Top 3 Tight Ends

Are you looking for extra receiver help on your fantasy roster? Maybe, you have drafted three or four good wide receivers, and you want some sure hands and some decent yardage at the tight end position. Good tight ends are hard to come by in fantasy leagues because a tight end's job is to not only to catch, but to block and to create opportunities for other guys down the field. They are not the fastest players, but a good tight end is still a valuable asset to any fantasy football team.

Make sure to think about some of the key tight ends that you want to draft, so you do not forget and have to settle for a guy who only averages one or two catches per game. In the NFL, a tight end's success is measured by blocking, running, and catching. In fantasy football, a tight end's value is determined by how many yard he picks up and by how many touchdowns he gets. There are a lot of top notch tight ends in the league, but there are usually about five or six sleeper tight ends that you can pick up very late in the draft or up on waivers after the draft is complete.

The idea is not to draft a tight end to early in the draft because even the best tight ends are not consistent from week to week, and most of them do not rack up a whole deal of points. It is better to have an excess of very good wide receivers than a tight end who averages very poor yardage because he barely sees any ball action all game. However, most tight ends are very valuable to an NFL team in the red zone where most touchdowns occur because the TE gives the quarterback another option in case the other receivers cannot find openings on the field. So, it is important to consider tight ends with very good hands and have the potential to score in the red zone. Let me tell you my top three tight ends entering into the 2010NFL season.

1. The best available tight end in the NFL is Antonio Gates of the San Diego Chargers. He has been the most consistent tight end from week to week in the league for the past few years now, especially since Gates receives the ball from one of the best quarterbacks in the game right now, Philip Rivers. Antonio Gates receives a lot of action in the red zone from Rivers. In fact, Gates is one of Philip's favorite targets no matter where the Chargers are positioned on the field. Most tight ends do not go over 1,000 yards, but expect Antonio Gates to come close because I believe that this year is Rivers' break out year despite how well Philip did last year. I would expect between 800-900 yards from Gates and about 8-10 touchdowns when the season is complete. Gates will probably be one of the first tight ends drafted in your fantasy league. Tight ends usually do not get drafted high, but I could possibly make an exception with the talents of Antonio Gates.

2. The second best tight end for fantasy owners behind Antonio Gates is Dallas Clark of the Indianapolis Colts. Clark is a very solid option for owners because he has one of the most accurate quarterbacks (Peyton Manning) in the league who passes for over 30 touchdowns in almost every season. The Colts have an excellent receiving core, but it is even better because of the abilities of Dallas Clark. He has soft hands, quick feet, good blocking ability, and can run pretty well too. I am not sure how consistent he will be from week to week, especially towards the end of the regular season where the Colts have a history of benching and resting key players to get them ready for the playoffs. Like Antonio Gates, Dallas Clark will probably be one of the first tight ends picked up in the draft. I would expect him to receive 7-8 touchdowns and around 600-700 receiving yards this year.

3. Rounding out my top 3 might be a bit of a surprise for most of you. It is not Jason Witten, Tony Gonzalez, or Vernon Davis. Although, these guys are reliable, dependable options that you should consider. My third best tight end is Jermichael Finley from the Green Bay Packers. Finley really caught the eyes of fantasy owners last year with the Packers. Finley, like Gates and Clark, has a quarterback with a very strong, powerful, and accurate arm. Aaron Rodgers and the Packers like to pass the ball, and they like to share the pigskin. In my opinion, the Packers have the best receiving core in the entire league with guys like Driver, Jennings, James Jones, Jordy Nelson, and Jermichael Finley. Finley was a sleeper in 2009, but I have a strong feeling he will not be one in 2010. He picks up a lot of yardage, yards after catch, and touchdowns usually on third down situations, especially in the red zone where Aaron Rodgers is extremely dangerous. Do not sleep on Finley this year, especially when Rodgers should have one of his best years at starting quarterback. I would expect Rodgers to throw for well over 4,000 yards and 30 touchdowns. Plus, Jermichael Finley is going to receive his fair share of touchdown passes as well.