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Six weeks of the NFL season are already gone. Here are the Top 12 tight ends so far (in order):
Greg Olsen, Martellus Bennett, Zach Miller, Hunter Henry, Jordan Reed, Coby Fleener, Kyle Rudolph, Jimmy Graham, Jack Doyle, Travis Kelce, Delanie Walker, Rob Gronkowski.
Notable absences from the top 12 are Gary Barnidge (TE17), Dennis Pitta (TE18), and Jason Witten (TE20), as none of the three have managed a single touchdown so far this season. Julius Thomas (TE25) has been a colossal bust and was limited in practice on both Thursday and Friday of this week. He is a low-end TE2 even in a forgiving matchup against the Oakland Raiders.
Gary Barnidge is a more solid option than usual this week as Terrelle Pryor is currently hobbled with a hamstring injury and is a game-time decision for Sunday. I have Barnidge as a TE1 but that is due mostly to a lack of options at a thin position.
Dwayne Allen (ankle) and Phillip Dorsett (foot, hamstring) are already ruled out for Sunday, so consider me all-in on Jack Doyle. Doyle already ranks as a TE1 option this year and will be one of the top two targets for Andrew Luck against the Titans. Doyle is only $4,700 on FanDuel this week...
Cameron Brate is another guy who gets a bump due to a teammate’s injury. With Vincent Jackson on injured reserve, the Buccaneers have Mike Evans and Brate as the top passing game options. Adam Humphries will man the slot, but Brate should get plenty of opportunities against the lowly 49ers this weekend. He is a legitimate TE1 option in my book.
Finally, Vernon Davis has to be considered as a top option against the Detroit Lions. Ouch.
Here are Week 7 Tight End Rankings:
1 Rob Gronkowski
2 Travis Kelce
3 Delanie Walker
4 Hunter Henry
5 Jack Doyle
6 Jimmy Graham
7 Cameron Brate
8 Gary Barnidge
9 Vernon Davis
10 Dennis Pitta
11 Martellus Bennett
12 Kyle Rudolph
13 Coby Fleener
14 Zach Ertz
15 Charles Clay
16 Antonio Gates
17 Tyler Eifert
18 Julius Thomas
19 Lance Kendricks
20 C.J. Fiedorowicz
21 Jacob Tamme
22 Jesse James
23 Larry Donnell
24 Will Tye
25 Vance McDonald
26 C.J. Uzomah
27 Clive Walford
28 Niles Paul
29 Erik Swoope
30 Virgil Green
Good luck, ladies and gents! Haggle with me in the comments section.