With Jason Witten looking like he will miss only one game, if that, how does that impact our rankings? Let’s take a look at how far he moves up, as well as all the other changes in our rankings:
Tier 1 – The Elite
- Rob Gronkowski – New England Patriots (1)
- Jimmy Graham – New Orleans Saints (2)
Tier 2 – Not Elite, But Extremely Good Options
- Aaron Hernandez – New England Patriots (3)
- Jason Witten – Dallas Cowboys (7)
- Vernon Davis – San Francisco 49ers (5)
- Jermichael Finley – Green Bay Packers (4)
- Antonio Gates – San Diego Chargers (6)
- Brandon Pettigrew – Detroit Lions (8)
Tier 3 – Worth Considering as a Low-End TE1
- Fred Davis – Washington Redskins (9)
- Tony Gonzalez – Atlanta Falcons (10)
- Jacob Tamme – Denver Broncos (11)
- Brent Celek – Philadelphia Eagles (12)
- Jared Cook – Tennessee Titans (13)
Tier 4 – Solid TE2 Options
- Owen Daniels – Houston Texans (15)
- Colby Fleener – Indianapolis Colts (16)
- Kellen Winslow – Seattle Seahawks (18)
- Dustin Keller – New York Jets (17)
Tier 5 – Possible Breakout Candidates
- Greg Olsen – Carolina Panthers (19)
- Jermaine Gresham – Cincinnati Bengals (14)
- Kyle Rudolph – Minnesota Vikings (20)
- Martelius Bennett – New York Giants (21)
- Dwayne Allen – Indianapolis Colts (22)
- Tony Moeaki – Kansas City Chiefs (23)
- Ed Dickson – Baltimore Ravens (24)
- Jordan Cameron – Cleveland Browns (25)
Dropped from rankings –None
Thoughts:
- According to the Bengal’s official website (click here for the article), “Also not practicing Tuesday were Geathers, Dunlap and tight end Jermaine Gresham (knee) as they worked on the rehab field. But Lewis said those players are making progress and while Gresham and Geathers are expected to open the season in Baltimore”. Gresham has TE1 upside, but so do many other low-end tight ends this season and they aren’t currently carrying injury concerns. I would consider him a mid-level TE2, but there are “safer risks” available right now.
- We continue to wait and see if Jason Witten can get healthy and play in Week 1. As I have said before, if he hadn’t suffered the spleen injury he would be my #3 tight end. However, he is back on the rise at this point. According to Josh Ellis (via Twitter), “Just learned that Jason Witten is being viewed as a game-time decision for Sept. 5 at New York.” In other words, while he may miss Week 1 it appears that very well could be the only game he misses. Considering he will operate almost like a third wide receiver and be a constant target for Tony Romo, he is a great draft day selection.
- Not that there were any doubts, but with Chris Cooley released Fred Davis is the obvious top tight end for the Redskins. He has a ton of upside and should be considered a TE1 in all formats.
- I was sour on Dustin Keller even before his current injury, as the Jets’ offense in general is in total flux. While he could be a consistent red zone target, would it really be surprising to see the team utilize Tim Tebow as the goal line specialist, letting him try to run it in more times than not?
- Could Aaron Hernandez outperform Rob Gronkowski? According to Greg A. Bedard of The Boston Globe (click here for the article), “Aaron Hernandez has ascended to Brady’s No. 1 option, with Wes Welker next, and then Rob Gronkowski depending on matchups. Brady looks incomplete when Welker isn’t in the lineup, like Friday night.” Who knows what will happen when the season starts, but I certainly wouldn’t be sleeping on Hernandez. He has the potential to be the top tight end this season.
Make sure to check out our 2012 fantasy football rankings:
