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Fantasy Football 2014: TE Rankings after Week 3 Preseason

By Zachary Thompson

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Aug 15, 2014; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints tight end Jimmy Graham (80) is pursued by Tennessee Titans linebacker Wesley Woodyard (59) during first quarter of a preseason game at Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 15, 2014; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints tight end Jimmy Graham (80) is pursued by Tennessee Titans linebacker Wesley Woodyard (59) during first quarter of a preseason game at Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports /

As we reach the peak of fantasy football draft season this week, it’s time to kick your draft prep into high gear which means being ready to understand the value of all the top options at every position. One position that many leagues require a specialized player for is tight end.  In the past few seasons, TE Rankings have become increasingly important for fantasy owners as offenses seek to integrate the big pass catchers more and more into their offense.

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TE Rankings are even more important than other positions since there isn’t nearly as much depth at the position. Compared to running back or wide receiver, there are not nearly as many options who will turn in fantasy relevant numbers.

Getting the right tight end can be a huge boost to your team. Tight ends can be big time red zone targets and produce big points, but the dropoff from the elite starters to the also-ran options is more pronounced than at QB, RB, or even WR.  Because of the separation, I like to group my TE Rankings into separate tiers.

Jimmy Graham exclusively owns the low-risk elite tier which is why he’s the clear #1 option at the position and often goes in the first round of drafts this season.  After Graham, there are a few other potential elites in the second tier that all carry some risk but could pay off.  The third tier are solid starters with upside, followed by solid #1’s with limited upside.  There are also a few fringe starters who could grow into good starting options if they grow this season.

In the following slides, you can find my tiered rankings with a brief overview of why the player is ranked where they are and what I expect from them this season.

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