Nicks’ Top 10 Fantasy Tight Ends

Tight ends are a tough position to judge, but I am here to give you a Grahm of an edge and that is what I am going to try to do. I am going to help open the Gates of the tight end position to you. I will give any help I can, so stay Cooley. You’ll have to wear a Jimmy at your draft, that’s how well I think you can do at the draft. Just remember if you are confident enough in a TE don’t underestimate them. The NFL doesn’t have many that can put up monster numbers for you and if you can get one, that will give you a huge boost.

10- Aaron Hernandez, Patriots- A good player put in a 2 tight end set. Big Bill will make sure that they put more plays in this formation so that both of these guys can be in at the same time. Hernandez is a little smaller and a little quicker so he can be put in the wide out position too.

9- Brent Celek, Eagles- Vick is a scrambling quarterback and that means that a tight end can help you get out of trouble at the last second. That means more catches, more yards, and more opportunities to get more yards! I really like Celeks speed, he can break away a little bit and get those YAC yards that will all add up in the end.

8- Brandon Pettigrew, Lions- Great hands good play making ability. While all these other players have what Brandon does, they also don’t. Calvin Johnson plays for one team and believe it or not it does help. The more attention away from a tight end the more room it will give for a big body to move around and make plays. Pettigrew will have a good year, I like him right where he is take the other guys first, but don’t shy away from this guy.

7- Jermichael Finley, Packers- Finley has the injury trouble the last couple of seasons. He can dominate a game but the question arises about ball distribution. Is there enough time in a game for him to put up consistent numbers? I do believe so due to Aaron Rogers consistent game play and decision making. I would be more worried about the injury list.

6- Jason Witten, Cowboys- Six is his slot due to the offensive line woes. Jason Witten is wasting his career in Dallas. The Cowboys offensive line is so terrible Witten blocked more than going out, but don’t worry he makes sure he puts his numbers up. The only problem was that he lacked consistency due to the blocking issue.

5- Vernon Davis, 49ERS- Why so far back? Alex Smith has to do with it. Davis has ALL the potential in the world. More then Gronk more then Grahm, and more then Gates and Gonzalez together. I love this guys performance last year. With Smith throwing to him he might be a little inconsistent. If Vernon had a decent quarterback throwing to him he could take over games, and dominate. Don’t hesitate to chance him this year.

4-Tony Gonzalez, Falcons- Tony is getting older but has the best hands in the business. He can’t take over a game like 1-3 can but he can still keep up. Tony is one of the best tight ends in the history of the game for a reason. While he may have slowed up a little he can still get the job done!

3- Antonio Gates, Chargers- According to reports Gates is 100% again. If Gates is 100% again then expect a HUGE season. With all the new receivers in San Diego Rivers will make sure Gates is close so he feels comfortable. We all know what Gates is capable of, and as long as the Chargers can limit turnovers he will do more then well.

2- Rob Gronkowski, Patriots- This guy is number 2 due to the foot injury. The russian is DIRTY but foot injuries prove to be big at the tight end position tho. I would rather take Grahm due to the injury suffered. Gronk has the strength, speed, and hands to put up huge numbers, we have seen it in the past.

1- Jimmy Grahm, Saints- While I am not predicting for Drew to have a season like he did last year Brees will still be comfortable with this security blanket. Grahm is what Gates was in his prime, and we all know how dominant Gates was back in his hay day. A plus is his injury record. Jimmy hasn’t had much trouble in the past with it, but injuries do happen. I don’t think you should worry that much about him.

So tight ends are the name of this game and I hope that I helped you out a little bit. I honestly think that tight ends will be coming more valuable due to the fact that a few in the NFL can put up big numbers at a consistent rate. Considering you can always find a good wide receiver in free agency don’t be afraid to be the firs one to draft a tight end. Can’t wait to hear your thoughts guys!

-Joey Nicks