Last week, I attempted to talk about the value of kickers and DEF in the fantasy football realm. Not sure if I properly conveyed my thoughts, but today, I'm shifting my focus to TE. While the NFL is a passing league these days, most TE are used for blocking and short yardage situations. There are exceptions, of course, and we'll discuss some of those today.
Using some of the criteria I talked about last time, we'll look at some TE options for this season. We'll look at player history, supporting cast, etc. I'll also provide my opinion on what I think a player will do, and when to draft them. So without further ado, here we go!
Jimmy Graham - TE New Orleans Saints
(2013: 1,215 yards 16 TD, 2012: 982 yards 9 TD, 2011: 1,310 yards 11 TD)
While Mr. Graham may feel like he's a WR, he's listed on the depth chart as a TE. An extremely productive TE at that. He's played in 47 out of 48 regular season games in the past 3 seasons, so you know he's going to be on the field. The only question surrounding Graham at this point is whether he'll be signed by the July 15th deadline.
Graham is catching passes from one of the top QBs in the game (Drew Brees), and Brees loves throwing to Graham, so you know he's going to get his touches. Hopefully, the whole mess surrounding Graham and the Saints can be resolved quickly, because he's a lock week in and week out.
My opinion: If you have the chance to pick Graham up, do it. He's going pretty high in Round 2, but he's definitely worth the pick!
Vernon Davis - TE San Francisco 49ers
(2013: 850 yards 13 TD, 2012: 548 yards 5 TD, 2011: 792 yards 6 TD)
There's no denying Vernon Davis is a beast, but his production has been all over the place for most of his career. Some of that has been the system he's been in (see the Mike Singletary coaching years), and some of that has been the QB (Alex Smith). A big part of that was Davis's attitude, which seems to be much better the past few seasons.
Davis has a head coach (Jim Harbaugh) that has a pretty good system in place now, and a QB (Colin Kaepernick) that appears capable of getting the ball to Davis. The only issue with Davis's production will actually come from the WR core. In the past, DEF knew that Davis was the only reliable option on the field, which meant a lot of double teams, which then hurt his value. The 49ers seem to have a pretty capable WR core this year (Michael Crabtree, Anquan Boldin, Stevie Johnson) that might take some of the pressure off of Davis. They might also limit the number of touches he'll see.
My opinion: Davis is a very good TE. He's not going to put up anything similar to Graham, but he'll still do quite well. If he's still available by the 4th Round, go ahead and pick him up.
Jason Witten - TE Dallas Cowboys
(2013: 851 yards 8 TD, 2012: 1,039 yards 3 TD, 2011: 942 yards 5 TD)
What is there to say about Jason Witten, aside from consistency? Dude is just a consistent fantasy performer. He's a little older than most of the guys on our list, but he's still just as/if not more productive than many of them.
My opinion: If you've got a chance to land Witten in the 4th Round, do it. He's not necessarily a flashy pick anymore, but he's going to give you points, and you'll be glad you drafted him.
Julius Thomas - TE Denver Broncos
(2013: 851 yards 8 TD, 2012: 1,039 yards 3 TD, 2011: 942 yards 5 TD)
What is there to say about Jason Witten, aside from consistency? Dude is just a consistent fantasy performer. He's a little older than most of the guys on our list, but he's still just as/if not more productive than many of them.
My opinion: If you've got a chance to land Witten in the 4th Round, do it. He's not necessarily a flashy pick anymore, but he's going to give you points, and you'll be glad you drafted him.
Julius Thomas - TE Denver Broncos
(2013: 788 yards 12 TD, 2012: N/A, 2011: 5 yards 0 TD)
Talk about a breakout year! Of course, it helps when your QB is Peyton Manning, and he is shattering every record known to man. The big question for Thomas is; can he do it again this year?
If Thomas can stay healthy, he should be in line for another very strong year. But more than Thomas's health, if Peyton Manning can stay healthy, Thomas will have another strong year. His touches might even go up some, given the departure of WR Eric Decker to the Jets.
Thomas is a young TE who could be near the top of the TE heap at the end of the season.
My opinion: It's tough to judge a player based on one good/bad season, but I think that Thomas should be able to build upon his 2013 campaign. I don't know that I would gamble on drafting him before Round 5. Again, that's just my opinion.
Jordan Cameron - TE Cleveland Browns
(2013: 917 yards 7 TD, 2012: 226 yards 1 TD, 2011: 33 yards 0 TD)
Cameron was able to have a very good year statistically for the Browns in 2013, even though he might not have always known who would be under center from week to week. Like Thomas, he's a young player hoping to build on a breakout season. The biggest question is; who is going to be throwing the ball? Will it be Brian Hoyer, or perhaps Johnny Manziel?
I'm not sure it's going to matter much. I think that Cameron might take a step back this season, though it might not really be his fault. The Browns have lost their top WR (Josh Gordon) for the season. Who else is a reliable target, besides Cameron?
My opinion: I think that on just about any other team, you've got to consider Cameron by Round 3 or 4. Given the fact that he is the only option on what looks to be a very bad Browns team, I don't know that I would take him before Round 5. There are other options out there that are in better situations to perform.
Antonio Gates - TE San Diego Chargers
(2013: 872 yards 4 TD, 2012: 538 yards 7 TD, 2011: 778 yards 7 TD)
Antonio Gates seems to be entering the twilight of his career, but is still finding ways to be productive. The Chargers added Ladarius Green a couple of seasons ago, but Gates continues to perform well enough to limit Green's productivity. Gates has been a little banged up over the past couple of seasons, so it might be worth handcuffing Green to Gates.
My opinion: Gates should be a solid pick in the 5th-6th Round, but you might want to think about drafting Green in the later rounds, for security purposes.
Rob Gronkowski - TE New England Patriots
(2013: 592 yards 4 TD, 2012: 790 yards 11 TD, 2011: 1,327 yards 17 TD)
Gronk is just a beast, no question about it. He's big and athletic, and can do it all. You just don't know how many games you'll get out of him. In 2011, he and Tom Brady connected for 1,327 yards and 17 TD in 16 games, and that's when they still had Aaron Hernandez and Wes Welker on the field with him! Of course, he only played in 11 games in 2012, and he still went for 790/11. 2013 saw Gronk limited by injuries yet again, and he appeared in just 7 games. But his production in 7 games is as much, or more, than some of the other TE who played in all 16.
My opinion: IF Gronk can suit up, he's a lock. That's turning into a pretty big IF, however. With lingering issues from multiple surgeries, he's not a sure bet anymore. Gronk will still likely go in the 3rd-4th Round of most drafts, and he's definitely a high risk-high reward guy, but until we know for sure that he's healthy, I just see him as high risk. If you're sold on drafting Gronk, I would wait until at least Round 6 to consider taking him.
Delanie Walker - TE Tennessee Titans
(2013: 571 yards 6 TD, 2012: 344 yards 3 TD, 2011: 198 yards 3 TD)
Delanie Walker is coming off a pseudo breakout year, after one season with the Titans. He's a seasoned vet, who spent some time in San Francisco backing up Vernon Davis.
Walker showed flashes at times last year, but still has a long way to go to be fantasy relevant every week. His case could be helped with more consistent QB contribution from 4th year QB Jake Locker. If Walker gets that, he might have some value. If not, then we might see another decent, but not outstanding, year from him.
My opinion: Walker could be a nice waiver wire addition for those in need of a TE for bye week purposes. If you plan on drafting him, I wouldn't do so before Round 7.
Jared Cook - TE St. Louis Rams
(2013: 671 yards 5 TD, 2012: 523 yards 4 TD, 2011: 759 yards 3 TD)
Cook's had a pretty up and down career. After 4 seasons with the Titans, Cook went to St. Louis last year, and had an alright season for the Rams. Cook is another player that needs more consistency from his QB (Sam Bradford). If he can get that, Cook should be in line for another nice year.
My opinion: Cook's good, but not great. He's a decent value pick in the 6th-8th Round.
HOW I RANK THEM
Jimmy Graham
Vernon Davis
Jason Witten
Julius Thomas
Jordan Cameron
Antonio Gates
Rob Gronkowski
Delanie Walker
Jared Cook
Agree? Disagree? I welcome any and all feedback. As always, thanks for reading!
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