Week 7 fantasy football rankings: Tight end
Below are this week’s QB rankings and tiers based on a player’s matchup, talent, offensive role and recent performance. Still have a tough start/sit question? Ask us anytime on Twitter @FantasySourceFB, or stop by our Sunday chats from 11 a.m. ET until kickoff on Facebook!
MORE WEEK 7 RANKINGS: QB | RB | WR | DEF | K
FIVE STAR
1. Julius Thomas, Broncos vs. 49ers
2. Rob Gronkowski, Patriots vs. Jets
FOUR STAR
3. Greg Olsen, Panthers @ Packers
4. Jordan Cameron, Browns @ Jaguars. Cameron only had five targets last week, but one went for a 51-yard touchdown. It’s a little premature to say he’s “back,” but against the Jaguars, who have allowed the fourth-most fantasy points per game (FPPG) to TEs, Cameron just needs to be “kind of back.”
5. Larry Donnell, Giants @ Cowboys. Donnell has had just three targets the past two games, so fantasy owners are undoubtedly looking to bench him. But those two games came against the Falcons and Eagles, who rank 27th and 31st, respectively, in FPPG against TEs. The Cowboys rank tied for second, giving up a healthy 12.7 FPPG. Look for Donnell to get more involved in the Giants’ offense, especially with Victor Cruz (knee) out.
6. Delanie Walker, Titans @ Redskins. Walker continues to consistently put up points, ranking as fantasy’s No. 5 TE and getting the fifth-most targets at the position. He’s also second among qualified TEs in yards per catch (14.5). The Redskins allow 9.7 FPPG to tight ends (10th most), so Walker should be in line for another good game.
THREE STAR
7. Antonio Gates, Chargers vs. Chiefs.
8. Jordan Reed, Redskins vs. Titans. Reed showed no signs of rust in his return from a hamstring injury last week, catching eight of 11 targets for 92 yards. However, sometimes players see a dip in their second game back after an injury (soreness, fatigue, etc.), so we’re bumping Reed down a bit despite a favorite matchup against Tennessee. He’s still a starter, though.
9. Martellus Bennett, Bears vs. Dolphins. Marty B is doing his annual “October dip”, but last week he still had a solid eight targets for 72 yards. Just because the touchdowns aren’t there doesn’t mean he’s useless. The Dolphins are middle-of-the-road against tight ends, which means Bennett is still an above-average TE.
10. Vernon Davis, 49ers @ Broncos. Davis looked rusty on Monday night in his return from a back injury, but he was still involved in the 49ers’ offense (six targets). With his talent and upside, he’s a starting option in a game that figures to see a lot of passes.
11. Travis Kelce, Chiefs @ Chargers. Kelce has scored in three straight games, though his targets have been inconsistent (last three contests: 4, 9, 3). The Chargers are tied for fewest points allowed to TEs, so this won’t be an easy contest, but few TEs have more upside than Kelce, who’s emerged as perhaps the biggest weapon in Kansas City’s passing attack.
12. Dwayne Allen, Colts vs. Bengals. Allen has been basically a touchdown-or-bust player, but if last week is any indication (season-high seven targets), he might be becoming a little more. We’re willing to give him a chance against a Bengals’ defense allowing the second-most FPPG to TEs. Coby Fleener is also a nice sleeper because of the matchup, but Allen still gets the edge because of his extra red-zone targets.
13. Owen Daniels, Ravens vs. Falcons. Daniels always seems on the verge of having a good game, but he hasn’t really delivered this year. The Falcons are tough against TEs, but the Ravens tend to use their tight ends differently than most teams, making Daniels a little more of a threat against a defense allowing the second-most passing yards per game.
14. Jason Witten, Cowboys vs. Giants. Witten finally scratched the scoring column last week, but it came in a favorable matchup and on just five targets — the fourth game in a row he’s had that number of looks. The Giants allow just seven FPPG to TEs, so there’s no reason to get too excited about Witten.
TWO STAR
15. Coby Fleener, Colts vs. Bengals.
16. Heath Miller, Steelers vs. Texans. Miller could get 11 targets like he did in Week 4 or he could get four targets like he did in each of the past two weeks. And unless he gets a touchdown, he might be useless either way. The Texans are in the bottom 10 in FPPG allowed to TEs, so Miller is nothing more than a bye-week/injury fill-in.
17. Jared Cook, Rams vs. Seahawks. On paper, this is a good matchup (Seattle allows the third-most FPPG to TEs), and Cook has been a target hog the past three weeks (30). You can make a strong argument he should be ranked higher, but it’s tough to trust Austin Davis and the rest of the Rams offense against the ‘Hawks defense. More power to you if you take the chance — again, the numbers say you should — but Cook is just a little too risky for our blood.
ONE STAR
18. Jace Amaro, Jets @ Patriots. Amaro is coming off a huge day (10 catches, 12 targets, 68 yards and a TD), but given his production prior to that (14 catches, 17 targets, 144 yards, no scores), we’re not ready to go all-in. The Pats are in the bottom 10 in FPPG allowed to TEs, so the rookie doesn’t figure to have an especially big game on Thursday night.
19. Garrett Graham, Texans @ Steelers.
20. Charles Clay, Dolphins @ Bears.
21. Scott Chandler, Bills vs. Vikings.
22. Jermaine Gresham, Bengals vs. Colts
23. Tim Wright, Patriots vs. Jets. Wright scored for the second straight game in Week 6 — that’s great. But his one-yard TD came on his only target of the game — that’s bad. Until Gronk gets hurt or Wright starts seeing consistent targets, he’s a risky bye-week fill-in.
24. Ladarius Green, Chargers vs. Chiefs.
25. Eric Ebron, Lions vs. Saints.
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