Fantasy Football » Jeremy Shockey

Fantasy Football Rankings: Top Tight Ends From 1 to 32

Ray Tannock — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 18:32:50 +0000

Get ready to see a lot of this from Finley this year!

Final Update September 1st, 2011: This is the final update regarding the 2011 crop pf fantasy football tight ends. if you have a specific question feel free to leave it below for me :)

For those players who are about to experience change, I will highlight them in GREEN, and then include the change in question inside the blurb.
A player with ” U ” next to their name signifies the most current update available.

When you are done with the tight ends,

WR rankings – RB rankings – QB rankings – IDP – Kickers – Team Defense

Any specific questions you might have can always be left below as usual.

The Top Tier

1. Antonio Gates – SD: Finished as a Top 4 TE for seven straight years. Coach Turner says he is healed, and the Chargers expect the “big season” in 2011 that he SHOULD’VE had in 2010. Get ready, kids!

2. Jermichael Finley – GB: The Packers expect a ton of snaps for Finley, and Finley expects to have a monster season, and I agree. He should come as a dual qualifier at WR as a nice bonus.

3. Jason Witten – DAL: Two straight years of over 1,000 plus yards; two straight years with 94 receptions, and the new primary red-zone focus for Dallas has Witten back in the limelight in 2011.

4. Vernon Davis – SF: U – The 49ers will unveil a new West Coast Offense that is to benefit multiple players, like Michael Crabtree. But Vernon Davis also said this offense is very TE friendly. This could be the year he surpasses 1,000 yards and 10 TDs.

5. Brandon Pettigrew – DET: Many feel Pettigrew isn’t yet a Top Tier TE, but the Lions are going to have to use Pettigrew more in the red-zone to offset the focus from Megatron. He is facing breakout status right now in 2011, don’t miss out.

6. Dallas Clark – IND: Clark is nearly 100% healed from wrist surgery back in October, so it is safe to consider him a Top 10 TE. Be advised, though, you will not get the 2009 version of Clark who is now 32.

7. Tony Gonzalez – ATL: This may be the last year for Gonzalez, but it should be a solid year for him non-the-less. Expect Gonzalez to start slow, but finish on a very high note.

8. Owen Daniels – HOU: Daniels led the Texans in targets over the last four weeks of the 2010 season, and figures to be a big part of what the offense wants to do in 2011. But fantasy owners want to know for sure he is healthy from that hamstring and ACL injury. He’s still too risky right now to be any higher, but you could do a lot worse.

9. Rob Gronkowski – NE: Gronkowski split time with Hernandez in the early goings, but proved himself the better TE and New England responded by giving him 756 snaps to Alge Crumpler’s 540 and Hernandez’s 486. Expect Gronkowski to still platoon early, but have a bigger role in 2011.

10. Jimmy Graham – NO: Graham had 31 receptions as an ancillary player in the Saints’ offense. But at 6’8 260 pounds, you can expect Graham to be used much more by Brees and company in 2011. He is another sleeper candidate that will be covered more extensively by yours truly.

Second Class

11. Zach Miller – SEA – U: Well, it means that Miller is not as valuable in Seattle as he was in Oakland.

Is Miller still a quality TE? Yes. Will Miller still produce in 2011? Yes.Seattle will have to show improvements in the ground game, O-line, and play at QB to suggest to me otherwise, THEN, they’ll have to show that he will be a featured center piece in an already crowded receiver set to seal the deal.

Sorry fantasy fans, but at this point, Miller’s days of a Top Tier fantasy TE are being threatened.

12. Aaron Hernandez – NE: Hernandez will split, and lose, time with fellow TE Gronkowski.

13.Kellen Winslow – TB: Winslow is had one of the best camps and preseasons of his career, and there seems to be no ill-effects from his knee. Winslow is still being projected as a late-round TE which means you could grab him for pennies on the dollar.

14. Todd Heap – ARI:Heap now plays for a Cardinals’ team that was desperate for a starting tight end and Arizona’s newly tooled offense should help revitalize Heap’s career just a little bit.The O-line has improved, Kevin Kolb has been added to the mix, Chansi Stuckey has been added as an additional weapon—all upgrades that will benefit Heap and his owners.

15. Dustin Keller – NYJ: This ranking is tentative, until we see what the Jets do with the free agency market, and what they do with Braylon Edwards; two aspects that could hurt his value or boost it.

16. Jermaine Gresham CIN: Gresham figures to see more action in 2011, especially in the red-zone. He could be a nice steal in the latter half of your fantasy football draft.

17. Marcedes Lewis – JAX: he is coming off a great year, but it was a contract year. You should be leery of guys who play for pay raises only.

18. Heath Miller – PIT: Don’t read too much into this ranking. The Steelers are poised to go more vertical which could hurt Miller in catches, but serve him better in the red-zone. If you grab him late, he would be a steal!

19. Benjamin Watson – CLE: The Browns are without a true No. 1 receiver, and until that changes, Watson is the primary target with a lot of upside as a TE2 on your fantasy team.

20. Tony Moeaki – KC: Moeaki played all three downs as a rookie in KC, and could be a bargain basement steal in most fantasy football drafts so keep yer traps shut when speaking to your friends, and draft him as a solid TE2…you’ll thank me later in the year, I promise.

5 Sleeping Giants?

21. Kevin Boss – OAK: Boss’ injury was to his MCL not his ACL which means things could’ve been a lot worse.

He lost valuable time getting used to Jason Campbell, but should still figure to be a great goalline / red-zone threat in time.

It may take a few weeks, but Boss should rise to a quality TE 2 by mid-year and level out there.

22. Visanthe Shiancoe – MIN: The Vikings are going with more double TE sets, and plan on running the ball through Adrian Peterson who is the number one ranked running back by our own Greg Bosh.

Musgrave’s double TE approach worked like a dream in Atlanta, especially with a new quarterback, so there is plenty of potential upside here for ‘Shank’ who is usually good for 650+ yards and 6 TDs in any given season.

Kyle Rudolph may cut into his work a bit, though, which could hurt his 2011 fantasy football production.

23. Jared Cook – TEN: I see big things out of Cook this year, and so do the Titans coaching staff.

This is a guy who will be treated as a TE 2 in most draft, with TE1 potential. For more on Cook, come check out Jared Cook’s fantasy football sleeper value.

24. Greg Olsen – CAR: The Panthers ow have two legitimate threats at TE in Olsen and Shockey. But it is still way too early to move Olsen up any farther until I see exactly what Carolina plans to do with the two of them.

The other issue will be the inevitable shaky play at QB.

Still, Olsen has the size and pass-catching ability to suggest his fantasy stock is one the rise and he is in line to have a bounce-back season if all goes well.

25. Brent Celek – PHI: I would stay away from Brent Celek altogether in 2011.

Mike Vick is clearly considering his TEs his fourth and fifth receivers on the field as he passed to them just 16 percent of the time in 2010. And if that’s not bad, the Eagles used Celek more in blocking situations (127) last year than in 2009 (75).

In addition to those eye brow raising issues, the Eagles are poised to run more, and counter deep in situational passing; all the proper ingredients for a terrible year from Celek.

! More Risk Than Reward !

26. Chris Cooley – WSH: Cooley’s saving grace, and danger, is the fact that he is a TE in a pass-heavy offense with really bad receivers. The problem the danger out-weighs the grace by a mile.

For now take a tentative approach with him.

27. John Carlson – SEA – U: whatever potential Carlson had in Seattle is now gone with the arrival of Zach Miller, despite whatever OL coach Tom Cable says about using both TEs.

Yes, the Seahawks will utilize the double TE set like so many other teams this season, who do you think they will feature more?

Exactly!

28. Jacob Tamme – IN: Clark is back which puts Tamme on the bench. Not a fantasy option at this point.
29. Lance Kendricks – STL: There is reason to think that Kendricks could crack the rankings before opening day as he is being utilized in various positions in the offense, including WR which could translate into Kendricks also becoming a dual-qualifier, but more information is needed before that can happen.
30. Kyle Rudolph – MIN: Rudolph is expected to climb in the rankings before opening day with McNabb at the helm and Musgrave using the double TE sets. Stay tuned!
31. Jeremy Shockey – CA – U - With the arrival of Greg Olsen, it appears as if Shockey’s workload will be split—or worse, heavily reduced than what we originally thought—cutting his value down significantly. Standard league owners now stand as the only ones who have a chance to benefit from Shockey’s services, and that may be on a limited basis.
32. Shawn Nelson – BUF: Chan Gailey rarely utilizes the TE in his passing schemes and that won’t change much in 2011.

Fantasy Football Week 14 Rankings TE, Antonio Gates Is Crazy?

Kurt — Wed, 08 Dec 2010 14:50:20 +0000

Fantasy Football Week 14 Rankings TE, Antonio Gates Is Crazy.

1.Vernon Davis SF vs. SEA – The Seahawks just can’t put together a drive. Davis will have plenty of chances to make plays this week.
2.Antonio Gates SD vs. KC – Last week Gates gutted it out for 73 yards and a TD, but he is paying the price. “It’s so painful that I say, ‘I can’t keep doing this,’” Gates said. When someone says they can’t keep doing this, eventually they stop.. unless they’re crazy.
3.Jacob Tamme IND @ TEN – Tamme isn’t number 1 this week, but it’s only because of last week performance. You and me both hope he produces big in week 14 – my fantasy playoff hopes depend on it.
4.Dustin Keller NYJ vs. MIA – They should get back on track this week.
5.Marcedes Lewis JAX vs. OAK – 2 catches for 5 yards and 2 TD’s – works for me! But another 2 points game wont – risk reward as usual.
6.Chris Cooley WAS vs. TB – Cooley was a target monster last week.
7.Tony Gonzalez ATL @ CAR – Carolina can play when they want to, but which team shows up week 14? I say the “good defense” does.
8.Jason Witten DAL vs. PHI – he is hurt, rutt row – check status before starting and possibly consider benching if you have a comparable option
9.Benjamin Watson CLE @ BUF
10.Visanthe Shiancoe MIN vs. NYG
11.Greg Olsen CHI vs. NE – I bet he gets a TD =)
12.Kellen Winslow TB @ WAS
13.Brandon Pettigrew DET vs. GB
14.Rob Gronkowski NE @ CHI
15.Aaron Hernandez NE @ CHI – Mirror Mirror on the wall, which Pats TE will catch the ball?
16.Zach Miller OAK @ JAX
19.Joel Dreessen HOU vs. BAL
20.Jeremy Shockey NO vs. STL – I need Colston and Ivory to go nuts this week, so Shockey can’t produce.

TE Start Sit Week 13: Who’s the Kevin Boss?

Joey DeClercq — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 23:20:46 +0000

Week 12 was a down week of sorts in the receiving world as, again, no tight end surpassed 100 yards receiving, but at least Jason Witten came close with 99 yards.

Although there wasn’t a tremendous amount of yards on the field it doesn’t mean that there weren’t solid performances… and guess who picked most of them? This guy did…well, for the most part at least. Unlike most weeks I didn’t make one glaring error, thanks to the touchdown catch by Joel Dreessen, because without that a 3 catch for 15 yard day was the alternative. That was only the beginning of my good fortune as Jacob “Dallas Clark” Tamme had 7 catches, for the third week in a row, for 64 yards and a touchdown and Brandon Pettigrew put in a solid effort, albeit in a losing cause, on Thanksgiving day as he raked in 5 catches for 67 yards. On the opposite end of the spectrum I was golden as all of my sit picks (Benjamin Watson, Anthony Fasano, and Leonard Pope) went for a combined 6 catches for 50 yards, including what I would call the “Bluto Blutarski Performance” by Pope with 0 catches for 0 yards.

Since I finally got back on track last week I am going to do my best to keep the streak alive by going with guys trying to get their own teams back on track in Week 13. At this point in the season no mistakes can be made, fantasy or otherwise, so I see these guys as the ones to remain solid and help lead their teams, and your fantasy squad, to glory.

So here are my TE Start / Sit Picks for Week 13…

START ‘EM
Kevin Boss vs. WAS	This is more about the injury-riddled offense of the Giants than Kevin Boss’ prominence as an offensive threat, although he has been on a roll as of late. Boss has scored three touchdowns in his last four games and when he catches the ball he has produced. In the four games since the Giants Bye Week, Boss has two games of 74+ yds receiving and has averaged 16 yards per reception over that time. Those are solid numbers for any receiver, let alone a tight end on a wide receiver loaded team. In Week 13, Boss gets to square off against the Washington Redskins in a pivotal Division game. The Redskins have struggled against the pass all season and with key receivers Hakeem Nicks and Steve Smith battling injuries it is going to come down to Mario Manningham and Kevin Boss to pick up the slack. Boss Is coming off a particularly strong game against Jacksonville where he had 74 receiving yards and a score while the Redskins allowed the Vikings’ Visanthe Shiancoe to lead the game in receiving yards a week ago as they continue to struggle against tight ends.
Jason Witten @ IND	How crazy would it be for the “Boos” to continue to rain down in Indianapolis against a 3-8 Cowboys team? It could happen. Unlikely, but it could still happen. Despite the Cowboys season being essentially a wash, there has been a bright spot in tight end Jason Witten. Right now Witten has more receptions and targets than Miles Austin, as well as more receiving yards than both Roy E. Williams and rookie standout Dez Bryant. Not too shabby for a tight end on another receiver heavy squad. It should also be noted that Witten has exceeded 90+ yards three times this season, which is great on a team with so many losses and a backup QB at the helms. Indianapolis has been great against opposing tight ends all year this year, but they have been suspect at times in the Red Zone. The problem with facing a team with nothing to lose, like the Cowboys, is that they are very dangerous and certain aspects of their game can be overlooked. It is not doubt that Bryant and Austin will be getting plenty of attention down the field, but what that leaves open is Witten in the seam. With a veteran like Jon Kitna at QB you know he will lookf to his safety valve early and often against the speedy pass rush of the Colts D Line.
Todd Heap vs PIT	Consistency and production from… Todd Heap? Really? This year Heap has surpassed 40 yards receiving a whopping seven times, and has gone over 60 yds four times. With all of the weapons that the Ravens have at their disposal it is surprising to me that one of their most reliable options would be Todd Heap. Remember what a big deal it was when they signed T.J. Houshmanzadeh? Well, Heap has 20 more catches, 200+ more yards, and 3 more TDs than Housh. Normally, it would be hard to put any TE up against Pittsburgh’s defense, but this is an exception. Heap has 5 TDs in his last six games, and the Pittsburgh defense has surrendered 4 TDs to opposing tight ends over the same period. Heap will get his looks in the Red Zone, especially off of the play fake with the defense poised to stuff the rushing attack of Ray Rice and Willis McGahee.

And here is who to sit in Week 13:

SIT ‘EM
Jimmy Graham @ CIN	Someone posted on this article a week or so ago regarding the talents of a one Jimmy Graham. To be honest, had no idea who the guy was, but after some investigating I discovered he has been filling in for the injured Jeremy Shockey, and doing a decent job at it as well with 11 catches for 144 yards and a score over the last three games. One would assume going into a game against the massively slumping Bengals this would be a slam dunk week for the guy, but despite all of the things the Bengals have done wrong all year, the one thing they have done right is cover opposing tight ends. In their past 6 games, all losses, the Bengals have not conceded a 75+ yard game or a single TD to an opposing tight end. The Colts’ Jacob Tamme had the most success with a 73 yard day, but with the exception of that game they have held all others under 50 yards receiving, made all the more impressive considering the level of talent they have played against (Dustin Keller, Tony Gonzalez, Anthony Fasano, Heath Miller) and the amount of points they have given up (186) over that time.
Zach Miller @ SD	Leg injuries aside this is simply a no go for launch. Miller was on an early pace to give Vernon Davis, Marcedes Lewis, and Antonio Gates a run for best scoring tight end, but ever since his leg injury and inconsistency at QB for the Raiders, Miller has completely fallen off of the radar. Ever since he hurt his leg in Week 8 against the Seahawks the Raiders have yet been able to get Miller back on track. From Week 8-12, Miller has only 4 catches for 23 yards and no touchdowns. Although he has managed to practice this week, and will most likely start come the weekend, he’s still a huge risk, especially against the San Diego secondary (ranked 2^nd overall). You have to remember it is December and Philip Rivers remains undefeated in the month of December…not to mention the fact that SD has held their last two opponents (Indy and Denver) to just 14 points a piece.
Visanthe Shiancoe vs. BUF	I believe this could be the last time I mention this guy. I know he is playing against the Bills, but I think the appeal of playing against the Bills has worn off as they have played every single team tight and down to the wire. Just a week ago they were one catch away from upsetting the Steelers and have looked good with the resurgence of Ryan Fitzpatrick at quarterback. The Bills have a bit of swagger and will be out to prove themselves again this week againt Shiancoe and the Vikes, which is only partly why I think Shiancoe is a mistake in Week 13. The other reason is the healthy return of Sidney Rice. Rice bring the speed and size element that the Vikings offense has been lacking, and with that sort of weapon on the field it is bound to draw the attention of Brett Favre. Expect a significant drop in targets to Shiancoe, especially in the Red Zone, and it may be time to make a move for a marquee tight end before playoff time if he can’t deliver against the Bills, who have given up the most TDs to tight ends on the season.

Week 9 Tight End Rankings

Kurt — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 16:01:25 +0000

Jason Witten is ranked #1 Week 9

Here’s our Week 9 Tight End TE Rankings.

Zach Miller’s foot is an injury concern and therefore I’ve dropped him down the chart to #9. When healthy Zach Miller has been a top 5 TE. Visanthe Shiancoe is ranked number 10 but is a huge sleeper with potential, he could end up being the biggest benefactor in the Moss exit and Harvin injury.

1   Jason Witten at GB
2   Antonio Gates at HOU
3   Dustin Keller at DET
4   Jacob Tamme at PHI
5   Tony Gonzalez vs. TB
6   Kellen Winslow at ATL
7   Brent Celek vs. IND
8   Aaron Hernandez at CLE
9   Zach Miller vs. KC
10   Visanthe Shiancoe vs. ARZ
11   Brandon Pettigrewvs. NYJ
12   Heath Miller at CIN
13   Todd Heap vs. MIA
14   Owen Daniels vs. SD
15   Ben Watson vs. NE
16   Tony Moeaki at OAK
17   John Carlson vs. NYG
18   Jeremy Shockey at CAR
19   Kevin Boss at SEA
20   Anthony Fasano at BAL
21   Jermaine Gresham vs. PIT
22   Tony Scheffler vs. NYJ
23   Greg Olsen at BUF
24   Andrew Quarless vs. DAL

TE Start Sit Week 8: Bye Week Woes

Joey DeClercq — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 03:09:33 +0000

I’m starting to get heartburn over this column. Seriously. I have no idea what’s going on anymore. Week 7 was another week where not a single tight end had 100+ yards, and the only one who came close was Jason Witten who continues his hotness on a losing team with 95 yards and a score.

For the second week in a row my big debacle came down to frickin’ Benjamin Watson. I show you no love; you burn me. I say you’re studly; you decide you only want to catch one ball for 18 yards. Thanks. Thanks for nothing. You’re dead to me Benjamin Watson. On a more positive note, Vernon Davis kept his touchdown streak alive with his fourth in a row and Aaron Hernandez put in a solid performance between the 20s with 5 catches for 54 yards as he continued his disappearing act in the Red Zone once again. If it weren’t for an overturned touchdown call I could be kicking my own ass over Visanthe Shiancoe, instead I can celebrate over Brett’s broken ankle and my own success. The Browns starting lineman caught just as many catches, and had more touchdowns, from Drew Brees than Jeremy Shockey did. Lastly, John Carlson did a lot of waving at the ball as he had only one catch for 3 yards on six targets. I will consequently be waving you from my fantasy team.

This week is a hellish one in fantasy world. Six big time teams, with big time tight ends, are all on Bye weeks. If you are like me, you are doing a whole lot of waiver wire shopping this week as you are forced to bench one of these guys: Brent Celek, Tony Gonzalez, Greg Olsen, Benjamin Watson, Kevin Boss, or Todd Heap. So this week I am providing you with the best, and worst of whatever’s left. Here are my Start/Sit picks for week 8…

START ‘EM
Brandon Pettigrew vs. WAS	Brandon Pettigrew’s stuck has been pretty high all season, but with the return of starting QB Matthew Stafford it could rise even higher this week. Stafford will be looking to get into a rhythm and there is no better place to look than your sure handed tight end. Expect a lot of short range passes over the middle to set up Calvin Johnson on the outside, but those short catches tend to add up quickly in PPR leagues and Pettigrew has had 6, or more, catches in four of the last five games. This weekend Pettigrew and the Lions face a Washington Redskins defense that has struggled mightily against the pass all season where they rank 31^st in the league surrendering a shade under 300 yds/g. Pettigrew only has a single touchdown on the year but his PPR should be high because over the past 3 games the Redskins have given up a total of 17 catches for 149 yds to opposing tight ends.
Jason Witten vs. JAX	In my brain Jason Witten has been an up and down choice. I’m really high on him one week, then the polar opposite the next. I just cannot figure him, or the Cowboys, out at all, until now… I hope. As frightening as this must be for you to read, and for me to write, but Jon Kitna may be the best thing to happen to Witten fantasy owners yet this year. Like the aforementioned return of Matthew Stafford, the Cowboys will be in a similar situation where they are using a new QB and utilizing their talented tight end as a constant escape outlet. I expect Jason Witten’s PPR to be relatively high, especially based upon how him and Kitna seemed to connect in the second half of week 7, and he is definitely going to be a target when they get close to the goal line. Witten will keep up his current form where he has a TD in 2 of the last 3 games and went for 9 catches for 95 yds last week. Jacksonville shouldn’t provide too too much resistance as they have allowed touchdowns to tight ends in two of the last 4 games.
Dustin Keller vs. GB	So what if Dustin Keller hasn’t scored in 2 games. He still has 5 scores on the year and is the most reliable set of hands the Jets have down the center of the field. Now, Keller is coming fresh off of a Bye week where he let his ailing wrist heal and is as close to 100% as can be and won’t stay out of the End Zone for very long. Green Bay tends to take away the big play with their big time playmakers on the outside like Charles Woodson, but they have been a bit negligent when it comes to guys bursting off of the line. They have, or should have, given up a TD in their last two contests to tight ends Visanthe Shiancoe (wrongly called back) and Anthony Fasano, and on top of that in the two weeks prior to those games they gave up a combined 21 catches for 223 yards to Brandon Pettigrew, Tony Scheffler, and Chris Cooley. If this trend continues it could be a grand day out for Keller and the Sanchize.

And here is who to sit in Week 8:

SIT ‘EM
Owen Daniels @ IND	Owen Daniels has definitely picked up his production since returning to 100% over the past few weeks, but he has a rough road ahead of him in Indianapolis. Daniels has been solid the past two weeks with and average of 4 catches for 60 yards, but has yet to find the end zone all year. I truly do not see that happening this weekend as Indianapolis will be shot out of a canon looking for revenge after their Week 1 loss to this very Houston team. Plus the Colts have yet to give up more than 50 yards receiving and have only allowed a single TD to a Tight End on the year (to…Mercedes Lewis), effectively shutting down Kevin Boss, Tony Moeaki, Chris Cooley, and Daniels himself.
Vernon Davis vs. DEN	Here is a situation where there are simply too many variables to be a sure thing. Granted Davis has scored in four straight games and is an absolute beast whenever the ball is thrown in his general vicinity, but still there may be too many peripheral issues for him to be a sure thing. First off, they are playing in London and who knows what will come out of that. Second, he is nursing an ankle injury that has kept him out of practice for some of this week. Lastly, Alex Smith, no David Carr, wait, Troy Smith? Like Ohio State Troy Smith? Yes, that one, will be starting at QB for the Niners. London + Bad Ankle + Troy Smith = a whole bunch of question marks.
Heath Miller @ NO	I really, sincerely, thought that the return of Ben Roethlisberger was going to be a great thing for Heath Miller, but alas, it has just been more of the same. Besides the one touchdown catch he had in Big Ben’s return, it has simply been status quo for Mr. Miller. He has yet to break the 50-yard mark in a game and has not had a game where he has made more than 4 catches. Instead of Roethlisberger’s return meaning a more varied passing attack where he is able to spread the ball, it seems to me that the underneath game is going to be for the running backs, and is simply an option, rather than an integral part of their offense. I’m just afraid that two weeks ago could have been the ceiling for Heath Miller’s season (2 catches for 50 yds and a TD), not to mention that this week he faces a stout passing defense in the Superdome that held the upstart Browns tight end Benjamin Watson to just a single catch on the day.

TE Start Sit Week 7: Lows and Highs

Joey DeClercq — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 00:21:28 +0000

Well last week was a rough week for myself, as well as most pass catchers out there, as Week 6 of the NFL season only had 11 players record games of 100 or more receiving yards, and for this articles sake, none of those were tight ends. In other words, it was more of a crapshoot than normal.

My big debacle of last week was regarding a member of the Cleveland Browns (who would have thought that one?), but this week i hope to make it up to Benjamin Watson by showing him a little bit more respect. In week 6, both Heath Miller and Tony Gonzalez put in solid performances with Miller adding a score to his 50 receiving yards, and Gonzalez going for 2 TDs on only 3 catches. Mercedes Lewis, along with the rest of the Jaguars, looked dreadful on Monday Night Football, despite it being in crystal clear HD. Tony Moeaki came up way short of expectations, and I would just rather not talk about it. On a good note, Jason Witten only had 52 yards last week! Woohoo! I just hope this week is different I can’t handle the stress anymore.

This week is all about big names in low places and the lowly coming up big. On one hand we have two Starts on sub-par, sub-.500, teams who can give their guys a bit of a spark. On the other, we’ve got a defending champ and an early season stud that are still looking to make more of an impact, but it will not be this week. Hopefully my boys will do me proud in Week 7 and get me some big games and some major duds. Here are my Week 7 Start/Sit predictions for Week 7 of the NFL season.

START ‘EM
Vernon Davis @ CAR	Things are finally starting to get on track for Vernon Davis. His yardage and receptions per game have been all over the place lately, but the one thing that has been consistent? Touchdowns. Davis has caught a TD in each of the last 3 games, despite catching more than 4 balls, or tallying up more than 36 yds receiving, in only one of those games (5 catches for 104 against Philly). Essentially what this has meant is that with Alex Smith under center, the Niners staff is weary of taking Davis off of the line and are using him more as a blocker for Frank Gore and hedging the pass rush to give Smith just a fraction of a second longer to find receivers downfield. Well, this applies to everywhere except in the Red Zone. Davis is still their most sure handed receiver and is the guy they are going to look to when the game is on the line, which is why he had such a big day in Philadelphia. This week Vernon Davis squares off against a struggling Panther team that has reverted back to opening day starting QB Matt Moore. Moore has proven to be rather ineffectual and has turned the ball over with some frequency, which will subsequently allow the 49ers offense to see the field a lot more. Despite working through a bruised knee, I still see Vernon Davis getting his fair share of touches when it counts, especially against the Panthers who will be looking to take away the running game and make the 49ers beat them downfield.
Benjamin Watson @ NO	The Browns have been a bit surprising as of late all things considered. They have a rookie starting QB, their top two wide receivers, Mohammed Massaquoi and Josh Cribbs, seem to be perpetually on the mend, and they have a relative unknown at running back in Peyton Hillis, but what they have had is consistency at the tight end position. If it weren’t for the popular headlines of Colt McCoy and Hillis, we would probably hear a bit more about Benjamin Watson. He has been shockingly consistent despite all of the turmoil in the team, and has become the only set of reliable hands on a young offensive unit. Last week he was able to defy the odds I gave him and came down with 6 grabs for 88 yards and a score against one of the best defenses in the league, so I don’t see why he couldn’t produce more of the same against a New Orleans team that has given up the 8^th most fantasy points against TEs this season.
Aaron Hernandez @ SD	Out of the two rookie tight ends that New England has at its disposal, Aaron Hernandez seems to be the more dynamic of the two. He has great speed, runs great routs, and has been tremendous after the catch, which is why he leads the team in receiving yards and YAC (barely beating out Wes Welker in both categories). Hernandez hasn’t been as big of a threat in the Red Zone as his counterpart Rob Gronkowski, but time and time again they use Hernandez to attack down the field and he will hit the End Zone soon enough. The Patriots and Aaron Hernandez face up against a San Diego Chargers team that is severely depleted on offense, possibly no Malcolm Floyd or Antonio Gates, and is coming off a major loss to St. Louis. Despite leading the league in passing defense the Chargers have been known to let tight ends have their way in the Red Zone, just look a the damage done already this year: Z. Miller- 62 yds and a TD J. Carlson- 61 yds and a TD M. Lewis- 5 catches for 70 yds T. Moeaki- 21 yds and a TD

And here is who to sit in Week 7:

SIT ‘EM
Visanthe Shiancoe @ GB	Despite coming out of the gate hot, Shiancoe has been relatively non-existent as of late, with a lot of that to do with the arrival of Randy Moss. Early in the season Brett Favre had no big receivers to throw to with Percy Harvin limited and Sidney Rice out entirely, Shiancoe was really the only option downfield, but with everyone healthy plus Moss, he has become a 3^rd option at best. In the past 3 games he has only had 3 catches for 35 yards and had zero targets in last weeks game against Dallas. Now he lines up against Green Bay who has an effective pass rush, which disrupted Favre’s game last week, and haven’t given up a 100+ yd game to a tight end this year and only allowed one score.
Jeremy Shockey vs. CLE	Just one amongst many, and that is his biggest problem. Jeremy Shockey is just one weapon amongst many for the talented Saints offense. The trick with the Saints is that you could be the guy one week and then be the fourth option the next. Drew Brees loves to spread the ball out and Shockey gets his fair share of looks being targeted 34 times, but many of his catches fail to produce big yardage (41.2 yds/g) and can hasn’t been a dominant force in the Red Zone with only 2 TDs on the year. This weekend Shockey and the Saints are coming off of a huge bounce back win against Tampa Bay, and they have the Browns set squarely in their sights. Is this good news for Jeremy Shockey owners? Not so much. The Browns have only given up more than 50 yards to a tight end once this season, not to mention the fact that they have almost completely shut down the position in the Red Zone giving up only a single touchdown thus far.
John Carlson vs. ARI	John Carlson may be the only stable player in the Seahawks offensive attack. He is always reliable and is productive when he gets the chance, but those chances seem to be dwindling. It was under my assumption, as well as many others’, that when Deion Branch was traded to New England Carlson would see a spike in his targets, but alas we were all sadly mistaken. Instead of Carlson getting more touches, most of them went to Mike Williams who had 15 targets in last week’s win at Chicago. This may be a one game fluke, but for some reason I doubt it. Carlson always seems to sit in the mid range passing game and is mainly a check down receiver and not the threat that he could be. Instead Pete Carroll and co. has been trying to establish a stretch game that leaves guys like Carlson out of many statistical categories. He will still get his touches, but they will be few and far between, which means his only real value is when he can hit the End Zone, which has only happened once this season so far. This pick has much more to do with Seattle’s system than Arizona’s defense, which has struggled against tight ends all year, but until the Hawks show that he is an integral part of the offense, he is simply too much of a risk.