50 Shades of Fantasy Football: Vol. III Seasonal Top 5 Rankings
By Mike Randle
5) Gary Barnidge (Cleveland): Seventh-year NFL veteran Gary Barnidge burst on the fantasy football scene last year with a top-flight season. He was second among all tight ends in targets (125), third in receptions (79), and fourth in fantasy points per game (14.8). New head coach Hue Jackson brings a passing attack to Cleveland that should guarantee a top-five season for Barnidge. Last year in Cincinnati, Jackson’s tuteledge helped produce Tyler Eifert’s career best year (13 touchdowns). Look for similar results with Barnidge in Cleveland.
4) Rob Gronkowski (New England): Gronk’s as safe a fantasy tight end as possible, and is coming off a dominant season in which he ranked first among all tight ends in yards (1,176) and yards after catch (549). However, the overwhelming top tight end in football will take a step back in 2016. Without Tom Brady for the first four games, defenses will be able to limit Gronkowski’s production. He will fail to match his incredible season long production from 2011, 2014, or 2015. Given his current first round ADP, you should avoid drafting Gronkowski in all formats.
3) Jordan Reed (Washington): If it wasn’t for health concerns, Reed would be the overall number one fantasy football tight end. He finished tops at his position in fantasy points per game with 17.6 (PlayerProfiler.com) a year ago. However, the Red Zone is where his value really skyrockets. To wit, Reed was first among the position in Red Zone Target Share, receiving 31.5 percent of all pass plays inside the 20 yard line. This led to a league leading 16 Red Zone receptions in 2015. The constant injury concerns are always present, and his recently inked five year $50 million contract might decrease his motivation. These concerns cause a slight downgrade to the third overall tight-end ranking.
2) Greg Olsen (Carolina): Another member of the “All Underrated Fantasy Team.” Olsen is Mr. Consistent, and provides as high a floor as anyone at his position. He was top five in almost every significant fantasy category last season: Snap Share, Targets, Receptions, Receiving Yards, Target Share, and Yards After Catch. In fact, the only area he struggles to match top value is in touchdowns. Over a nine-year career, Olsen has never reached double digit touchdowns. He is simply too good for that trend to continue. I predict it ends this year, and he will finish as the number two overall fantasy quarterback.
1) Coby Fleener (New Orleans): Every year there is a huge unexpected surprise among the fantasy leaders. This year that will be Fleener’s finish as the number one overall fantasy football tight end. Last year, Ben Watson finished eighth among all tight ends with 12.0 fantasy points per game. However, Watson’s 109 targets were the lowest by a Saints tight end since 2011. Fleener is seven years younger than Watson and has never received more than 92 targets during his career in Indianapolis. What do you get when you pair an underutilized tight end with Drew Brees? The overall number one fantasy tight end in 2016.
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