11. Zach Miller
With the defection of JaMarcus Russell, EVERYONE’S value rises on offense. But few more than Miller. The talented TE, who amassed 91 fantasy points in 2009, will benefit greatly from having Jason Campbell behind center and we think a top 10 fantasy football finish for TEs is very likely.
12. Jon Carlson
Carlson experienced the dreaded sophomore slump but still managed to finish with 7 TDs and 92 fantasy points in 2009. Much of his troubles stemmed from the Seahawks offensive woes in general, but things should improve this year. Provided Hasselback is able to remain in one piece, it’s a good bet that Carlson will top 125 fantasy points in 2010.
13. Greg Olsen
From a pure talent perspective, Olsen ranks in the top 10. What we’re worried about is Mike Martz’s system which will now be run in Chicago. It’s never been kind to TEs, so we’re inclined to take a wait and see approach before throwing Olsen into the No. 1 TE category. Regardless, he’ll be a solid spot starter with the potential to be an every week starter if he’s used properly.
14. Chris Cooley
A mid season injury derailed Cooley’s year in 2009. That’s the bad news. The good news is his prospects are looking much brighter as we enter 2010. McNabb is now the starting QB, Shanahan is calling the plays, and Cooley will certainly be a focal point considering the lack of receiving talent on the Skins roster today. Look for between 7-10 TDs in a solid bounce back year.
15. Dustin Keller
The speedy TE became Sanchez’s safety valve towards the end of ’09 and had a monster game against the Bengals in the Wild Card Round. With the expected development of Sanchez, along with a more aggressive Jets offense in general, expect Keller to make great strides in 2010.
16. Heath Miller
Miller’s numbers might not suffer too much in Roethlisberger’s absence. The interim QB will most likely look to Miller on short-to-medium routes and with Santonio Holmes being shipped to NY, his role in the offense becomes that much more important. His 76 catches and 6 TDs in 2009 should be around where he finishes this year.
17. Kevin Boss
Boss is a lightly used TE who can be counted on for 5-7 TDs per year. Tight Ends are just not a huge part of this Giants offense, where everything runs through the receivers. Regardless, Eli realizes the mismatches Boss creates for Safeties and LB’ers and look for Boss to end up a solid No. 2 for your fantasy squad this year.
18. Jeremy Shockey
Shockey’s a middle of the road fantasy TE at this point but still provides decent value as a No. 2 playing in the Saints high flying offense. Brees tends to spread the ball around mostly to receivers, but TEs receive long looks near the goal line. That’s where Shockey will pick up his points.
19. Todd Heap
There’s probably not much left in this body after the numerous beatings he’s taken over the years, but after managing 53 catches and 6 TDs in 2009, we know the end won’t be this year. Flacco looks to his TE on many occasions and we like Heap to match or exceed last year’s totals due to the development of his 3rd year QB.
20. Jermaine Gresham
The rookie from Oklahoma instantly becomes an exciting fantasy sleeper entering the season as he has Carson Palmer dealing the ball to him. The Bengals will look to attack the middle of the field and Gresham should find favorable one-on-one matchups to capitalize on. He’ll enter the season as a No. 2, but could see his stock improve rapidly by the midway point.
