In fantasy football, it’s been a long-standing strategy to round out a roster at the very end of a draft with a tight end, as the position rarely offered much help to those looking for impact players. But that theory is so 20th century now. This has become one of the deepest positions in the game, as the gap behind Tony Gonzalez has been closed by more than just one player. Teams are relying more on their tight ends in the passing game, and consequently, even the scoring numbers are up. Gone are the days when owners were happy with a 20-catch season from the position. Now, anything less than 40 grabs has to be considered a disappointment!

1. Tony Gonzalez, Kansas City Chiefs
Like Randy Moss at wide receiver, Marshall Faulk in the backfield and Kurt Warner under center, Gonzalez is head and shoulders above his peers. Even a down year—73 catches, 917 yards—was still good enough to rank atop the tight end leaderboard. Although the position is perhaps the deepest it has ever been in terms of fantasy production, there’s still none better than Gonzo, even if he is trying to find a way into the NBA this summer.

2. Marcus Pollard, Indianapolis Colts
Pollard pushed Ken Dilger not only out of a starting role, but also town, as he has claimed the job once and for all. Finally living up to his potential, Pollard set career-high across the board and even became one of just three tight ends to have a 100-yard game (Gonzalez and Frank Wycheck were the others). It’s a known that even with all of the talent on the Colts offense, Pollard provides more than just a safety valve for Peyton Manning. His 15.7 yards per catch average demonstrates that he can also break off big plays.

3. Bubba Franks, Green Bay Packers
Given the relative newness of Green Bay’s wide receiving corps—only Terry Glenn is a proven commodity and even he’s got baggage—Franks should take the next step forward and establish himself among the position’s elite. He only had 36 grabs last year, however, nine went for touchdowns, and owners would be hard-pressed to find any player who scored on a quarter of his touches. Expect something in the 55-catch, 700-yard, 10-touchdown range.

4. Shannon Sharpe, Denver Broncos
Old Reliable could be on the verge of bowing out, but it isn’t because of a lack of productivity. In his final year with the Ravens, Sharpe had his best year since 1997 in terms of catches (73) and yardage (811). He tied Gonzalez for the receptions lead among tight ends. Now it stands to reason that the Broncos have a ton more talent than Baltimore, so Sharpe will fall back into the 55-60 catch range. However, he’ll be a valuable red zone target with defenses having to account for Rod Smith, Ed McCaffrey and Terrell Davis.

5. Freddie Jones, Arizona Cardinals
This is just what the doctor ordered for Jake Plummer and the Cardinals. Arizona has David Boston and that’s about it as far as receiving threats go, so the offseason signing of Jones could go a long way in determining the strength of the offense. Just two years removed from a 71-catch, 766-yard campaign, Jones will be given every opportunity to show that he’s still one of the best at the position. Part of Jones’ problems in 2001 stemmed from a bum ankle that never fully healed, so he could leap-frog a few spots by season’s end.

6. Byron Chamberlain, Minnesota Vikings
Like several tight ends on this list, Chamberlain has a dream job. After coming over from Denver prior to the 2001 campaign, he grabbed a career-high 57 balls for 666 yards and three touchdowns as option No. 3. With Daunte Culpepper healthy and Randy Moss now complemented by speedy Derrick Alexander, Chamberlain will be forced into filling part of Cris Carter’s role as possession receiver.

7. Todd Heap, Baltimore Ravens
With Sharpe now rounding out his career back where it started, Heap moves to the top of the depth chart in Baltimore. And he’ll certainly be helped by the team’s lack of impact players at wide receiver. Injuries conspired to keep Heap on the shelf for an extended stretch as a rookie, however, he’s due to break out in Year 2. He’ll easily triple his reception total (16) and could do the same with his paltry yardage total as well (206).

8. Jeremy Shockey, N.Y. Giants
In general, most rookies don’t often have much of an impact in fantasy football, much less rookie tight ends. However, Shockey isn’t your average tight end. A first-round pick out of Miami, Fla., Shockey proved to be a big-play a day tight end, sticking more than one dagger in an opponent’s heart. The Giants could use someone to take the heat off of Amani Toomer and Ike Hilliard (no longer a Jim Fassel favorite).

9. Chad Lewis, Philadelphia Eagles
A bit of a disappointment in 2001, Lewis saw his production cut in half from the career year he had in 2000 (69 catches, 735 yards, three touchdowns). He’ll hit the middle of his totals and finish in the 50-catch range. The Eagles wide receivers could be on the verge of a breakout campaign with Freddie Mitchell now in his second year and Todd Pinkston having a full year as a starter under his belt.

10. Eric Johnson, San Francisco 49ers
A few years ago, Johnson could have been a Top 5 tight end. That’s how deep the position is entering 2002. Aside from Terrell Owens, the Niners don’t have many receiving threats. Johnson, a converted wide receiver, grabbed 40 balls as a rookie and also scored three times. He may not be a threat in yardage leagues (362 yards), but he definitely has the potential to put up solid numbers in scoring leagues.

11. Frank Wycheck, Tennessee Titans
Like a fine wine, Wycheck only seems to get better with age. He finished third among tight ends with 60 catches, third in plays of at least 20 yards (10) and fourth in yardage (672). He’s had at least 60 grabs in each of the last five years and could be the most consistent of all tight ends during the span.

12. Anthony Becht, N.Y. Jets
Becht took a step forward in 2001 (36 catches, 321 yards) and is ready to take his game even further. Jets offensive coordinator Paul Hackett isn’t too keen on opening up the offense, and the 1-2 punch of Curtis Martin and Becht could be a formidable one in the short passing game.

13. Wesley Walls, Carolina Panthers
The pillar of consistency and one-time stud at tight end, Walls is clearly on the downside of his career. He’s coming off major knee surgery and playing for a Carolina team that’s apt to give its younger players more playing time. He’s missed 10 games over the last two years, an indication that years of punishment are starting to catch up to him.

14. David Sloan, New Orleans Saints
Injuries always seem to derail Sloan, who’s never had more than 47 grabs in a season. However, he is coming off a career-high seven touchdowns and moved on to the up-tempo Saints during the offseason. That alone should boost his value. Keep an eye on Sloan in the later rounds of the draft. He could end up being Top 10 material in 2002.

15. Ken Dilger, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
More of a blocker than a receiver, Dilger is still capable of grabbing 40-45 balls. And he’ll be playing in the pass-friendly offense of Jon Gruden, which may allow him to resurrect his career.

16. Alge Crumpler, Atlanta Falcons
In a few years, Crumpler just may find himself among the elite at tight end. He’s big, can get downfield and has pillow-soft hands. He’ll provide Michael Vick with an extraordinary target and if everything works out could put up a 50-catch season. Crumpler’s a sleeper-supreme.

17. Kyle Brady, Jacksonville Jaguars
Brady proved that 2000 was an aberration, slipping back to his career norms (36 catches, 386 yards) last year. With all the uncertainty on the Jacksonville offense, Brady is a high risk with little upside.

18. Ernie Conwell, St. Louis Rams
As a fifth option on the Rams offense, Conwell doesn’t get many touches. And therein lies the problem with his fantasy prospects.

19. Daniel Graham, New England Patriots
Looking to take a chance? Graham could be the man then. There’s not much standing in his way on the New England depth chart in oft-injured Cam Cleeland and former Seattle castoff Itula Mili. The Pats spent a No. 1 pick on Graham, too, so it’s unlikely that he’ll see more pine action than field action.

20. Jerramy Stevens, Seattle Seahawks
Like Graham, and Shockey, Stevens was also a first round pick in the 2002 Draft and will be given every opportunity to not only win the No. 1 job but also become a major player in a budding offense. A definite risk, Stevens is a boom-or-bust pick.
 

Steve Siniski is the managing editor of Football Forecast and a senior editor for College & Pro Football Newsweekly.