2009 TE RANKINGS

1. Jason Witten
2. Tony Gonzalez
3. Antonio Gates
4. Dallas Clark
5. Chris Cooley
6. Owen Daniels
7. Greg Olsen
8. Kevin Boss
9. Kellen Winslow
10. John Carlson
11. Anthony Fasano
12. Zach Miller
13. Visanthe Shiancoe
14. Dustin Keller
15. Tony Scheffler
16. Jeremy Shockey
17. Donald Lee
18. Brent Celek
19. Bo Scaife
20. Heath Miller
21. Brandon Pettigrew
22. Marcedes Lewis
23. LJ Smith
24. Vernon Davis
25. Ben Watson
26. Chase Coffman
27. Todd Heap
28. Shawn Nelson
29. Billy Miller
30. Desmond Clark

Notes: I went against the grain a bit in making Witten the No. 1 TE this year over Gonzalez, who seems to be the consensus pick. I just think Witten's familiarity with BFF Tony Romo and the touchdown void created by Terrell Owens' absence means big things are in store for the Cowboys TE. But Gonzalez should still have a super season playing in an upgraded Falcons offense that's thirsty for a pass-catching threat at the position. ...

I also expect great seasons for now-healthy Gates in San Diego and the ever-reliable Clark in Indianapolis, making those four guys the upper-echelon TEs. ...

The position is incredibly deep after that, with the next 10 guys or so on the list all being deserving No. 1 fantasy starters. ...

The addition of Jay Cutler makes Olsen's stock rise because the QB has shown a knack for getting the ball to the tight end. ...

Boss will continue to be the Giants' primary red-zone target on pass plays until/if another wide receiver emerges to take Plaxico Burress' place. ...

Move up Shiancoe a spot or two if Brett Favre is indeed the Vikings' starting QB this year, because you know the old guy loves to hit his TE. ...

I wouldn't be surprised to see Scheffler and Keller take a step back because both teams have seemingly been downgraded at QB. ...

This could be the first time Shockey is undervalued in your draft, rather than overvalued, because the shine finally wore off last year (zero TDs). There's always hope for a revival with Drew Brees under center.

2008 tight end rankings

Let's kick off our 2008 football rankings with a sometimes overlooked position - tight end. The position's gotten a lot deeper in the past few years, and though there are now a handful of elite guys at the top, they're followed by a much bigger pool of decent options.

Here's the top 30, including my top sleeper and top bust:

1. Antonio Gates, San Diego Chargers: Expect more fine numbers, provided his big toe is all healed. But be warned - others are challenging him for the top spot as fantasy’s best tight end.

2. Jason Witten, Dallas Cowboys: Country boy has demonstrated an uncanny chemistry with buddy Tony Romo, and he’s the No. 2 receiving option on what could be the league’s best offense.



3. Kellen Winslow Jr., Cleveland Browns: He stuck a cork in the critics with last year’s breakout season. No more jokes - this Browns offense is good.

4. Dallas Clark, Indianapolis Colts: Signed a big deal in the offseason, meaning Peyton Manning can count on finding him in the end zone with regularity again (11 TDs last year).

5. Tony Gonzalez, Kansas City Chiefs: Enjoyed his best season since 2004 despite working with skittish Brodie Croyle majority of last year. One of the safest choices you can make in a draft.

6. Chris Cooley, Washington Redskins: It’s unclear what new coach Jim Zorn’s offense will look like exactly, but you have to figure consistent Cooley will play a big role

7. Jeremy Shockey, New Orleans Saints: The clean slate and reunion with Sean Payton, his onetime offensive coordinator, could place the Shockster in the upper tier of TEs, as long as that fibula’s fully healed.

8. Heath Miller, Pittsburgh Steelers: Miller’s not a yardage machine like some of his peers, but he gets the job done in the red zone (career-high seven TDs last year).


9. Tony Scheffler, Denver Broncos: Part of an improving corps of offensive skill players, under-the-radar Scheffler should make a great tag-team with QB Jay Cutler

10. Vernon Davis, San Francisco 49ers: Time for Davis to turn those physical gifts into actual production. Are QB Alex Smith and new offensive coordinator Mike Martz the right men for the job? We’ll see.

BUST

11. Todd Heap, Baltimore Ravens. It’s due to no fault of his own, but Heap is a huge injury risk after missing 10 games last year, plus his QB situation isn‘t very enticing. Heap’s a top-tier talent, but I can’t justify ranking him in the top 10 as in years past when there are safer options available.

12. Owen Daniels, Houston Texans.
13. Alge Crumpler, Tennessee Titans.
14. Donald Lee, Green Bay Packers.
15. Benjamin Watson, New England Patriots.
16. LJ Smith, Philadelphia Eagles.
17. Kevin Boss, New York Giants.
18. Greg Olsen, Chicago Bears.
19. Randy McMichael, St. Louis Rams.
20. Marcedes Lewis, Jacksonville Jaguars.

SLEEPER

21. Ben Utecht, Cincinnati Bengals. When was the last time you had a Bengals tight end on your fantasy team? Utecht caught 68 balls in the past two seasons as Clark’s backup in Indianapolis and now gets starting role. There’s some upside here.

22. Zach Miller, Oakland Raiders.
23. Dustin Keller, New York Jets.
24. John Carlson, Seattle Seahawks.
25. Alex Smith, Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
26. Anthony Fasano, Miami Dolphins.
27. Jeff King, Carolina Panthers.
28. Leonard Pope, Arizona Cardinals.
29. Desmond Clark, Chicago Bears.
30. Martrez Milner, Atlanta Falcons.