2009 Fantasy Football TE Rankings
All 2009 Player Rankings can be found here. Below is my TE rankings list. Most of these players are not exciting, but 99% of leagues feature at least one TE slot. Take a gander at these rankings to get an idea of what to expect for you 2009 fantasy football drafts.
1. Jason Witten – All of Witten’s conniving and plotting against TO finally payed off. Now he stands alone as Romo’s go-to guy. He’s a lock for 100 receptions, 1000+ yards, and 7+ TDs.
2. Antonio Gates - Strangely enough, Antonio Gates is no longer the main receiving weapon in San Diego. He’s still an elite TE, though. If Gates can stay healthy expect his number to bounce back towards 2007 totals – 75 catches, 900+ yards, and 8-9 TDs.
3. Tony Gonzalez – Gonzo still wants to be traded but his best fantasy value is in Kansas City. If Gonzo stays in KC he may move up to #2 on my list. He’s got at least one more 90+ catch, 1000 yard, 7+ TD season in him.
4. Dallas Clark - Clark will be a big beneficiary of the departure of Marvin Harrison. The entire Colts passing game could be in for a nice bounceback if they can solidify the offensive line. His upside is 1000 yards and 10 TDs. I’ll reach for him this season.
5. Kellen Winslow - Tampa is paying him enough that they have to figure out how to get the ball to him. He will rack up tough receptions and yardage over the middle. He should return to 80+ catches, but don’t expect a lot of scores.
6. Greg Olsen Cutler to Olsen! That combo will be around for a while. Olsen’s produced respectable numbers in his first two years, but now it’s time for him to break out. He may be Cutler’s go to guy in the Red Zone. 65 catches, 850 yards, and 8 scores is not unlikely. The main problem is that Desmond Clark will be taking many of his potential targets.
7. Chris Cooley – One TD in ‘08 was an anomaly. He had more catches and yards than at any point in his career. They’ll need him to block, but hopefully some other receivers can emerge to take some pressure off him in the red zone. If he doesn’t score 4+ TDs in ‘09 I’ll be shocked.
8. Dustin Keller – Keller showed flashes of brilliance as the Jets rolled through the Rams, Titans, and Patriots during Favre’s hot streak in ‘08. He was also nowhere to be found in some games, which can be expected from a rookie. This year, without Coles, he should be relied upon even more. He was drafted to catch passes and should solidify himself as a fantasy TE1 this year.
9. Owen Daniels – Owen Daniels has the talent and gets the fantasy love, but Andre Johnson and Kevin Walter get all the fantasy points. Owen suffered while Schaub was injured last season. A full season with a fully healthy Schaub (which may never happen) could bump Daniel’s into the 85 catch range. Keep in mind that Houston’s offense is officially very good.
10. Jeremy Shockey – Shockey showed up to voluntary workouts to get more time with Brees. He at least realizes at this point that his career is not on the right track. He’s got the talent and the QB so this could be the season that he turns it around. I’ll take a chance on his upside at this point but also draft a Bo Scaife or Ben Watson as a backup just in case.
11. Vernon Davis – This perennial disappointment is finally in a situation where he my excel. OC Jimmy Raye envisions him as a “Matchup Nightmare” and wants him to drop weight in the offseason so he can run more passing routes. I’m cautiously optimistic that Vernon will finally show up.
12. Brent Celek – Celek is an interesting option heading into 2009. He took over LJ Smith’s role (while Smith was in a contract year) and finished the last four games with 22 catches for 181 yards and 4 TDs. Draft him as a low end TE1 and take a solid backup. The TE in this offense will have a prominent role as long as Andy Reid is in town.
13. Tony Scheffler – Scheffler could be a steady safety valve for Orton. Orton did keep his TEs regularly involved in Chicago.
14. Bo Scaife – We all picked Crumpler to be the stand out receiving TE last season in Tennessee. Turns out Old Man Crumpler mainly blocked while Scaife led the team in receptions. Look for the Collins to Scaife connection to improve as Scaife plays for a new contract.
15. John Carlson – Carlson actually led the Seahawks in receiving last year by virtue of being the only pass catcher to stay healthy. In ‘09 he’ll be competing for catches with TJ Housh, Deion Branch, and Nate Burleson. He’s a top backup, but he may regress from last year’s totals.
16. Heath Miller – Miller always gets lots of looks in the red zone. If the Steelers offensive line play improves Miller will be even more involved in the passing game. Don’t forget about him on draft day.
17. Visanthe Shiancoe – Shiancoe quietly caught 7 TDs last season. He’s a top TE2 option.
18. Kevin Boss – Boss grabbed six TDs last season in only 33 receptions. He will continue to be a top red zone option in a prolific offense. Great plug and play with even more upside now that Burress is gone.
19. Zach Miller – Miller is one of the better receiving options in Oakland. Not that it matters – Jamarcus Russell is awful.
20. Anthony Fasano – Fasano was incredibly frustrating to own last year. He posted 8 catches in his first game, but never more than three after that. He did post 7 TDs. When it comes time to plug him into your lineup just cross your fingers and pray.
21. Ben Watson – Some have high hopes for Watson with the return of Brady, but the Patriots also signed Chris Baker. They’ll be splitting looks and there aren’t enough TE targets to share for fantasy relevance.
22. Marcedes Lewis – Nothing exciting, but did catch 40 balls last year.
23. Desmond Clark – Desmond Clark got 40 balls despite the 08 emergence of Greg Olsen. Clark will still be involved and now has a better QB.
24. Billy Miller – If Shockey doesn’t get himself together Billy Miller will be the beneficiary. Brees will push 5000 yards and 25+ scores again this season, so there are plenty of stats to go around.
25. Jermichael Finley – Finley (GB) is worth a flyer in deep leagues. He should be splitting time with Donald Lee at the very least.
26. LJ Smith – The Ravens signed him to run passing routes, so Smith will remain somewhat fantasy relevant. Drafters must realize that Todd Heap is done – do not waste a draft pick on him.