Outlook: Every year, we read about three or four tight ends that supposedly have the talent to reach the level of production that Gates achieves. And yet, every year the tight end rankings have Gates alone at the top in his own tier. There’s a reason for that. He’s unstoppable. He either beats defenders deep with his speed or he beats them on short and intermediate routes with his quick cuts and by shielding them from the ball. Oh yeah, his quarterback is one of the best in the league, as is the Chargers offense. Last year, Gates was the second-highest-scoring tight end, averaging 13.8 points per game, despite playing in just ten games. The highest-scoring was Jason Witten, who averaged 9.6 points per game. That makes Gates worth paying for. He is apparently healthy now and it’s worth noting that, although he is regularly banged up, he missed just three games over the first seven years of his career prior to 2010.

Player Page | Track this player

Outlook: Entering 2010, Witten’s fantasy reputation was as a player who gained significant yardage year in and year out but who failed to find the end zone on a regular basis, with just six touchdowns combined over the 2008 and 2009 seasons. He put that to rest last season, scoring a career-high nine touchdowns to go along with 94 receptions (for the second year in a row) and 1,002 yards, good enough to make him the top-ranked fantasy tight end. For 2011, the only red flag on Witten is that he caught just two of his nine touchdowns during the six games that Tony Romo started. Ignore that, however, since Witten has topped 90 receptions and 1,000 yards in three of the last four seasons, chalking up 81 receptions for 952 yards in a “down” year in 2008. He’s money and ranks behind only Antonio Gates for 2011.

Player Page | Track this player

Outlook: This side of Antonio Gates, there isn’t a more feared pass-catching tight end in the league than Jermichael Finley. He possesses outstanding size, speed, and agility, and he is entering just his fourth year as a pro. The only problem is that he hasn’t played a lot after spending his rookie year figuring out the team’s offensive playbook, missing three games to injury in his second year when he was just getting rolling, and missing most of last year after he tore his meniscus in Week 5. On the plus side, the Packers featured him over the first four games of last season, targeting him 26 times. In those four games, he averaged nine fantasy points per game on 21 receptions for 301 yards and a score. With Finley, the upside is huge, but so is the injury risk, which precludes him from being in the top-tier at the position. Place him at the top of the second tier, but make sure you have a decent backup at the ready.

Player Page | Track this player

Outlook: Outside of Frank Gore, there’s only one 49er worth having on your fantasy roster, and that is Davis. While he wasn’t nearly as dynamic last year as he was in 2009—when he caught 78 passes for 956 yards and 13 touchdowns—Davis still finished 2010 as the third-ranked fantasy tight end, chalking up 56 receptions for 914 yards and seven touchdowns. There is a good chance he improves on those numbers in 2011 with new head coach Jim Harbaugh bringing his version of the West Coast offense to San Francisco. Look for Harbaugh to feature Davis, using him on more short and intermediate patterns than he’s seen in previous years. Davis also remains the league’s premier tight end on deep passes. If only the 49ers could get some more consistent play from the quarterback position! Davis ranks in the top tier at tight end and could emerge as the top-ranked at his position if quarterback Alex Smith can turn in a career year in 2011.

Player Page | Track this player

Outlook: After posting a career year in 2009, Clark was solid again in 2010 before a wrist injury ended his season in Week 6. Prior to the injury, he had 37 receptions for 347 yards and three touchdowns. Although Jacob Tamme had an incredible run subbing in for Clark last year, he is clearly the backup and unlikely to steal significant playing time. Clark along with Austin Collie are quarterback Peyton Manning’s preferred options out of the slot and with Collie’s concussion issues, Clark could have that role to himself for much of 2011. Throw in the team’s questionable running back situation and an offensive line that often struggled to maintain blocks for deep passes and Clark figures to get plenty of looks. Outside of Antonio Gates, Clark is as solid of an option as you can find at tight end provided he can stay healthy.

Player Page | Track this player

Outlook: Gronkowski started slowly in his rookie season in 2010, with just two multi-reception games over the first seven weeks. From that point on, he gained the trust of the coaching staff and earned a greater role in the offensive game plan because of his soft hands and ability to get open on short and intermediate routes. By season’s end, Gronkowski had emerged as a top-ten fantasy producer at tight end, finishing with 42 receptions for 546 yards and a whopping ten touchdowns. Replicating his touchdown count in 2011 seems unlikely if fellow second-year player Aaron Hernandez remains healthy, so Gronkowski enters 2011 as an upper-tier TE2 with upside if he can relegate Hernandez to more of a third-down role.

Player Page | Track this player

Outlook: There were a number of tight ends who put up surprisingly solid production in 2010, from the pair of rookies in New England (Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez), to Jacob Tamme replacing Dallas Clark with the Colts, to Ben Watson having a career season in his first year with Cleveland. However, the biggest surprise was Lewis, who came out of nowhere to finish as the third-ranked fantasy tight end in his fifth season in the league. Entering 2010, he had career highs of 41 receptions, 589 yards, and two touchdowns (that’s right, two!). He blew those numbers away by catching 58 passes for 710 yards and ten touchdowns. Can he do it again in 2011? With Mike Sims-Walker out of the picture and the current starters at wide receiver being Mike Thomas and Jason Hill, Lewis will get plenty of targets. However, banking on another ten touchdowns is unrealistic. While he should remain a top-ten fantasy tight end, another top-three finish isn’t in the cards.

Player Page | Track this player

Outlook: The question with Daniels heading into 2010 was whether he had fully recovered from the torn ACL that ended his 2009 season. However, when the season started, he also had to deal with hamstring issues and never really regained the Pro Bowl form at which he played in 2009. Another year removed from the surgery, Daniels could easily rebound in 2011. Just look at how he finished his 2010 campaign. Over the final two weeks, he caught 13 passes for 135 yards and a pair of touchdowns, hitting double-digit fantasy points in each game. Look for that to happen much more frequently in 2011. Consider him a lower-tier fantasy starter, but one who could make a surprise jump into the top five.

Player Page | Track this player

Outlook: On the plus side, Winslow has stayed healthy for the past two years, playing 16 games each season. While he is a productive tight end when healthy, the odds of him fulfilling his immense potential after seven seasons in the league are remote. He enters 2011 coming off a solid yet unspectacular 2010 campaign where he caught 66 passes for 730 yards and five touchdowns. Winslow’s fantasy prospects are brighter since he’ll be playing in an improved Tampa Bay offense, but he remains a bit of an enigma in the red zone despite his size and athleticism, as he’s failed to top five touchdown passes in any season. With a plethora of mid-tier tight ends available, there is definitely no reason to reach for Winslow.

Player Page | Track this player

Outlook: With Jeremy Shockey having been released and David Thomas clearly suited to a backup role, the path has been cleared for Graham to assume the starting tight end spot in 2011. The Saints used a third-round pick last season to acquire the raw yet talented Graham, but he rarely saw the field early in his rookie year. However, he got more use beginning at midseason and quickly developed into another weapon in the Saints’ high-powered offense, particularly as an option in the red zone. By season’s end, Graham had caught 31 passes for 456 yards and five touchdowns, with four of those scores coming in his final three games. He has good size and outstanding speed for a tight end, which gives him a high ceiling. Look for him to finish the 2011 season as a lower-tier TE1.

Player Page | Track this player

Outlook: Hernandez was a revelation as a rookie early in 2010, busting out of the gate with 34 receptions for 406 yards and a pair of touchdowns over his first eight games. However, a suspected hip injury that caused him to miss the final two games of the season may have caused his second-half stumble, as he caught just 11 passes for 145 yards over the final part of the season—although his four touchdowns over that stretch made his fantasy point total respectable. Fellow rookie Rob Gronkowski emerged as quarterback Tom Brady’s favored option at tight end, but Hernandez has more upside given his ability to stretch the field. Look for Hernandez to win the receiving yardage battle but for Gronkowski to catch more touchdowns in 2011. Draft Hernandez as a mid-tier starting tight end with upside, but as one with an injury risk due to offseason hip surgery.

Player Page | Track this player

Outlook: After suffering an ankle injury midway through the 2009 season, Cooley bounced back strong last year. The Redskins passing attack didn’t reach the heights many expected with Donovan McNabb at quarterback, but Cooley was his typically productive self, catching 77 passes for 849 yards (third most at tight end and matching his career-high) and three touchdowns. The only thing holding Cooley back from being mentioned with the elite fantasy tight ends is his touchdown count, and it doesn’t appear much will change in that regard in 2011. The Redskins continue to have problems at quarterback, and until that changes, Cooley will remain a solid albeit unspectacular fantasy performer. He remains a lower-tier TE1 for the coming season.

Player Page | Track this player