Looking back at 2011, fantasy owners everywhere will probably call it the beginning of the golden era of tight end performance.  It used to be that the TE position was a necessary evil in fantasy, much maligned like having to play a kicker or a defense.  But now, the tight end position is a coveted position of strength, even in the stingiest of scoring systems; these days an elite TE can actually put you over the top for your league’s top prize.  After all, the top scoring TE of 2011 was no worse than the 6^th highest scoring non-QB in most standard performance leagues; that’s a long way from being a red-headed stepchild kicker.  Of course, what’s the best thing of all about this TE renaissance?  The position is as deep as any other, and the next Graham or Gronkowski could be lurking around the corner.
 
 
2012 Way Too Early Rankings, TEs
 
1.     Jimmy Graham
 
2.     Rob Gronkowski
 
3.     Vernon Davis
 
4.     Aaron Hernandez
 
5.     Jermichael Finley
 
6.     Antonio Gates
 
7.     Jason Witten
 
8.     Fred Davis
 
9.  Brandon Pettigrew
 
10. Brent Celek
 
Just Missed:Jermaine Gresham, Tony Gonzalez, Owen Daniels, Kellen Winslow, Jared Cook.
 
Potential Risk or Injury Risk?
 
There’s the chance a lot of people will not agree with us rounding out our top 5 with Hernandez and Finley; after all, Hernandez is proving to be slightly prone to injury, while Finley, arguably the most talented TE in the league, has suffered from a case of the dropsies, causing Rodgers to look to make his points elsewhere on many occasions.
 
Jason’s Take:  While I’ve been one to get sucked in by Finley’s immense upside, the one thing you cannot do if you hope to win a fantasy championship is argue with the results.  While Finley has Hernandez’s athleticism to go with a lot more strength and size, Hernandez out-produced Finley this past season even with Hernandez missing games.  Not to mention, he continues to improve alongside one of the best veteran QBs of the era in Tom Brady, and has Gronkowski there to pull away opposing defenses best TE coverage guys.  Hernandez missed three whole games and parts of two others this past season, yet he still managed to bang out 910 yards and 7 scores; he and Gronk likely could end up being the first 1000 yard TE teammates in NFL history in 2012.
 
Fresh’s Take:  There are currently three other-worldly TEs in the league right now – Jimmy Graham, Rob Gronkowski and Vernon Davis. From a point of athleticism, Jermichael Finley has them all beat. Dropping the ball, which really is a problem of concentration, is what has kept Finley from joining his peers in elite status. Fortunately, you can improve your concentration. What you can’t teach is Finley’s rare blend of size, explosiveness, agility and body control. If Finley keeps his head down and puts in the work, he can produce a monster campaign next season. I know it feels we’ve been hyping Finley forever, but let's separate feelings from fact - He’s really only played two seasons. Let’s remember that the similarly hyped Davis didn’t really fulfill his potential until his fourth year in San Francisco.
 
When debating Aaron Hernandez or Finley it’s really a debate of risk tolerance. Hernandez is a much safer bet to produce solid numbers week in, week out. The frustrating Finley carries the greater risk of occasional poor days.  He also has a significantly higher ceiling than Hernandez and just about everyone else in the game.
 
So you’ve heard our take, what’s yours?

 

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