant defense this week, though, many fantasy players would probably be inclined to bench him.

I would suggest going the opposite route, however. With rookie wide receiver A.J. Green expected to miss Sunday's game, that leaves Gresham as the only reliable option for rookie quarterback Andy Dalton. Dalton is going to have to throw the ball to somebody, and it is likely to be Gresham.

Regardless of who the Bengals have played, Gresham has at least done something in every game this season, as he has at least four catches in six of his seven contests. Gresham was able to haul in four passes and catch a touchdown against the Pittsburgh Steelers last week, and he should be able to do something similar against Baltimore.

Brent Celek, Philadelphia Eagles

Early on this season, and for much of last season, Philadelphia Eagles tight end Brent Celek was a virtual non-factor in the team's offense. Over the past month, however, quarterback Michael Vick has looked to him often, resulting in 22 catches over the past four games.

With Vick out for Sunday night's game against the New York Giants, fantasy owners might shy away from starting Celek. While Vince Young is certainly no Vick, there is reason to believe that he will utilize Celek even more effectively than Vick has.

While with the Tennessee Titans, Young threw primarily to his tight ends, and he even made an average tight end in Bo Scaife into a fantasy factor. Wide receiver Jeremy Maclin will be out on Sunday, making DeSean Jackson the only reliable receiver. Since Young isn't particularly adept at going down the field, though, I think he will check it down to Celek early and often.

Anthony Fasano, Miami Dolphins

Miami Dolphins tight end Anthony Fasano may be an inconsistent contributor, but there is reason to believe he will have a big game in Week 11. Fasano hasn't turned in many huge performances this season, but he has been much more involved in the offense since Matt Moore took over at quarterback.

In fact, Fasano has been quite useful recently, as he has at least 60 yards receiving or a touchdown in three of the past four games. His matchup on Sunday is a dream for tight ends as the Dolphins face the Buffalo Bills. The Bills give up tons of yardage through the air and have long had issues covering tight ends.

Fasano has a history of success against the Bills and I expect that to continue on Sunday. Fasano isn't the type of tight end to catch a high volume of passes, so much of his value relies on his ability to score. I think he has the potential to get in the end zone against Buffalo and it will lead to a nice performance.