My Antonio Gates Blog

10. Zach Miller, Oakland Raiders. The young tight end broke out last season, with consistent yardage per game, having caught for 778 total yards. Unfortunately, he only scored 1 TD, and the Raiders' ability to score will heavily factor into his value this season.

9. Jeremy Shockey. A top-5 tight end not too long ago has slipped in the rankings, despite the fact that he plays for a top-3 fantasy quarterback in Drew Brees. Last season was a major letdown for Shockey and his owners, marred with injury (he missed 4 games), and Shockey amazingly scored no TDs. He also posted a career low 483 yards. Look for a bounceback season from Shockey, but the risk factor places Shockey at #9.

8. Chris Cooley. Another traditionally top-5 tight end, Cooley only found the end zone once last season. While he did post a career high in receiving yards (849), fantasy football is all about the touchdowns, and Cooley missed the boat there. He has easy top 5 potential with those yards should he score 5 or 6 TDs, but the Washington offense is questionable and others look more attractive given their QBs.

7. Owen Daniels. This young talent continues to improve each year, and has quietly emerged as one of the most reliable TEs in football over the past couple seasons. His 862 receiving yards were third best for a TE, but Daniels only scored two TDs. Still, his reliability combined with his upside will make most GMs happy, and Daniels falls at number 7 on the list this season.

6. Greg Olsen. A true sleeper this season in the sense that Olsen probably possesses more upside than any other tight end this season. With Jay Cutler at the helm, Olsen could easily have a breakout year at tight end, seeing as how involved Cutler traditionally likes to get with his tight ends. Olsen caught for 574 yards and scored 5 TDs last season, but should definitely best both of those numbers with Cutler's help.

5. Dallas Clark. When Peyton Manning is your quarterback, it's not hard to do great things. Clark has become an increasingly reliable option with each season, as Manning deals with an often double-teamed Reggie Wayne and an aging Marvin Harrison. Clark's 848 yards and 6 TDs are just too good to pass up, offering true value at the TE position.

4. Kellen Winslow. The 2007 season was a career year for Kellen Winslow, having caught for over 1100 yards and posting a career TD high as well. Last season, Winslow regressed (he only played 10 games) - partly due to injury and partly due to a murky QB situation in Cleveland. Winslow joins its Buccaneers team and should play a major role in its offense. He's a riskier play in the sense that there's both more risk and reward than there is with options like Dallas Clark. Draft accordingly.

3. Antonio Gates. Until last year, Gates was the consensus #1 fantasy tight end. Gates' 704 receiving yards last season (7th best for a tight end) have dethroned him, for now at least. In his defense, he did score 8 TDs, second best for any tight end. Numbers anyone would be happy to take.

2. Jason Witten. With the absence of Terrell Owens, there are many question marks in Dallas. As long as Romo's there, however, Witten should see plenty of targets. In fact, Romo may come to count on Witten even more, especially in the red zone. Witten began last season as the best tight end in football, but quickly slipped after a nagging rib injury slowed his season. He's rested and healthy, and should be back to posting regular WR numbers each weekend.

1. Tony Gonzalez. 2008 was a revival year for Gonzalez, who led all TEs in yards (1058) and TDs (10) last season, carrying many of his owners to the fantasy playoffs. Gonzalez finds himself as part of a stronger offense in Atlanta, and should connect with Matt Ryan for long receptions and TDs on many Sundays. Gonzalez is one of the most talented TEs in the game, and has only missed two games in his 12 year career. He hasn't received for less than 900 yards in a season since 2002-2003. Enjoy him for everything he's worth.

Jesse Boskoff can be found talking sports at RootZoo's sports forum on occasion, and playing his hand at the largest database of sports trivia online at RootZoo, home to fantasy football leagues, sports videos, and much more.