Top 30 NFL Fantasy Football Tight Ends For 2015
Follow CBSMIAMI.COM: Facebook | Twitter
As the NFL continues to march towards the regular season, fantasy football players across the globe are preparing for their respective drafts.
Plenty of things can happen throughout the course of a season that require roster moves being made, but having a good draft can springboard any team to a fantasy championship.
Over the past couple weeks we've been posting our NFL fantasy rankings to help you get ready for your drafts. So far we've covered the Top 30 Fantasy Quarterbacks, Top 50 Fantasy Running Backs, Top 70 Fantasy Wide Receivers, Top Fantasy Football Sleepers and Busts and Top NFL Fantasy Football Rookies.
Next up are the Top 30 NFL Fantasy Football Tight Ends.
1- Rob Gronkowski
Over the last four years no tight end has a better per-game fantasy average than Gronkowski. He's Tom Brady's favorite target and can do damage anywhere on the field, but especially in the red zone. Since 2010 the only season that Gronkowski didn't score double-digit touchdowns was 2013, and he only played seven games that year.
2- Jimmy Graham
There may be a dip in the amount of targets that Graham gets this season as he was traded from one of the most pass-happy offenses to one of the most run-heavy, but he should still rack up the touchdowns as Russell Wilson will be looking for Graham in the red zone every chance he gets.
3- Greg Olsen
Olsen is coming off of a very strong season in which he cracked the 1,000 yard mark for the first time in his career. He could see even more targets in 2015 after the injury to Carolina's number one receiver, Kelvin Benjamin.
4- Travis Kelce
The receiving options in Kansas City are limited so Kelce could be on the brink of a breakout season. His snaps were limited last year after missing the entire 2013 season following micro-fracture surgery but now that the Chiefs have moved on from Anthony Fasano, Kelce could be in store for an every-down role.
5- Martellus Bennett
Bennett has quietly been one of the more consistent tight ends over the past few years and his numbers have steadily improved since 2012. He plays a major role in the Bears offense, a role that could increase with Brandon Marshall moving on to the Jets and rookie Kevin White suffering a stress fracture to his shin.
6- Julius Thomas
At this time two years ago few people had even heard of Julius Thomas. Fast forward to today where the 27-year-old has put up back-to-back 12 touchdown seasons in Denver which translated into a nice new contract with the Jaguars. Now the question is how dominant he'll be with Jacksonville's limited offensive capabilities.
7- Jason Witten
Witten finally showed signs of slowing down last season after being one of the league's top tight ends for over a decade. He could see more looks with the Cowboys' loss of DeMarco Murray, but while he finished 2014 with a solid stat line he failed to reach 35 yards receiving in half of the games he played.
8- Zach Ertz
Coming off of a disappointing 2014 season in which he played just half of the offensive snaps, Ertz is expected to be a much bigger part of the Eagles high-flying offense this time around. Nothing is guaranteed so consider Ertz a high-risk, high-reward fantasy player.
9- Jordan Cameron
Injuries have slowed Cameron during his short NFL career but when healthy he's been among the league's best tight ends. He's looked very good during training camp in the Dolphins up-tempo offense and if he can stay healthy, another Pro Bowl season could be in his future.
10- Delanie Walker
Since signing in Tennessee two years ago, Walker went from a barely used tight end in San Francisco to a main contributor and red zone target for Ken Whisenhunt's Titans. Considering the quarterback issues that Tennessee has had during Walker's time there, he could really benefit if rookie quarterback Marcus Mariota lives up to his expectations.
11- Antonio Gates
Age has yet to catch up with Gates, who continues to put up solid numbers as Philp Rivers' favorite target. He should continue to be a major red zone threat in 2015 but keep in mind that the NFL suspended Gates for the first four games of the season after he violated the league's policy on performance enhancing substances.
12- Dwayne Allen
Allen's ability as both a blocker and pass catcher keep him on the field for most plays but injuries have hampered him over the past two years. He plays on a Colts team that has several offensive playmakers but Allen should still manage to put up solid numbers.
13- Owen Daniels
It wasn't that long ago that Daniels was considered one of the top fantasy tight ends in the league and he has a good chance of stepping back into that role in 2015. With Julius Thomas gone, Daniels steps into the top tight end role in Denver's explosive offense.
14- Coby Fleener
The second half of the Colts one-two tight end punch, Fleener has caught over 50 passes in back-to-back seasons while totaling 12 touchdowns during that stretch. A healthy Dwayne Allen and the addition of Andre Johnson could cut into his targets though.
15- Josh Hill
Hill is one of the more intriguing fantasy tight end options of 2015. He takes over in New Orleans as Jimmy Graham's replacement and could easily be a top ten fantasy player at his position. In a limited role last season, Hill caught five touchdowns while playing just 293 snaps.
16- Kyle Rudolph
After a strong season in 2012, injuries have limited Rudolph to just 17 games over the past two years. The Vikings are still high on Rudolph and love his size in the red zone.
17- Austin Seferian-Jenkins
Injuries limited Seferian-Jenkins' rookie season to just nine games but he's expected to play a big role in the Bucs' offense. With Vincent Jackson and Mike Evans demanding attention on the outside, there should be plenty of room for the 22-year-old in the middle of the field.
18- Larry Donnell
Donnell emerged as the Giants' top tight in 2014 but he was very hit-or-miss, scoring half of his six touchdowns in one game. He saw plenty of red zone targets and that's a trend that should continue this season.
19- Heath Miller
There's nobody other than Miller in Pittsburgh as far as fantasy tight ends go, and he's been consistently productive throughout his career. He's caught 51, 71, 58 and 66 passes over the past four years and should continue to put up solid numbers in 2015.
20- Jordan Reed
If he can find a way to stay healthy the sky is the limit for Reed. Between getting hurt and inconsistent quarterback play in Washington, it's been difficult to count on Reed from a fantasy standpoint.
21- Charles Clay
Clay has had success catching the ball the past two seasons, racking up 127 receptions during that time, but his versatility could work against him as Rex Ryan could try to utilize him as a blocker more often.
22- Vernon Davis
Fresh off of the most disappointing season of his career, Davis could bounce back in a big way in 2015 as his skills don't appear to have diminished at all.
23- Tyler Eifert
Fresh off shoulder and elbow surgeries, Eifert should be a big part of the Bengals offense after the departure of Jermaine Gresham.
24- Ladarius Green
Green's ability to put up big numbers will depend on how many snaps Antonio Gates gets as the season progresses. Green will be the main guy for San Diego's first four games due to Gates' suspension.
25- Mychal Rivera
Last season Rivera emerged as Derek Carr's favorite target on a team that will likely be coming from behind more often than not.
26- Eric Ebron
The former 10th overall pick has not developed as quickly as the Lions would like but Ebron is expected take some strides forward in his second NFL season.
27- Jared Cook
Productive and inconsistent are the two words that best describe Cook. He can put up strong numbers and then disappear for a couple games.
28- Jace Amaro
Amaro should be able to build off his strong rookie season but his production will always be limited in the Jets' offense.
29- Brent Celek
The emergence of Zach Ertz has cut into Celek's fantasy value as he's used much more as a blocker now than during his heyday.
30- Richard Rodgers
After passing Andrew Quarless on the Packers depth chart, the sky is the limit for the relative unknown in a very potent offense.
Follow David on Twitter (@DavidDwork)
