Week 14 TE Rankings - Standard Leagues

In Week 13, Scott Chandler made me look good as a top five tight end option. Greg Olsen did not finish as the top option but he was solid enough as the #5 tight end. One of my favorite plays of the week was Julius Thomas, who finished as a top eight option. Cameron Brate was my primary disappointment, as the return of Austin Seferian-Jenkins hampered his output. I'll admit I was skeptical about ASJ's usage in his first game back, given how long it took him to return. I still expected Brate to see upwards of six targets, whether ASJ played or not. Alas, Seferian-Jenkins had the six targets and Brate only had two. Brate has to be considered irrelevant for the fake game now that ASJ is back in the mix.

Week 14 brings a ton of injury headlines. Martellus Bennett is the latest casualty of the season-ending variety, due to a rib injury that landed him on the injured reserve. Wednesday news on Jacob Tamme and Gary Barnidge spoke to limited practice repetitions for both--though it does sound as if these two are on the good side of questionable and are probable to play. Crockett Gillmore has a "really good chance to play" according to John Harbaugh. Even though Gillmore's situation sounds questionable, you have to keep your eye on him against the Seattle Seahawks. If Gillmore plays he'll be a low-end TE1 with upside against the defense that has allowed the 6th most fantasy points to tight ends in 2015. Finally, Tyler Eifert was in full pads on Wednesday and is expected to be ready for a big divisional matchup against Cincinnati this Sunday.

I generally pick an under-owned guy to contribute in a big way and make him the poster-boy of the week. This week, given the utter state of disaster that is the tight end position, that guy is Coby Fleener. Fleener and the Colts travel to Jacksonville, where the Jaguars' solid run defense will likely force Matt Hasselbeck into throwing plenty. Fleener had eight targets last week, and had nine catches for 83 yards and a touchdown against these same Jaguars in Week 4. After the top guys are off the board, the best way to pick a tight end is to pick the guy with the best matchup. Fleener has a top three matchup this week. I will use him in some GPPs for sure.

Last but certainly not least--if Julius Thomas is somehow available in your Yahoo! league, you need to add him right now. With matchups against Indianapolis, Atlanta, and New Orleans left on the docket, he might be a top three option the rest of the way--whether Allen Hurns remains healthy or not.

Let's get to those Week 14 rankings.