With Fantasy Draft Season full in swing, The Roto Street Journal has you covered. We’ll update our Cheat Sheets and Big Board throughout “dress rehearsal” weekend to reflect all the latest news and preseason action, providing you the most up-to-date rankings to dominate your draft.
**A lot of negative Tight End developments on Friday, August 26th. Check out our Weekly Recap here.
UPDATED – August 27th to reflect Friday’s preseason action
Key
? = guy I’m significantly higher on
? = guy I’m significantly lower on
↗️ = slight bump up
↘️ = slight bump down
⬆️ = major bump up
⬇️ = major bump down
? = health risk
? = 30+ concern
? = rookie
Tier 1 – Elite WR numbers at TE
1. ?Rob Gronkowski (New England Patriots)
Tier 2 – Strong TE1 buys
2.? Jordan Reed (Washington Redskins)
3. Greg Olsen (Carolina Panthers)
4. Delanie Walker (Tennessee Titans)
5. ?Gary Barnidge (Cleveland Browns) – His circus TD catch in preseason Week 2 validates our belief in him. This guy can ball, and is not a one-year wonder.
6. ⬆️?Martellus Bennett (New England Patriots) – He’s performed admirably in the first two preseason games. Mike Reiss of ESPN stated that the Patriots will use two-tight end sets on 80% of their plays this season.
Tier 3 – Acceptable TE1s
7. ?Travis Kelce (Kansas City Chiefs) – I never have and still clearly do not understand the Travis Kelce hype. Anytime his name is mentioned alongside Gronk it’s insulting to football fans everywhere.
8. ?Julius Thomas (Jacksonville Jaguars)
9. ??Antonio Gates (San Diego Chargers)
10.⬇️Coby Fleener (New Orleans Saints) – There’s still upside given Sean Payton’s historic high-usage of TEs, but the reports he and Drew Brees aren’t clicking is highly concerning. Brees won’t look his way if there’s no chemistry or trust and he is currently not taking all of the first team reps. This ranking balances the enormous ceiling but the newly lowered floor, with a leaning towards the floor.
11. Zach Ertz (Philadelphia Eagles)
12. Dwayne Allen (Indianapolis Colts)
13.↗️? Jason Witten (Dallas Cowboys) – Though there’s nothing sexy about him, Witten has appeared to be every bit as snuggly of a security blanket as he’s ever been this preseason. He hauled in two catches for 24 yards in Romo’s lone sustained drive, and then made a nice adjustment on a 17-yard TD bulletins from Prescott. Amidst an uncertain, injury riddled 2016 TE selection, there’s plenty to like about Witten’s floor, especially now that Dak won’t be a season ruiner.
Tier 4 – Undesirable Starters, but TE1 upside
14.↘️ ? Tyler Eifert (Cincinnatti Bengals) – News that Week 4 is his best-case is highly discouraging. Still, the fact you’ll get a rock solid TE1 for 2/3 of the season is worth a double-digit round stash.
15. ⬆️ Jared Cook (Green Bay Packers) –
August 27th update – Cook had already received a Stock Up arrow before the game, and his highly impressive Week 3 against the 49ers keeps him trending upwards. Cook hauled in 4-of-5 targets for 54 yards, including a fantastic 37 yard chunk play. More importantly, Cook was the clear TE1, playing 19-of-26 snaps with Aaron Rodger while his “competition” Richard Rodgers saw the field for only two. Cook needs to be owned in nearly all formats and league sizes.
Here’s a decent bet to be 2016’s Jordan Reed. I love the reports Cook is building a strong rapport with Aaron Rodgers, catching everything in sight, and hauling in numerous touchdowns. Cook’s the most athletic tight end the Packers have had since Jermichael Finley, and Rodgers will maximize these measurables if Cook is truly something worthwhile. For a late round stab, Cook’s double-digit TD upside is well worth a look.
16. ⬆️Austin Seferian Jenkins (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) –
*August 27th update -While ASJ didn’t make much of an on-field splash in Week 3, the fact that he ran as the first tight end is a splash in itself. Winston looks like he’s taken a major step, giving ASJ some real TD upside even if he’s the third or fourth target on the totem pole.
Koetter recently praised his work ethic, which is a huge step in the right direction. ASJ is 6’6″, which can’t be taught, and Koetter has maximized big and athletic tight ends in the past with guys like Tony Gonzalez. No, ASJ’s not a Hall of Famer, but he had some massive efforts last season when on the field, so there’s a serious ceiling here if everything bends right. That’s asking a lot, but isn’t impossible either. Step one is cementing the #1 role, something Cameron Brate has made difficult.
17. Zach Miller (Chicago Bears)
18. Eric Ebron (Detroit Lions) – He’s back at practice and could be a reliable red zone target for Matt Stafford.
Tier 5 – Last draftable stashes
19. ↗️?Ladarius Green (Pittsburgh Steelers) – Green claims there’s a hope for Week One. Who knows what to believe, but if he’s on the field he needs to be owned.
20. Jimmy Graham (Seattle Seahawks)
21. Clive Walford (Oakland Raiders)
22. ⬆️Vance McDonald (San Francisco 49ers) – This ranking could be largely impacted if Gabbert loses his starting job, as McDonald’s fantasy relevance lies in the chemistry between these two. McDonald has been Blaine Gabbert‘s most consistent target this preseason, similar to the stretch run of 2015. There’s sneaky upside in Kelly’s breakneck offense, but a switch to Colin Kaepernick could crush his upside.
23. ⬆️Virgil Green (Denver Broncos)
24. Jordan Cameron (Miami Dolphins)
Names / battles to monitor
25. Will Tye / Larry Donnell (New York Giants) – A big red zone weapon would hold some real value in this explosive offense. As of now, no clear option has emerged.
26. Charles Clay (Buffalo Bills)
