Since I opened this series with wide receivers, I’ve veered off into territory you don’t see covered a lot in fantasy football previews. After the wideouts, I hit the kickers and then the defenses. Now, we’re getting back into your standard offensive power positions and one that, over the last five or six seasons, has become invaluable to the point where it’s not a reach or a surprise to see a tight end taken in the third or fourth round.
And considering the number of double-digit touchdown tight ends we had last year (four), it’s not surprising.
There are going to be a couple of names that are conspicuously off this list and I’ll go ahead and spoil it; Julius Thomas of the Jacksonville Jaguars and Jimmy Graham of the Seattle Seahawks.
Graham and Thomas were both easily in your Top Five over the last two seasons and for good reasons, but both guys changed teams this year and that’s going to hurt each man’s fantasy value. There’s no way Graham catches 85 passes in Seattle’s offense or scored 10 touchdowns. The Jaguars are way better as a team, but there’s not a player on that team that will score 12 touchdowns, let alone Thomas at tight end. So while each guy will be productive, and Graham specifically will be a monster weapon for the Seahawks, those fantasy numbers will be down.
So who are the five best bets this season? Here they are in order.
Antonio Gates, San Diego Chargers
2014: 69 catches, 821 yards, 12 touchdowns
There’s an urge to not put Gates on this list because you’re thinking to yourself that there’s just no way he can keep performing at this level. Then you remember that you said that to yourself last year before your fantasy draft and he caught 12 touchdown passes. Gates is going to be on this list as long as Philip Rivers is his quarterback and he continues to perform the way he has since he came into the league 13 years ago. He’s the best pass-catching tight end in the history of the NFL, a first-ballot Hall of Famer and you’ll be happy to have him on your fantasy team. Trust me.
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Delanie Walker, Tennessee Titans
2014: 63 catches, 890 yards, four touchdowns
Walker has been one of the most productive tight ends in the league over the last two seasons since Ken Whisenhunt took over the Titans and that won’t change this year with rookie quarterback Marcus Mariota tossing him the football. All of Walker’s numbers should improve, along with the rest of the offense, and as the most consistent and reliable target Mariota will have, the 10-year veteran will get plenty of opportunities to bring that touchdown total up.
Greg Olsen, Carolina Panthers
2014: 84 catches, 1,008 yards, six touchdowns
If there’s a lesson to be learned in the tight ends on this list, it’s that old guys can still play and play extremely well. Olsen is heading into his ninth season and is coming off three consecutive career years. Olsen was one of two tight ends to cross the 1,000-yard mark last season and could be close to that again, as quarterback Cam Newton tries to will this team back to the playoffs.
Martellus Bennett, Chicago Bears
2014: 90 catches, 916 yards, six touchdowns
No tight end, and very few wide receivers, caught more passes in 2014 than Bennett. At 6-foot-6, the eight-year vet is a monster target that Jay Cutler loves to find in desperate situations, something he’s had to deal with a lot over the last few years. With new offensive coordinator Adam Gase calling the plays, there’s no way Bennett doesn’t hit double-digit touchdowns. Gase helped turn Julius Thomas into a super star. What will he do with a tight end who’s already at that level?
Rob Gronkowski, New England Patriots
2014: 82 catches, 1,124 yards, 12 touchdowns
When it comes to tight ends in the NFL, Gronk is in a class by himself. He’s the youngest player on this list and easily the most physically dominant at his position, maybe in the history of the sport. With Tom Brady missing the first four games of the season with his DeflateGate suspension, Gronkowski will be an even more important weapon for No. 2 quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, so don’t expect those numbers to dip. There are maybe five safeties in the league that can cover Gronkowski consistently and he’ll face none of them (Kam Chancellor, Eric Weddle, Earl Thomas, Jairus Byrd and Eric Berry) in the regular season. His numbers will be insane.
