Fantasy: Tight End Primer

Fantasy Position Primers

Tight Ends

Is tight end the most or least important skill position in fantasy football? Ask different analysts and you'll get different answers. While there's little doubt a top-end tight end like Rob Gronkowski can represent a massive positional advantage over a replacement-level player, proponents of streaming tight ends make a compelling argument in favor of waiting to draft the position.

Ultimately, where you choose to select your tight end should depend on your confidence in your ability to find value. If you can't find a late-round tight end you like, don't be afraid to target a big-name talent at the position.

It's important to remember these primers are not intended to be tiers for drafting. You can view our complete tight end rankings here.

The Undisputed King

Rob Gronkowski, Patriots - With Jimmy Graham and Julius Thomas moving to new teams and downgrading their fantasy value in the process, Gronkowski's stranglehold on the top spot in the consensus tight end rankings is stronger than ever. The advantage he gives his owners every week is worthy of a first-round pick in fantasy drafts - and you can even make a case Gronk deserves to go No. 1 overall. Don't sweat Tom Brady's suspension. Jimmy Garoppolo will lean on Gronk as a security blanket.

The Next Gronk?

Travis Kelce, Chiefs - It's eerie how similar Kelce is to Gronkowski, both in terms of measurables and lovably meatheaded personalities. The key difference, at least last season, was how much each player factored into his team's offense. Gronkowski was a centerpiece, while Kelce often ceded snaps to Anthony Fasano. That has to change this season, as the Kansas City Chiefs are in no position to keep their best playmakers off the field. Expecting a Gronk-like stat line from Kelce isn't realistic (there's only one Gronk), but a top-three finish in fantasy scoring among tight ends is well within reach.

New Team, New Expectations

Jimmy Graham, Seahawks - The Seattle Seahawks are a great team, but there's no way to put a positive fantasy spin on the fact that Graham is moving from one of the NFL's pass-heaviest offenses to one that's at the other end of the scale. Graham's target numbers could drop by as much as 25 percent and so, inevitably, will his stats. Graham remains among the top options at tight end, but his move to the Pacific Northwest drops him back to the pack. He's being overdrafted in many leagues.

Julius Thomas, Jaguars - Thomas is another player whose stats will suffer as a result of a move from a prolific passing offense to one that's decidedly less scary. Good thing Thomas is getting paid a lot of money, because it's hard to imagine him scoring even half the 12 touchdowns he put up in each of the past two seasons.

Owen Daniels, Broncos - Wherever Gary Kubiak goes, Daniels will follow. Even at age 32 and with a body that's held together by duct tape, Daniels will find a way to score touchdowns. Is it so crazy to think he could nab half a dozen from Peyton Manning?

Charles Clay, Bills - The Buffalo Bills aggressively targeted Clay in free agency, signing him to a hefty offer sheet the Miami Dolphins opted not to match. Clearly, the Bills see Clay as a major piece of the puzzle. What fantasy owners are forgiven for not seeing is how the Bills plan to get Clay the ball. Without a clearly viable starting quarterback, the Bills' passing game will be hard-pressed to produce any fantasy starters at receiver or tight end.

Tried and True

Greg Olsen, Panthers - Olsen leads a group of tight ends that are reliable but, frankly, hard to get excited about. Olsen is a set-it-and-forget-it player whose touchdown totals over the past five years are 5-5-5-6-6. You can take it to the bank, but don't expect to get rich.

Martellus Bennett, Bears - Bennett could benefit from Brandon Marshall's exit from Chicago, but he could also suffer if the house of cards that is Jay Cutler finally collapses. Ultimately, the most likely outcome is about 800 yards and five touchdowns, and a finish somewhere in the range of TE5-TE8.

Delanie Walker, Titans - Walker was a pleasant surprise last season and should continue to feature as one of the Tennessee Titans' top passing targets. If Marcus Mariota proves to be competent as a rookie, Walker could again post top-10 tight end stats.

Jason Witten, Cowboys - The decline in Witten's athleticism is apparent, but he's managed to slow the process down. A fall off the cliff could strike at any moment, but owners can tentatively project another 700 yards and a handful of touchdowns for Witten.

Heath Miller, Steelers - With Antonio Brown and Le'Veon Bell vacuuming targets and Martavis Bryant emerging as a downfield threat, Miller's best-case scenario is probably low-end TE1 numbers. He simply won't see enough balls sent his way.

Vernon Davis, 49ers - Can we really call Davis "tried and true" after he posted a 245-yard, two-touchdown dud of a season in 2014 (only a year removed from 850 yards and an absurd 13 touchdowns)? Perhaps the title is undeserved, but in all likelihood Davis' stats will level off at something resembling the 800-yard, six-touchdown pace he approximated in the years prior to his two aberrant seasons.

On the Rise

Zach Ertz, Eagles - The Philadelphia Eagles say they expect a big bump in production from the 58 passes for 702 yards and three touchdowns Ertz caught last year. That's encouraging to hear, but it's certainly no lock. The Eagles will continue to employ three-receiver sets, meaning Ertz won't get on the field consistently unless he proves himself as a capable blocker. Ultimately, the Eagles' need for a consistent red zone threat should lead Chip Kelly to realize he can't leave his best receiving tight end on the bench. Ertz has an outside shot at leading the potent Eagles offense in touchdowns.

Dwayne Allen, Colts - It feels like Allen has been around for a long time, but he's only 25 years old and arguably has yet to hit his peak. The Indianapolis Colts have too many passing options to make all of them viable fantasy starters, but Allen could benefit greatly from T.Y. Hilton and Phillip Dorsett taking the top off opposing defenses.

Austin Seferian-Jenkins, Buccaneers - Seferian-Jenkins is just one of a trio of big-bodied pass catchers at Jameis Winston's disposal. If defenses continue to key in on Mike Evans and Vincent Jackson, Seferian-Jenkins should find plenty of open space in which to work.

Eric Ebron, Lions - The 2014 10th overall pick dropped far too many passes as a rookie and reportedly struggled with drops again at OTAs. There is tremendous opportunity here with Calvin Johnson pulling double coverage, but the light must come on for Ebron before he can be considered fantasy starter.

Larry Donnell, Giants - Donnell exploded onto the scene with a three-touchdown game in Week 4, but his role in the offense was minimized when Odell Beckham Jr. showed up. Donnell will never be a preferred option in the Giants' offense, but he could see enough underneath looks to produce low-end TE1 numbers.

Josh Hill, Saints - With Graham in Seattle, Hill has been tabbed by many fantasy experts as the player most likely to see an uptick in production. Don't expect anything close to Graham's numbers, though. The Saints look certain to shift toward a more run-heavy attack.

Returning From Injury

Jordan Cameron, Dolphins - Cameron, who will fill Charles Clay's shoes in a tight end-friendly offense, has a good chance of matching his 2013 production if he can overcome the concussions and other injuries that limited him to just 31 starts in his four seasons with the Cleveland Browns. It's a big if.

Tyler Eifert, Bengals - Eifert was a popular breakout candidate before a Week 1 elbow injury ended his 2014 campaign. He's flying under the radar of many this year, but there's no reason to believe the breakout isn't coming a year late.

Kyle Rudolph, Vikings - Foot, ankle, knee, hamstring, and abdominal injuries have slowed Rudolph over his four seasons with the Minnesota Vikings, but he's been a strong fantasy producer during his brief stretches of health. Maybe this is the year he'll avoid the injury bug.