2008 Fantasy Football Tight Ends

A look at the top TEs in Fantasy Football 2008

Tight ends are a tough decision in fantasy football on when to draft them. It seems like every year there is one guy to take Antonio Gates way too early, and that begins the avalanche of TEs. This year it is Jason Witten. Gates is banged up, and is no longer the top TE in the league. Witten and Winslow are 1 and 2, with Tony Gonzalez and Antonio Gates slightly behind.

Top Tier Fantasy Tight Ends

Jason Witten and Kellen Winslow

Jason Witten is the #1 tight end in fantasy football. Witten is going to be a reliable target for Tony Romo, especially with the Cowboy’s lack of healthy wide receivers. Kellen Winslow’s stock has declined over the past few weeks. Derek Anderson’s concussion has added risk towards choosing Winslow with a high draft pick. Winslow will still put up numbers, but the success of the Brown’s offense is in flux.

Second Tier Fantasy TEs

Tony Gonzalez and Antonio Gates

Tony Gonzalez has come into camp in great shape and looks ready for another solid season. I would recommend selecting a tight end such as Gonzo, Gates, or even Dallas Clark because you won’t be spending as high of a draft pick as you would to get Witten. In most drafts, the guy who chooses a tight end first, always jumps the gun. Antonio Gates has health issues going into the season, and isn’t as high on my board as in the past years. The Chargers have a couple options now at WR, and the dependence on Gates won’t be as necessary.

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Third Tier Fantasy TEs

Dallas Clark, Jeremy Shockey and Chris Cooley

Dallas Clark may be Peyton Manning’s favorite target. With the wide receivers getting most of the defense’s attention, Peyton Manning has learned to check down and take what is given to him. Dallas Clark is one of the beneficiaries of this change in philosophy. Clark causes serious matchup problems for defenses, and should continue to be a reliable option for Manning and the Colts.

Jeremy Shockey has joined a talented cast in New Orleans, and hopes to start over in a new city. Shockey’s departure from New York has been correlated with their postseason run that led to a Super Bowl Championship. A new team is just what Shockey needs, and the Saints will welcome his talents to their already powerful offense. Drew Brees looks ready for a career year, and Shockey could find himself on the business end of some Brees touchdown passes.

Chris Cooley is the one big target in the Redskins arsenal. With small receivers like Antwaan Randle El and Santana Moss, Cooley is a prime target in the redzone. This is the last chance to get a solid tight end. After Cooley, there is no reason to waste a pick on a tight end. Using your last pick shouldn’t hurt your production too much, and there is always a backup running back or wide receiver to take a chance on.

Fourth Tier Fantasy TEs

Heath Miller, Vernon Davis, Owen Daniels and Alge Crumpler

There is a significant drop off in production once you get into this fourth tier. I wouldn’t waste a draft pick on any of these tight ends. It is important to get a tight end early, or just take the scraps at the end of the draft.

Fifth Tier Fantasy TEs

Tony Scheffler, Ben Watson, Todd Heap, Greg Olsen, Ben Utecht

The way to choose between these tight ends is to pick the offense that has the best chance of scoring or visiting the redzone multiple times per game. If you don’t have a top tight end, you might not want to put much stock in any one of these selections. Keep your eyes open on week 1 and try to catch a tight end after a good game. You might be able to ride one of these TEs for a few weeks.

Everybody Else

If teams are selecting backup tight ends, and you still haven’t found one of your own, don’t worry. Carrying two tight ends is wasting room on your depth chart, and you’ve already missed the boat on a serviceable TE. If you are still in the market for a tight end at this point, you are facing the likes of L.J. Smith, Kevin Boss, Zach Miller, Marcedes Lewis, or Randy McMichael. I wouldn’t expect all of these tight ends to be drafted, so you should have a few options on the free agent list.

Rookie Tight Ends

Dustin Keller is the Jets rookie tight end, and is vying for Brett Favre’s redzone love. He has already caught a touchdown this preseason from Favre, and seems to have developed a rapport with Favre. Keller could be a nice target for the Jets, and Bret Favre has been known to help the careers of his tight ends (ask Donald Lee and Mark Chmura).

By Andrew Sicard
ProFootball-fans.com Fantasy Football Correspondent