Fantasy Football Tight Ends; Top 10 TE in 2013

In 2012, there was only one tight end that was in the top 20 in the league in receiving yards. Fantasy owners across the world were disappointed with the lack of production of almost all tight ends outside of Tony Gonzalez and Rob Gronkowski. Will 2013 be any better?

Here are the top 10 tight ends to draft for the 2013 NFL season:

#10. Brandon Myers – Oakland Raiders
Brandon Myers is somewhat of a sleeper, but due to the weak overall class of tight ends this year, he makes the top 10 list for this upcoming season. Myers had 79 receptions, 806 receiving yards and 4 touchdowns for a bad Oakland Radiers team. Myers was a reliable target and should continue to get his share of targets next season. Myers should be an afterthought unless you want to focus on all areas of your team before tight end.

#9. Dennis Pitta – Baltimore Ravens
Dennis Pitta showed solid fantasy value at times during the 2012 NFL season. Although he had four games with one or no catches, he finished the season with 61 catches, 669 yards receiving and 7 touchdowns. The Baltimore Ravens have a new offensive coordinator and should shake things up a bit. Pitta is a pretty solid option at tight end, but there are better choices.

#8. Aaron Hernandez – New England Patriots
Aaron Hernandez played in 10 games in 2012 and was inconsistent during many of the games he played in. Hernandez finished with 483 receiving yards, 51 receptions, and 5 touchdowns. In the New England Patriots’ playoff win he was a big piece of their offense, catching 6 passes for 85 yards. The Patriots have a lot of free agents including Wes Welker, that may make Hernandez a more relied upon option in the upcoming year. The only reason he is back at #8 on this list is due to the dominance of Rob Gronkowski, who Hernandez is forced to share time with.

#7. Owen Daniels – Houston Texans
Tight end Owen Daniels had a very productive season on a high powered offense, even though he had some injury troubles throughout the season. Daniels finished with 6 touchdowns, 62 receptions and 716 yards receiving. His importance on the team was evident during their two playoff games. Daniels had a combined 25 targets and 18 receptions for 172 yards in those two games. Daniels looks like a great option for your tight end spot in 2013.

#6. Greg Olsen – Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers’ Greg Olsen had a slow start to the 2012 season with only 1 touchdown in the first eight games. Olsen finished the season scoring 5 total touchdowns on 69 receptions and 843 yards receiving. Quarterback Cam Newton and the entire offense struggled for most of the season until they went 5-1 over their last six games of the season. Heading into the 2013 NFL season, Olsen will still be relatively young at 28 and is entering his seventh season. He proved that he still has some upside after having career highs in both receptions and receiving yards. Look for another strong season for Olsen.

#5. Heath Miller – Pittsburgh Steelers
Heath Miller may have had his best season yet in 2012. In 15 games, Miller had 71 receptions, 816 yards receiving and 8 touchdowns. The Pittsburgh Steelers had a disappointing season, but Miller’s performance was a bright spot. His 2012 statistics are probably at the top of his ceiling, but even if he repeats his performance from last year, he is worth drafting as your fantasy football tight end.

#4. Tony Gonzalez – Free Agent/Retired?
Tony Gonzalez was the best and most consistent tight end in 2012, but now is a free agent and has stated that there is a 95% chance that he will retire after the conclusion of the season. In the event that he does not retire, Gonzalez will be the 4th best tight end to add to your team. If he does end up retiring, the tight end position will take a big hit and it may be worth waiting until the end of your draft to fill the position unless you can add Rob Gronkowski or one of the other top three tight ends to your team.

#3. Jimmy Graham – New Orleans Saints
In 15 games, Jimmy Graham had 85 receptions, 982 yards receiving and 9 touchdowns this past season. Graham took a small step backwards last season, but remains one of the most dangerous tight ends in the game. The offense should look more like the 2011 New Orleans Saints as they get head coach Sean Payton back, which should give the team a solid boost. Look for Graham to have a great 2013 season for the Saints.

#2. Jason Witten – Dallas Cowboys
Although he struggled with an injury early in the season, he finished with an amazing season for the Dallas Cowboys. Witten finished with an incredible 110 catches and 1,039 yards receiving, but only three touchdowns. At times, he was the Cowboys most reliable receiver on the field. Look for Witten to pickup right where he left off and to add a couple more touchdowns to his total in the next season.

#1. Rob Gronkowski – New England Patriots
Rob Gronkowski is easily the top tight end in all of fantasy football. Although he suffered a late season injury, he was able to score 11 touchdowns in 11 games, along with 55 receptions and 790 yards receiving. There is no reason to think that Gronkowski will not be ready for 2013, and he should have a much better year as long as he can stay healthy. His value is extremely high because of the distance between him and the second best tight end. Take Gronk as high as the second or third round of your fantasy draft.

*All statistics from NFL via NFL.com

Sources
NFL.com

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