Dynasty and Keeper Tight Ends for 2014

2014 Fantasy Football Draft Prep: Dynasty and Keeper Tight Ends

Note: This article was written before the 2014 NFL Draft. RotoBaller will be releasing updated Dynasty and Keeper rankings and analysis for all positions throughout the summer.

In this article, we are going to take a look at some of the more popular keeper names for Tight Ends in 2014 fantasy football. This will be based of off PPR leagues, but will work for standard scoring leagues as well.

Top Tier

2013 Rank / Points / PPG

Stock up: Julius Thomas- Thomas finally completed a full healthy season for the first time in his career. Yes he did technically miss 2 games, but for him that should be considered a big time achievement. He ended up hauling in 12 of Peyton Manning’s Touchdown throws, along with 65 receptions for 788 yards. Thomas was probably the waiver wire pickup of the year in fantasy last season, and will be a top 3 fantasy TE heading into this season.

Stock Down: Rob Gronkowski- Probably the most physically talented non-QB player in the NFL… when healthy. Gronkowski is starting to have the “Injury-Plagued” title associated with his name, but this last setback really wasn’t his fault. Gronkowski tore his ACL in week 14 thanks to a low hit by Cleveland Brown’s T.J. Ward. It could have happened to anyone, but it came just 7 games after Gronkowski had finally returned from his previous forearm/back injuries of the season prior. Even though there is skepticism with drafting/keeping Gronk, he may be one of the only players the risk is very much worth the reward.

Second Tier

Stock up: Jordan Reed- As stated in my 2014 dynasty targets article, Reed is armed with the three things that any pass catcher would ask for-- great hands, speed, and route running ability. Reed has flashed the potential to become a matchup nightmare against any defense. Reed hauled in over 76% of his targets for receptions. He did suffer a concussion during week 11 that knocked him out for the rest of the season; but some of those missed games were more precaution than anything else. If he comes back healthy in 2014, Reed has the potential to be a top tier fantasy TE for years to come.

Stock Down: Jason Witten- For years Witten has been the definition of reliable.  Now at age 32, Witten is entering the back end years of his professional career. Besides the fact that Witten may now be the 3^rd or 4^th option on the team, the Cowboys drafted Gavin Escobar in the 2013 draft, as the future tight end in waiting. He may still have a couple of solid years left, but if anyone is willing to buy high I would sell without hesitation.

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Third Tier

Stock up: Zach Ertz- MY BOLD PREDICTION: Ertz will be the 2014 breakout player of the tight end position. Being a part of the Philadelphia Eagles' explosive offense, Ertz looks primed to become a star in the NFL. While Ertz did split reps with fellow Eagles tight end Brent Celek, Ertz is without a doubt the more explosive and dynamic player. Celek is no lock to comeback this year, and even if he does, he will be mostly used for blocking. When the Eagles gave Ertz the chance for an expanded role, he did not disappoint. His 36-469-3 stat line is a deceiving one-- don’t sleep on him.

Stock Down: Antonio Gates- With the emergence of Ladarius Green towards the end of the season, the writing is on the wall for Antonio Gates. Once considered one of the best TEs in the game, Gates has never quite been the same after the 2009 season. Injuries have really slowed down the former Pro Bowler, and his snap count seems to be decreasing by the minute. Similar to Jason Witten, if you can sell high thanks to name recognition, by all means pull the trigger before it’s too late.

Forth Tier: The Wait and See Tier

These are all players that we will have to wait and see what training camp brings. Many are stuck in situations where they either have to share time, or are in the latter part of their careers. Some may be released or traded from their current teams, while the others like Finley are not even guaranteed to play football again.