benefits from the fact that the Chiefs do not have any top flight wide receivers.
That makes him the number one receiving option for a team that loves to thrown
the ball. The Chiefs have Johnnie Morton and Eddie Kennison back as their top
two wide-outs, which means that Gonzalez is sure to have another huge season.
2) Todd Heap, Baltimore. Heaps’ production was down in 2003, but his 57
catches were still 18 more than any other Ravens receiver. The addition of wide
receiver Kevin Johnson should help take some of the focus away from Heap and
open up the middle of the field. If Baltimore can get any stability out of the
quarterback position with a healthy Kyle Boller, then Heap should get his
numbers back up to 2002 levels.
3) Alge Crumpler, Atlanta. Crumpler had a very good season in 2003, not so
much because his numbers increased, but that he was able to increase his
production with Michael Vick on the sidelines most of the season. Crumpler’s play
was rewarded with a trip to the Pro Bowl. With Vick back in the lineup, Crumpler
will get even more opportunities to make plays. Look for him to also increase his
touchdown total.
4) Kellen Winslow Jr. Cleveland. Winslow has already been quoted as saying
that he wants to break fellow Miami Hurricane, Jeremy Shockey’s first year
numbers with the Giants. Shockey had 74 catches for 894 yards in his rookie
year, so that would be quite a feat. Winslow will have a shot at those numbers
as he should be Jeff Garcia’s featured target, given that they have just an
average wide receiving core.
5) Jeremy Shockey, NY Giants. Shockey missed the last seven games of the
2003 season due to a knee injury, but before getting injured, he was on pace to
match his terrific 2002 numbers. Now Shockey is dealing with another injury, this
time having foot surgery in June. He is expected to be at full strength for the
start of this season, but he will lose out on valuable practice time with Kurt
Warner.
6) Randy McMichael, Miami. McMichael is a 3rd year player out of Georgia who is
quickly developing into a Pro Bowler. Pair him with receivers Chris Chambers and
David Boston, and you have a set of three players that rivals any other team.
McMichael’s ceiling is only limited by the Dolphins’ shaky quarterback situation,
and the fact that he continues to have off the field problems.
7) Antonio Gates, San Diego. One of the most surprising NFL players in 2003,
Gates played power forward for the Kent State basketball team before making
the surprising jump to the NFL. After catching seven balls in the first 11 games,
Gates averaged 57 yards receiving and almost 17 yards per reception in the last
five. Gates will build on those numbers even though the Chargers have an
anemic passing attack.
8) Boo Williams, New Orleans. Williams became the featured tight end for the
last six games of the 2003 season after Ernie Conwell went down with an injury.
Williams had 29 catches for 347 yards in those games. Production like that gets
you in the Pro Bowl if you can do it the whole season. Conwell is back healthy
this season, but Williams is the better all around tight end, and will be the main
guy.
9) Daniel Graham, New England. Since coming out of Colorado as a first round
pick in 2002, Graham has been a better blocker than receiver, the opposite of his
reputation in college. With the drafting of Ben Watson in the first round and
veteran Christian Fauria still on the roster, Graham must continue to show more
consistent hands if he is going to increase his fantasy numbers.
10) Freddie Jones, Arizona. Update 8/15. The injury to Anquan Boldin makes
Jones more of a focal point. Jones’ 55 catches and 517 receiving yards marked his
best year since he played with the Chargers in 2000. However, Jones averaged
almost four receptions per game with Jeff Blake in the lineup, and only two with
new quarterback, Josh McCown. Jones will need to start developing a rapport
with McCown.
11) Bubba Franks, Green Bay. After having the best season of his career,
Franks slumped in 2003, as his receiving yards were, by far, a career low. His low
output was partially due to a quad injury, but Franks was also hurt by Brett Favre’
s decreased passing attempts, and the fact that the Packers have three quality
receivers. Look for the three time Pro Bowler to improve in 2004 in both yardage
and touchdowns.
12) Desmond Clark, Chicago. After toiling in relative obscurity in Miami in 2002,
Clark signed with the Bears as a free agent and made the most of his
opportunity. While Clark’s numbers were somewhat surprising, he did have 51
catches for 566 yards for Denver in 2001. With the Bears’ plan to open up the
offense more, and the development of quarterback Rex Grossman, Clark should
have another good season.
13) Dallas Clark, Indianapolis. Clark put up impressive numbers in his rookie
season before breaking his leg and missing the last four games. If Clark had
played a 16 game schedule, he would have been north of 500 yards receiving.
The Colts still have Marcus Pollard on the roster, but the Colts like to have two
tight end sets. There should be plenty of opportunities for both Clark and Pollard
to shine in 2004.
14) Jim Kleinsasser, Minnesota. Kleinsasser was the Vikings’ most prominent
unrestricted free agent and he signed a five year contract in the off-season. Now
he can concentrate on gobbling up Daunte Culpepper’s passes. Fantasy owners
would like Kleinsasser to get his average yards per catch up around 10, but he
did have four touchdowns last season after only having one in his first four
seasons.
15) Billy Miller, Houston. At just 230 pounds, Miller is the prototypical all catch,
no block tight end. Of course, receiving is all we care about in Fantasy Football.
Miller is a little bit of a risky pick, as he could get pushed for playing time from
2003 second round pick, Bennie Joppru. Joppru missed the entire last season
with a pelvic hernia. Miller will be helped by the full-time return of quarterback
David Carr.
16) Jason Witten, Dallas. Witten had 35 catches in rookie season out of
Tennessee, with 27 of those coming in the second half of the season. Witten also
impressed the coaches with his blocking, which is very important to coach Bill
Parcells. Both Jones and Parcells have already been quoted as saying that they
want to expand Witten’s role this year. Witten has a lot of upside for the 2004
fantasy season.
17) L.J. Smith, Philadelphia. Smith is a second year player out of Rutgers who,
for the most part, met the lofty expectations of his rookie season. With Terrell
Owens on the team now, defenses now have to have some respect for the
Eagles’ wide-outs. That means more room for Smith to roam the middle of the
field. Smith’s statistics were close to fellow tight end, Chad Lewis, but Smith
should outshine him this year.
18) Marcus Pollard, Indianapolis. With Dallas Clark on the team, Pollard will
never have another season like he had in 2001, with eight touchdowns, and 14
receptions over 20 yards. The Colts also spent a third round pick on tight end
Ben Hartsock, but that does not mean that the 32 year-old Pollard will have a
decrease in playing time this year. Of course, that may be an issue that comes up
in 2005.
19) Stephen Alexander, Detroit. This was a somewhat surprising signing by the
Lions, considering that Alexander did not catch a pass last season because of a
hernia. With Alexander aboard, they have released Mikhael Ricks , even though
he had 37 catches last season. The Lions feel that Alexander is healthy enough
to take over Ricks’ role as the primary receiving tight end
20) Mark Campbell, Buffalo. Campbell came over from the Cleveland Browns
and was supposed to fill the backup role behind Dave Moore. Instead, Campbell
became the main tight end and Moore has since moved on to Tampa. The Bills
upgraded their receiving core with first round pick, Lee Evans. However, Drew
Bledsoe has always favored his tight end, and as long as he plays, Campbell will
get some looks.
21) Itula Mili, Seattle. Mili is one of the most unsung tight ends in the NFL,
having averaged 500 yards receiving the last two seasons. Mili has always had
to fight for playing time, first with Christian Fauria, and now with the enigma
known as Jerramy Stevens. Mili is unhappy with his contract situation but he has
no choice but to put up more numbers this year before heading off into free
agency.
22) Erron Kinney, Tennessee. With the now retired Frank Wycheck suffering
from concussions, Kinney had a breakout season in 2003 and was rewarded with
a new five year contract. Kinney must be shaking his head a little bit over the
Titans drafting of Ben Troupe in the second round. Troupe is an accomplished
pass receiver that will challenge Kinney for playing time, but Kinney will be the
main guy in 2004.
23) Matt Schobel, Cincinnati. Schobel is part of a three headed tandem at tight
end for the Bengals. Reggie Kelly is the best blocker of the group, Schobel is the
best pass catcher, and Tony Stewart is the best combination tight end. Last year,
Schobel raised his average from 7.9 to 13.8 yards per catch. That shows big play
ability, but he will never be an upper echelon fantasy tight end with that crowd at
his position.
24) Teyo Johnson, Oakland. Johnson is a converted college wide receiver who
at 6’5, 250 pounds, is better suited for tight end in the professional ranks. The
Raiders soured on Doug Jolley last year, and that means that Johnson has the
opportunity to be the main pass catcher this year. Since he is so new to the
position though, 2004 will still be a learning year for him, even though his
numbers will improve.
25) Eric Johnson, San Francisco. Johnson missed the entire 2003 season after
breaking his collarbone, but he gets back his starting job with Jed Weaver
signing with Denver. Johnson will not kill anyone with his speed, he only had one
reception over 20 yards in 2002. He is a sure handed target though, and he will
be a favorite target of quarterback Tim Rattay, who will be dealing with very
inexperienced wide receivers.
26) Kyle Brady, Jacksonville. Brady’s 29 catches and 281 receiving yards were
both his lowest totals since 1997. Part of the reason for the decline was rookie
Byron Leftwich stepping in for Mark Brunell. As Leftwich matures as a
quarterback, he will start spreading the ball around and utilizing the tight end
more. Still, don’t look for Brady to get close to the 729 yards he had in 2000 with
Brunell at the helm.
27) Anthony Becht, NY Jets. Becht has had four solid but unspectacular
seasons with the Jets. Becht is a free agent at the end of the season, and is
backed up by a promising young player in Chris Baker. They also just signed
Mikhael Ricks who is a better pure receiver than Becht or Baker. Having Chad
Pennington back full time will help, but there is a logjam at the position which
bears watching in training camp.
28) Byron Chamberlain, Denver. Chamberlain comes back to the Broncos after
spending the last three seasons with Minnesota and Washington. Chamberlain
spent his first six seasons in Denver. With Shannon Sharpe retired, the door is
open for Chamberlain to flash his pass receiving skills. If he can come anywhere
close to the 57 catches he had with Minnesota in 2001, the Broncos would be
extremely happy.
29) Brandon Manumaleuna, St. Louis. Manumaleuna signed an offer sheet in
the off-season with the Carolina Panthers, but the Rams decided to match.
Manumaleuna has shown enough ability as a pass catcher to warrant more
attention, but he gets lost in the shuffle with passing threats like Torry Holt,
Isaac Bruce, and Marshall Faulk out of the back field. Look for just a slight
increase in productivity this year.
30) Jerramy Stevens, Seattle. Stevens is a former first round pick out of
Washington who was known to be a character risk. Stevens has done nothing to
lose that reputation in the pros, having been charged with a DUI in April of last
year. Stevens has all the size and athletic ability to become a Pro Bowler, and he
seems to be finally maturing on and off the field, but he is still a big risk at this
point.
31) Chris Cooley, Washington. Cooley was the Redskins’ third round pick out of
Utah State and has experience at both fullback and tight end. That is great
experience to step into coach Joe Gibbs’ complicated H-back position. Cooley
should win the starting job over both Brian Kozlowski and Walter Rasby, and be
the second most productive rookie tight end behind Kellen Winslow Jr.
32) Jed Weaver, Denver. Weaver had the best year of his career in 2003,
starting 15 games for San Francisco in the place of injured Eric Johnson. He then
signed with Denver even though Shannon Sharpe was likely coming back. With
Sharpe retiring and moving to the broadcast booth, Weaver will battle Byron
Chamberlain and others for the starting tight end spot.
33) Jay Riemersma, Pittsburgh. Riemersma came over from the Buffalo Bills for
the start of the 2003 season in the hopes that he would provide a receiving
compliment to Mark Bruener. Injuries helped derail Riemersma’s season, but the
Steelers don’t feature the tight end as a receiver like a lot of other teams do.
Even if quarterback Tommy Maddox rebounds with a good season, Riemersma’s
value is limited.
34) Ben Watson, New England. The drafting of Watson gives the Patriots three
solid tight ends with Daniel Graham and Christian Fauria. Fauria will be 33 years
old at the beginning of the year and is a free agent at the end of the year. His
role will likely be diminished in 2004. Look for Watson to be on the field a lot of
the time with Graham, especially since he has experience at Georgia playing the
“h-back” position.
35) Ben Troupe, Tennessee. Troupe is a second round pick out of Florida who
was too promising for the Titans to pass up, even though they already had Erron
Kinney. The Titans like to use a lot of two tight end sets, and there is an opening
with Frank Wycheck retired. Troupe is known as a much better pass receiver than
blocker, and he should make an immediate contribution from the start of the
season.
36) Ernie Conwell, New Orleans. Conwell came over as a free agent from the
St. Louis Rams at the start of the 2003 season. Conwell was the starter for the
first 10 games of the season, before fracturing his ankle and being put on injured
reserved for the rest of the season. The emergence of Boo Williams after Conwell
went down means that he will be the back up this year. Conwell will struggle to
match his 2003 numbers.
37) Doug Jolley, Oakland. Jolley started the first seven games of last season
and had 27 catches in that span. Jolley was then benched in favor of Teyo
Johnson. Jolley is capable of a 500 yards receiving if given the opportunity to
start full time. However, the team is high on Johnson, and they signed Roland
Williams to be the blocking tight end. Jolley has to be considered a high fantasy
risk.
38) Casey Fitzsimmons, Detroit. Fitzsimmons was an un-drafted free agent in
2003 out of tiny Carroll College in Minnesota. Then to the surprise of everyone,
Fitzsimmons not only played in every game, he started in 11 of them. It looks like
Stephen Alexander will be the featured tight end but Fitzsimmons will continue to
serve an important role.
39) Ken Dilger, Tampa Bay. Despite having the worst season statistically of his
career, Dilger returns to his role of the starting tight end. Dilger’s backup will be
Dave Moore who played the last two seasons in Buffalo, after 10 seasons in
Tampa. Don’t look for much out of Dilger in 2004, as he is clearly on the downside
of his career, and the Buccaneers have a number of wide receivers who will get
more touches.
40) Chad Lewis, Philadelphia. Although still a valuable member of the team,
Lewis has seen his numbers decrease over the past few seasons. Lewis has only
played seven seasons in the league, but he served in a Mormon missionary, and
turns 33 in October. It appears that Lewis’ best days are behind him, and that
this season will be the year that Lewis relinquishes the featured receiving role to
L.J. Smith.
41) Kris Mangum, Carolina. The Panthers attempted to get Rams’ free agent
tight end, Brandon Manumaleuna, which sends the message that they were not
happy with Mangum’s production. Mangum only had two receptions in the last six
games, and he will be pushed by second year player Mike Seidman. Seidman tore
his ACL late in the season, but should be recovered for the start of 2004
