The year of the TE??

ExperiencedRookie

ExperiencedRookie

Well-Known Member
As the NFL becomes more and more a passing league, its seeming that the TE position is becoming a more high scoring position than ever before. If week 1 of the 2013 season is any indication, the arrow is pointing up for the big boys who catch and block.

There were 9 TEs among the top 50 scorers at RB/WR/TE this weekend. The lowest score for a TE in the top 50 was 13.5. To put that in perspective, here is some data.

In 2012 5 TEs finished the season in the top 50 for the same group. Lowest scorer averaged 10 PPG.

2011 was very similar as well, with the 5th best TE averaging around the 10 PPG mark.

In week 1 we saw 14 TEs hit this number. Can these stats keep up? Im sure we all expect guys like Graham, Tony Gonzalez, Witten, and Vernon Davis to keep a strong enough pace to average over 10 PPG. The question is, can Jordan Cameron, Julius Thomas, Brandon Myers, Jared Cook etc etc all have strong enough seasons to hold this pace and finish over 10 PPG?

Keep in mind, all of this is without Gronk having taken the field yet. You can easily add his name to the top of this list if he's healthy.

What does this mean for fantasy purposes? Well Ill give you my take...

Drafting a TE early is going to become the new drafting a QB early. Sure, you might land the top scorer at the position, but the sloping curve from the #1 spot to the #12 spot isn't going to be as steep as it once was. This will result in more potential points to be scored by the owners who forego using an early pick on TE and settle for someone in the mid to late rounds who can get them 10 PPG.

I'm predicting that we see that play out this year. The teams who burned a 2nd round pick on Graham might end up getting burned themselves. Same may go for spending a 3rd-5th rounder on the likes of Gronk, Gonzo, Witten, or Vernon. If the current trend continues, almost everyone else in your league is going to end up with a TE scoring nearly the same as those top players and having gained an extra RB/WR in their first 5 picks.

Thoughts?
 
A

Axe Elf

It sure ain't like when you could take Ben Coates in the 2nd and ride him to a title.
 
Miller

Miller

Who Dey
Administrator
it will obviously tail off some, but itdoes look like a deep crop this year for sure. Tight ends have changed, no longer are they blockers who can catch, they are simply bigger pass catchers.
 
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efactor

efactor

Coming at you
Since most leagues play a flex, I see teams taking a 2nd TE earlier than they normally would. In my local league, I grabbed Gronk and then Cook in the 8th for both insurance until Gronk comes back, but also as a nice flex option. Saw that in my other redraft as well.
 
ExperiencedRookie

ExperiencedRookie

Well-Known Member
Last year I started my team by spending my 1st 2 picks on Jimmy Graham on Rob Gronkowski. I had the highest scoring TE and the 2nd highest scoring flex in the league.

I was nearly laughed out of the draft.. Then over the next 13 weeks I went 8-5, made the playoffs, but lost in the semi finals.

The players who were drafted between my first pick and my second pick were DeMarco Murray, Darren McFadden, Chris Johnson, and MJD.

The way I figured, those RBs at the tail end of round 1 are all a bit of a crsp shoot, where the TEs at the top of the chart are almost certain to deliver. A very safe pick.
 
ExperiencedRookie

ExperiencedRookie

Well-Known Member
Week 2 seemed to bring a little balance to the TE position.

Week 1 superstars or perennial studs Jared Cook, Vernon Davis, Jason Witten, Kellen Winslow, Dallas Clark, Tony Gonzalez all came back down to Earth.
 
mudloggerone

mudloggerone

Outlaw
Administrator
Graham did okay and he had one 35 yard TD taken away when the review showed his butt touched the ground before he crossed the goal. 1st & goal after that and the Saints came away with zero before the half.
 
ExperiencedRookie

ExperiencedRookie

Well-Known Member
Welcome back to Earth, fantasy TEs. Week 3 was a brutal week for these big blocking boys.

Only 5 TEs have posted a double digit day in week 3 vs the 12 who did it in week 1 and the 10 who did it in week 2. Among those 5 was Scott Chandler and Zach Miller, 2 dudes likely not started everywhere. There should have been a lot of even scores among TEs this week, unless Cameron or Graham were involved in the matchup.

This might be a good time to go make a trade for Gronk, especially if this trend of all these flashy TEs not being so flashy continues
 
ExperiencedRookie

ExperiencedRookie

Well-Known Member
This is pretty shocking to me. Jordan Cameron and Julius Thomas sit at 2 and 3 for scoring at the TE position. This doesn't happen too often at this position
 
ExperiencedRookie

ExperiencedRookie

Well-Known Member
Julius Thomas has a smaller window than Cameron. Cameron has been getting it done on a junk offense and for a bad team. Julius Thomas has Peyton Manning and is surrounded by studs that draw coverage. Peyton will be gone in a year or 2, and then what will become of Julius?
 
Miller

Miller

Who Dey
Administrator
Well, welker likely won't be around much longer than manning and both Thomas' and Decker are young so they have a great core to grow a q b around. I think Thomas could play a role post manning.
 
cctekguy

cctekguy

Staff member
Well, I made a mistake during the draft and let the timer expire and auto drafted Pettigrew. I wasn't ready to draft TE at this juncture and CERTAINLY wasn't in the market for Pettigrew. But, no worries, just grab one of the plentiful TEs off the wire.

HAH! I've been through Pettigrew, Celek, Winslow, Sudfeld, and now carrying 3 (I don't have room for this :confused:) Chandler, Eifert and Housler. Week 1 I got 9 out of Celek and since have averaged 3 or less....INCLUDING my bench TE's.

So where is this fountain of TE talent I heard so much about before the draft?
 
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