TE Player Rankings for Week 9-  11/01/11

TE Player Rankings – Week 9

(BYE:  Carolina, Detroit, Jacksonville, Minnesota)

QB Rankings  RB Rankings  WR Rankings

Tight Ends

1.       Jimmy Graham (vs. TB) – Graham’s streak of studliness came to a screeching halt in the Saints loss last weekend to the Rams, but it won’t take more than a week to get it started back up again. With the Buccaneers allowing the fifth-most fantasy points to tight ends this season and New Orleans likely to lean on their best players to secure an interdivision victory, you really can’t go wrong with the 6’7” giant this week.

2.       Antonio Gates (vs. GB) – The Chargers may have lost a heartbreaker to the Chiefs last Monday night, but at least Antonio Gates is starting to look like his old self again. His numbers on the night of four catches for 73 yards may not be that impressive, but if it weren’t for a crappy offensive pass-interference call against him in the second quarter, he would have ended up with five catches for 90 yards and a TD. Either way, the Packers have allowed all sorts of yardage through the air this year and given up the eighth-most fantasy points to tight ends this season. That’s all you really need to know.

3.       Fred Davis (vs. SF) – QUESTIONABLE - Fred Davis has established himself as a top-tier tight end this season, especially after Chris Cooley went down, and should continue his dominance this weekend. You really can’t do anything on the ground against the 49ers this year (not like the Redskins can run the ball anyway), so I expect Davis to see a ton of targets once again and put up somewhere around his average from the last three weeks of seven catches for about 90 yards.

4.       Jason Witten (vs. Sea) – Witten’s streak of three straight games with a touchdown was ended last weekend as he was held by the Eagles to just four catches for 28 yards; his worst game of the season by far. Seattle has been pretty good against opposing tight ends thus far, but they’ve also allowed the better ones to put up some nice yardage and/or score. Witten should be able to do both this weekend.

5.       Aaron Hernandez (vs. NYG) – Hernandez has a TD in four of the five weeks he’s been active and averages the third-most fantasy points per game in the league for tight ends this season. He’s been a bit banged up this year, sure, but he’ll be needed this weekend with the Patriots likely to use Gronkowski more often as a blocker against a top-tier New York Giants pass rush. Last week he only saw four targets, but I expect Brady to toss the pill his way closer to his season average of nine in this one which should be enough to do some damage.

6.       Owen Daniels (vs. Cle)

7.       Rob Gronkowski (vs. NYG)

8.       Jermichael Finley (@ SD)

9.       Tony Gonzalez (@ Ind)

10.   Brent Celek (vs. Chi)

11.   Ed Dickson (@ Pit)

12.   Dustin Keller (@ Buf)

13.   Vernon Davis (@ Was)

14.   Jake Ballard (@ NE)

15.   Kellen Winslow Jr. (@ NO)

16.   Dallas Clark (vs. Atl)

17.   Joel Dreessen (vs. Cle)

18.   Jared Cook (vs. Cin)

19.   Scott Chandler (vs. NYJ)

20.   Daniel Fells (@ Oak)

21.   Kevin Boss (vs. Den)

22.   Ben Watson (@ Hou)

23.   Donald Lee (@ Ten)

24.   Lance Kendricks (@ Ari)

25.   Leonard Pope (vs. Mia)

26.   Heath Miller (vs. Bal)

27.   Delanie Walker (@ Was)

28.   Anthony Fasano (@ KC)

29.   Kellen Davis (@ Phi)

30.   Clay Harbor (vs. Chi)

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- 11/01/11