Week 7 Tight End Rankings - PPR Leagues

I said last week to be patient with Jimmy Graham, and he finally paid off. Graham had a season high eight receptions for 120 yards against his former rival, Carolina. Sure it's one game, but it provides promise into the future. Up next is San Francisco, a defense that has been generous to tight ends. Graham should have another productive week and work his way into this Seahawks offense.

Gary Barnidge had yet another productive week in fantasy. He found the end zone twice last week, bringing his touchdown scoring streak to four games. However, this week he faces a very tough St. Louis defense that has allowed only 44 yards per game to opposing tight ends. But, with the amount of red zone looks Barnidge gets, he doesn't need yards to be successful and we saw a perfect example of that last week against Denver.

There are a few players that may come back from injury this week that may be worth starting. But, before we touch on those guy, let's get to this weeks rankings.

BYE WEEKS: Chicago, Cincinnati, Denver, Green Bay

The main tight end coming off of injury this week is Washington's Jordan Reed. Reed has missed the past two games because of a concussion and as of Wednesday remains in the concussion protocol. However, after practice on Wednesday, Reed said that he was 100% and plans to play on Sunday, according to John Keim of ESPN.com. Keep an eye on Reed to see if he gets the signal to play, if he does, he is a top-10 play for me this week. Reed draws a favorable matchup against Tampa Bay and Cousins should look to him to get the passing game going.

Eric Ebron is questionable as well after missing two games due to a knee injury. But, if you have followed my posts from Week 1, you know that I love the talent that Ebron brings to the table, and when he is healthy he hasn't disappointed. Like Reed, Ebron draws a favorable matchup against the Vikings this week. Ebron was limited in practice Wednesday, according to Dave Birkett of the Detriot Free Press. But if he suits up, he should be in your lineup, especially after Matthew Stafford and the passing game appear to have finally found their footing.

I threw Austin Seferian-Jenkins in at No. 25 this week. His status for Sunday is still up in the air after missing three weeks due to a shoulder injury. His time-table to return is marked at four to six weeks and this week marks the fourth. Although I don't expect him to be rushed back, if he plays he's a top-25 guy. Keep up with his status heading into the weekend, he's worth monitoring.

Let's switch gears and talk about a guy who isn't injured, Ladarius Green. I was under the impression that once Antonio Gates came back that Green would take a seat on the bench. And that has been the case overall, but Green has found himself in a very productive role in the slot. Since Gate's return, Green has still managed to hit double digit fantasy points in both weeks. It's no secret that Philip Rivers and the Chargers offense has been red hot the past three weeks. Even if Green is a backup to Gates, he still should flatline around 4-5 receptions a game with the volume of pass plays that the Chargers are running (Rivers had 65 pass attempts last week). He could be a sneaky, deep-league fantasy play against the Raiders, who are dead last in fantasy points allowed to tight ends.