Which tight ends are too risky to trust?  Which could re-emerge as viable options?  Which are must use options?  Let’s break it all down for the coming week:

1. Rob Gronkowski – New England Patriots – vs. New York Jets
2. Jimmy Graham – New Orleans Saints – at Tampa Bay
3. Aaron Hernandez – New England Patriots – vs. New York Jets
4. Vernon Davis – San Francisco 49ers – vs. Seattle
5. Heath Miller – Pittsburgh Steelers – at Cincinnati
6. Jason Witten – Dallas Cowboys – at Carolina
7. Owen Daniels – Houston Texans – vs. Baltimore
8. Kyle Rudolph – Minnesota Vikings – vs. Arizona
9. Scott Chandler – Buffalo Bills – vs. Tennessee
10. Jermichael Finley – Green Bay Packers – at St. Louis
11. Jermaine Gresham – Cincinnati Bengals – vs. Pittsburgh
12. Martellus Bennett – New York Giants – vs. Washington
13. Jared Cook – Tennessee Titans – at Buffalo
14. Greg Olsen – Carolina Panthers – vs. Dallas
15. Fred Davis – Washington Redskins – at New York Giants
16. Brandon Pettigrew – Detroit Lions – at Chicago
17. Dustin Keller – New York Jets – at New England
18. Dennis Pitta – Baltimore Ravens – at Houston
19. Marcedes Lewis – Jacksonville Jaguars – at Oakland
20. Dwayne Allen – Indianapolis Colts – vs. Cleveland
21. Lance Kendricks – St. Louis Rams – vs. Green Bay
22. Brandon Myers – Oakland Raiders – vs. Jacksonville
23. Kellen Davis – Chicago Bears – vs. Detroit
24. Todd Heap – Arizona Cardinals – at Minnesota
25. Benjamin Watson – Cleveland Browns – at Indianapolis

Thoughts:

• A limited Aaron Hernandez still managed 6 catches for 30 yards and 1 TD in his first game since Week 1.  Is there any doubt that both he and Rob Gronkowski should have big days against a Jets’ defense that has generally struggled to stop opposing tight ends?  Both should be considered Top 5 options, at worst, this week.
• Despite the eruption of the Green Bay offense in Week 6, Jermichael Finley managed just 2 receptions for 12 yards and 0 TD.  Over the past two weeks he has 5 catches for 23 yards and hasn’t had more than 4 receptions in a game since Week 1 (or more than 60 yards in any game this season).  We all know how talented he is, but does anyone actually have faith in him regardless of the opponent?  The upside keeps him as a viable TE1, but it’s a low-end one at that.
• Martellus Bennett has been banged up, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see him re-emerge this week against a Redskins defense that has allowed 6 TD to tight ends this season.  He’s high risk, but also high reward.  Depending on your other options, he’s worth considering as a TE1.
• Over the past two games Jason Witten has 19 catches for 200 yards and 1 TD.  Clearly, he is back to health and a vital part of the Cowboys’ offense.  With DeMarco Murray banged up, Witten’s role could increase even more.  Don’t shy away from him.
• It’s hard to read too much into Dustin Keller’s line in his return to the lineup, because the Jets attempted just 19 passes (and one was on a fake punt).  So yes, Keller had just 1 reception for 6 yards, but we need to take the game plan into account.  Do we really think they can get away with throwing the ball so few times against the Patriots?  It’s unlikely, so look for Keller to play a much bigger role in Week 7.
• Scott Chandler gets the next chance to abuse the Titans’ defense, as they have allowed 8 TD to opposing tight ends.  With Chandler always a threat in the red zone (he has 4 TD), he’s a TE1 this week.

Make sure to check out the rest of our Week 7 rankings:

• Top 25 Quarterbacks