Fantasy Football Rankings: Tight Ends

Since I have looked at the Quarterbacks, Running Backs, and Wide Receivers, I suppose it is time to rank the Tight Ends.

1. Antonio Gates - This is pretty clear-cut. Gates is the best TE right now, and it's not even close. He's got all the physical ability, and he's the #1 target in the San Diego passing game. He should have another very good year.

2. Tony Gonzalez - No longer is Gonzalez a threat as the #1 TE, as his days as a top 2 TE might be ending. He still put up solid numbers last year, but the Kansas City offense figures to be a lot worse this year. The O-Line is older and lost some people, and it looks like Brodie Croyle will be their starting QB. That's not really a great combination.

3. Todd Heap - Heap had another solid year for Baltimore and should just be entering his prime. Steve McNair is getting older but got the job done last year, and Heap should again be one of his main targets.

4. Jeremy Shockey - Shockey's yardage numbers went down a little bit last year, but the TD numbers remained strong, with 7. With Tiki Barber gone, I think it's conceivable that the Giants put a little more on Eli Manning's shoulders this year, which would make Shockey one of the beneficiaries of that.

5. Alge Crumpler - For the first time in a long time, Crumpler will be starting the year without QB Mike Vick, who is having some issues of his own. I'm not a big fan of Joey Harrington, but I think he'll be able to find a big target in Crumpler, who's more athletic than he looks.

6. Kellen Winslow - The uncertainty of the Browns QB situation is a little worrisome, but you have to love his athleticism and talent. In his first year of being fully healthy he had 89 receptions for almost 900 yards... if he can just a few more TDs he can become a top 3 fantasy TE.

7. Vernon Davis - A lot of this is just basing off of potential, but he certainly has a lot of it. He is one of the most gifted players athletically in the NFL, and should be better with a little more experience with Alex Smith. He finished last year strong, and though there might be some inconsistencies, he's worth a flier given his talent.

8. Chris Cooley - Cooley is definitely not the most athletic guy, but he gets the job done in the red zone. He has 19 TD catches over the last 3 years, which is pretty good for a TE. With 734 yards and 6 TDs last year, he was a top 5 TE in 2006.

9. Jason Witten - Witten has had a nice run, though for some reason (maybe the addition of Owens) he only had 1 TD last year after scoring 6 in each of the 2 previous seasons. But he should continue to see the ball a lot in this offense, and if he can get into the endzone a few more time he could be a top 5 TE.

10. LJ Smith - Yardage wise, Smith struggled a bit after Donovan McNabb went down with an injury. But luckily for him and the Eagles, McNabb is back and has looked very good this season. Smith should once again be a solid fantasy option at TE.

11. Ben Watson
12. Randy McMichael
13. Owen Daniels
14. Dallas Clark
15. Eric Johnson

What are your thoughts?