Fantasy: Young QBs are a tight end’s best friend

By Kelly May  |   Wednesday, July 23, 2008  |  Comments( 7 )

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For most seasoned fantasy owners, the most frustrating roster spot is often the tight end. Generally, a tight end isn’t going to garner you many points, depending on your league’s point structure. If you don’t have Antonio Gates, Jason Witten or Tony Gonzalez, you will often have a hard time feeling comfortable about your tight end scoring points consistently.

The wide receiver position is dependent on a quality quarterback seeing the field and accurately placing the ball between defenders. The better the quarterback, the better his receivers' numbers will be.

That being said, the more inexperienced a quarterback is, the more he will rely on his tight end to make plays in the passing game. A smart offensive coordinator will call high-percentage passes for his young quarterback. That usually means the tight end is a second or third option on many passing plays and will be thrown to regularly.

For the upcoming 2008 season, there are a group of young quarterbacks who could make their tight ends even more valuable. These tight ends could end up having a big year, one 7-yard reception at a time.

Todd Heap, Baltimore Ravens:

Depending on who the quarterback will actually be in Baltimore, Heap should have a bounce-back season as the main passing threat for the man under center. Heap has proven his ability to make plays. He must now prove that he can stay healthy.

Desmond Clark, Chicago Bears:

Like Heap, Clark’s value as a fantasy player is his team’s unsettled quarterback position. Regardless of which quarterback wins the job out of training camp, the offense will be plodding and methodical, which is great news for Clark owners.

Chris Cooley, Washington Redskins:

Cooley might be the best tight end in the league after Gates, Witten and Gonzalez, but with Jason Campbell under center for only his second season as the starter, look for Cooley’s versatility to be used as safe options in the flats or under the safeties in Jim Zorn’s dink-and-dunk passing offense.

Alge Crumpler, Tennessee Titans:

Vince Young has shown an ability to get inside opponents' red zones on a regular basis. Unfortunately, the Titans had one of the worst red-zone touchdown rates in the league last year. If Crumpler can recapture his ability to get open near the goal line, Young owners and Crumpler owners will be very happy campers.

Tony Scheffler, Denver Broncos:

Jay Cutler’s inconsistent performance could be one of the main reasons the Broncos faltered last year. Throughout last season Cutler’s favorite target was Scheffler. Comfort is a key component of a high-powered offense. Just look what happened to the Patriots when the Giants' pass rush started making Tom Brady uncomfortable in February's Super Bowl. Scheffler’s ability to be Cutler’s security blanket should equate to big numbers again this year.

There are a few tight ends who are valuable because their quarterbacks know how and when to get them the ball. Those tight ends are used as weapons, not safety valves. Whether that makes guys like Kellen Winslow II, Ben Watson or Dallas Clark a better fantasy draft option is debatable -- especially if there’s a guy like Scheffler or Crumpler waiting for you late in the draft. You can pass on a second-tier tight end and pick up another running back or wide receiver, then get your tight end in the later rounds.
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