FANTASY

Fantasy Player Projections

TIGHT ENDS

Rank	Team	Player	Projection	Opponent
1		Antonio Gates	8 rec, 100 yards, 1 TD Gates has scored 11 times in 12 career games against the Chiefs and is good bet for big Week 1 numbers as Philip Rivers' top option in the passing game again.	at
2		Dallas Clark	4 rec, 75 yards, 1 TD Clark says he's healthy despite missing all four preseason games with a left leg injury. Clark had 14 receptions in one game vs. HOU last week, so he should produce if healthy.	at
3		Vernon Davis	5 rec, 60 yards, 1 TD Davis had a monster season in 2009, and there is no reason to expect a significant dropoff. Alex Smith looked for Davis often when he took over the starting job, and he is always a threat to get into the end zone.	at
4		Tony Gonzalez	5 rec, 50 yards, 1 TD Had an off season in 2009, but for him that still meant over 800 yards and six TDs. He will get a bunch of looks from Matt Ryan, and is a solid start every week.	at
5		Brent Celek	4 rec, 50 yards, 1 TD Celek developed a rapport with new QB starter Kevin Kolb last season, and with no other clear red zone target on the roster, Celek should be targeted heavily again.	vs
6		John Carlson	5 rec, 40 yards, 1 TD Carlson didn't see much action in the preseason, and it's difficult to predict how much he'll be used in the passing game. He's a good red-zone target, though, on a team with few of those.	vs
7		Heath Miller	4 rec, 45 yards, 1 TD He'd be a great fantasy option against the Falcons if only he had Ben Roethlisberger throwing to him this week.	vs
8		Chris Cooley	4 rec, 40 yards, 1 TD He'll be a favorite target of Donovan McNabb's inside the red zone, and Mike Shanahan loves to utilize tight ends. He'll be splitting targets with Fred Davis.	vs
9		Jermichael Finley	4 rec, 40 yards, 1 TD Finley was Aaron Rodgers' favorite target during the preseason, so expect Rodgers to look his way early and often in Week 1. Finley could cause serious matchup problems over the middle of the field.	at
10		Kellen Winslow	5 rec, 60 yards Looks to be the go-to receiver against his former team in a good matchup. Check to make sure his knee is healthy.	vs
11		Zach Miller	5 rec, 50 yards, 0 TD Tight ends were Jason Campbell's best friends a year ago, so Miller makes a strong Week 1 play. Hopefully he is not asked to stay in and block too often.	at
12		Marcedes Lewis	4 rec, 50 yards Lewis isn't a great fantasy option at TE and faces one of the leagues tougher pass defenses.	vs
13		Bo Scaife	2 rec, 25 yards, 1 TD The Raider linebackers will be counted on to stop the run, which could leave the middle of the field for Scaife. He could pick up a touchdown if the Titans decide to throw the ball in the red zone.	vs
14		Jason Witten	4 rec, 45 yards Witten's 94 receptions last season was second among tight ends. He has to pick up his paltry touchdown numbers, however.	at
15		Owen Daniels	4 rec, 40 yards Daniels may be limited to 15 to 20 plays as he comes back from a ACL injury. Given Indy's pass D, this may be one week to avoid starting Owens.	vs
16		Fred Davis	4 rec, 40 yards McNabb likes throwing to tight ends, but Davis is strictly bye week material at this point.	vs
17		Daniel Fells	4 rec, 40 yards Fells could be a safety valve for Bradford in his first NFL start, so he should grab a few receptions.	vs
18		Dustin Keller	3 rec, 40 yards Keller figures to be the Jets' main red-zone option, at least early in the season with Santonio Holmes suspended. The Jets only have two impact WR on the roster, which means Keller could get additional targets.	vs
19		Greg Olsen	3 rec, 35 yards Olsen is one of the Bears' best pass catchers, but tight ends have been known to get lost in Mike Martz's offenses in the past, Olsen is a risky Week 1 option.	vs
20		Tony Scheffler	2 rec, 30 yards Scheffler showed some ability when he was with the Broncos, so this will be his first test on his new team. Consider him a sleeper, not a starting option, at this point.	at
21		Kevin Boss	2 rec, 25 yards, 0 TD He has great physical tools, but inconsistent production plagued him last season. He is still developing, but the Giants aren't in dire need for receiving options either.	vs
22		Jermaine Gresham	2 rec, 20 yards He's a tremendous pass-catcher, but the Bengals have usually been a tight end-adverse offense. He's atop the depth chart, however, and is expected to develop into an elite talent down the line.	at
23		Rob Gronkowski	2 rec, 20 yards Splitting time with Aaron Hernandez probably won't yield much in terms of results.	vs
24		Todd Heap	2 rec, 20 yards Heap enjoyed one of his best, and healthiest, preseasons in years, but the Ravens have a lot of big receiving targets already competing for looks.	at
25		Tony Moeaki	2 rec, 20 yards In two games against San Diego last season, Kansas City's tight ends caught a grand total of one pass. Moeaki boasts a nice blend of pass-catching skills, but he won't make his mark in Week 1.	vs
26		Anthony Fasano	2 rec, 15 yards, 0 TD Fasano will likely spend a lot of time blocking in the opener and will need to find the end zone to have any real impact.	at
27		Daniel Graham	2 rec, 15 yards Graham is primarily a blocker in the Broncos offense, and given that he missed most of the preseason, he is unlikely to produce much in the opener.	at
28		Dante Rosario	2 rec, 15 yards, 0 TD Picking for scraps here.	at
29		Ben Patrick	1 rec, 15 yards Even if Patrick is on the field for the opening series on Sunday, the starting tight end spot wasn't ever a big part of the offense with Kurt Warner at the helm. Unless he develops a rapport with Derek Anderson, you'll want to look elsewhere.	at
30		Jonathan Stupar	1 rec, 15 yards, 0 TD Stupar is the starting TE until Shawn Nelson gets back from suspension, but that mean you should start him in a week with no byes. He'll probably get a few targets, but will also spend some time helping a green offensive line with blocking duties.	vs
31		Benjamin Watson	1 rec, 10 yards Could really bloom if given enough opportunities. Unfortunately Jake Delhomme is throwing passes this year, not Tom Brady.	at

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