The Tight End. A revolutionary position that, over the past twenty years, has undoubtedly played a huge part into the transformation of the NFL to a more pass happy league. Gone are the days when tight ends flanked the offensive line to provide extra blocking for running backs and here are the days when Jimmy Graham has to go to arbitration to argue his right to being labelled a wide receiver. Because of this, tight ends are getting target numbers that mirror those of some of the better receivers in the leagues, and as tight ends continue to get bigger and their hands continue to get better (turns out the collegiate basketball courts are as good of tight end mills as anything else these days), there is no reason to believe that quarterbacks are going to stop throwing it to these giant humans any time soon.

In this article, I’m looking at the Top 10 Tight Ends in targets last year and making completely random and opinionated suggestions in how they’ll end up in 2015 (okay, they are actually well researched). Now please remember that this list is target based and not talent based. Yes, Julius Thomas, Jason Witten and Jordan Cameron are going to be top 10 options when the draft happens but you’re not going to see them here. Still draft them in appropriate spots on draft day. Targets aren't always everything. With that being said, let’s boogey.

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2015 Fantasy Football Projections - Tight End Targets

Rob Gronkowski - TE, New England Patriots

2014 stats: 82 rec, 1124 yards, 12 TDs, 131 targets

We start with Gronk. The dude who is garnering articles this fantasy preseason arguing whether or not he should be the first overall pick in drafts (and it’s not just filler, it’s a legitimate question). I remember when everyone was talking about how Antonio Gates was the best tight end ever because of what he was able to do as a receiver. And then Gronk kicked down his door, took the belt directly off of his waist, kicked him out of the apartment, ate a whole wheel of cheese and then pooped in the refrigerator. For 2015, expect Gronk to do Gronk. Whether its Tom Brady or Jimmy Garrappolo throwing it to him, Gronk is going to catch almost everything (in a fasion that is better than most receivers) and he is going to score plenty of touchdowns. Honestly the only thing that can slow down Gronk happens to also be Gronk. Best case scenario- Gronk approaches 150 targets and 15 TDs. Worst case scenario- Gronk breaks his arm in Week 3 as he soars over Paul Posluszny in scoring the greatest touchdown you have ever seen, and he is promptly signed to the most lucrative reality television contract of all time following the game.

Target Projections Verdict: 131 targets is very much in reach. Gronk might be the fantasy MVP this year.

 

Martellus Bennett - TE, Chicago Bears

2014 stats: 90 rec, 916 yards, 6 TDs, 128 targets

After showing glimpses of his abilities catching passes from Eli Manning two seasons ago, Bennett moved on to Chicago in hopes of igniting his career’s fuse. A year later, the flame glows bright. After finishing in the top 5 of the position, Bennett is looking to continue to build the separation between the rest of the middling TE1’s that litter the league these days. Considering he’s a big target for the gunslinging Jay Cutler (also worth mentioning is the steady 10.7 next to YPG for his career) and the offense is already dealing with the loss of both Brandon Marshall and Kevin White to free agency and injury respectively, all signs point to Bennett having every opportunity to shine in this year’s version of the Bears. Whether this means greater production remains to be seen. As likely this fuse is to reach the metaphoric explosives, it’s just as likely that it gets extinguished.

Target Projections Verdict: 127 targets with slightly underwhelming numbers but stays one of the funniest men in the NFL. Check out the dude’s Twitter.

 

Jimmy Graham - TE, Seattle Seahawks

2014 Stats (with NO): 85 rec, 889 yards, 10 TDs, 125 Tgts

Probably the most intriguing player in the game as we approach the season. After setting the fantasy world on fire in 2014 with 1215 yards and 16 TDs, Jimmy Graham came back to earth last year by "only" amassing 889 yards and 10 TDs (interestingly on basically the same amount of catches). Then something important happened on the goalline in the Super Bowl and the Seahawks kicked off a league wide trading frenzy by sending their starting center and a first rounder to get Graham at the start of free agency. The stats suggest he is going to underwhelm, as the Seahawks only went to their tight ends on 8% of offensive plays last year, while the eye test suggests that Russell Wilson actually does target his tight ends regularly. So what’s this mean for Graham? He’s not going to be a first rounder this year but he shouldn’t fall much into the fourth round. The later he goes, the more potential for a steal. Of course, you have to be wary. If he tanks it, it wouldn’t be the first time a playmaker disappeared up in Seattle.

Target Projections Verdict: 95 targets but enough touchdowns that fantasy owners won’t crawl into the fetal position and question everything they stand for in life.

 

Greg Olsen - TE, Carolina Panthers

Target Projections Verdict: 84 catches for 1008 yards and 6 TDs, 124 targets

A favorite of Cam Newton, the recent ACL tear for Kelvin Benjamin makes Olsen the de facto number one option in Carolina going forward. Whether or not that is a good thing, we do not know. Fresh off his first trip to the Pro Bowl, it remains to be seen if the 30 year old is going to be able to build off his career (and franchise record breaking) year as he is seeing an increased amount of pressure week in and week out. Nonetheless, a professional who is willing to block as much as he is to catch passes, Olsen will bring his iron man streak (126 straight games) to the field for a high amount of snaps. All signs point to another solid season for the Carolina tight end. He won’t blow your socks off but you’ll be happy you have him instead of many of the rest of the options these inconsiderate football teams are offering us fantasy owners.

Target Projections Verdict: 128 targets and successful reverse jinx for this Olsen owner (give me 1200 yards and 10 TD’s, pretty please)

 

Delanie Walker - TE, Tennessee Titans

2014 Stats: 63 rec for 890 yards, 4 TDs, 106 targets

We jump tiers here. The gap between 4 and 5 on this list (18 targets) is greater than the distance between 5 and 10 (14 targets) and we officially are no longer dealing with the elite talents here. Still Walker is undoubtedly a solid option when looking for your starter. After proving his worth two years ago to the tune of 60 catches and 571 yards, he became the most dependable player for the Titans’ offense last year, reaching career highs of 63 catches and 890 yards (fourth most by a TE). The biggest detractor is the uncertainty of the offense being quarterbacked by rookie Marcus Mariota, and as our own Ed Gorelik has pointed out, the proper draft strategy is to avoid tight ends working with rookie quarterbacks. There are definitely different options in more stable situations to consider before Walker (maybe Kyle Rudolph or Josh Hill).

Target Projections Verdict: 90 targets but only 600+ yards

 

You can read part two of this column here...

 

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