2008 College Fantasy Football
Tight End Rankings
(Top 25) By Brandon Anderson
7/30/08
Email Brandon The tight end position is a frustrating one for many college fantasy
football players. So few players, even in a whole country of teams, are
consistently part of an offense outside of just blocking. Many teams that
play the spread offense no longer even use the tight end at all. But all the
more reason why the top tight ends are as valuable as any commodity in
college ball. Just because the #1 TE will be lucky to score 150 doesn’t make
him worthless. The key is that he will outscore a replacement TE (#10 or #12 maybe) by
about 70 points. For comparison sake, that is the difference in my rankings
between my #5 RB (Beanie Wells) and my #28 RB (Rodney Ferguson), or between
my #5 WR (Kevin Jurovich) and my #48 WR (Jaison Williams). If you care about
the difference there, then you better care about your tight end as well.
Make tight end a priority on draft day and you’ll have a significant
advantage over most of your league mates. 1. Darius Hill, Ball State
There’s no secret about the #1 spot in these tight end rankings, as it’s
just about as conclusive as that #1 spot in your receivers list. Darius Hill
has back to back double digit TD seasons and is an NFL talent playing in the
MAC. He is an absolute stud and a bargain add to your team anytime in the
2nd round or later. 2. Travis Beckhum, Wisconsin
Beckhum will be doing his share of blocking for PJ Hill and the other Badger
runners, but he’ll get his too. He already had almost 1000 yards receiving
last year to go with 6 TDs. If he ever finds the end zone more, he’s the
only real guy on this list with a chance to challenge for #1. **Sleeper Alert**
3. James Casey, Rice
They call him “Thor,” and he plays all over the field. He had 45 rushing
attempts last year to go with 46 receptions (not to mention a few pass
attempts, a handful of tackles, and even a sack from the DE spot)… as a
freshman. All together he had 700 yards and 9 TDs and he looks to improve
further this season. Check to make sure he qualifies in your league as a
tight end, and then don’t sleep on him! 4. Cody Slate, Marshall
Slate is an excellent tight end choice for you if you missed the start of
the TE run. He will consistently get around 50 yards a game and throw in a
TD every other game or so. In college, that’s about as much as you can hope
for if you don’t use that early pick. 5. Rob Gronkowski, Arizona
Gronk burst onto the national scene last year with a gaudy 19 yards per
catch to go with 6 touchdowns for the Wildcats. This year coaches think he
could double his totals. Don’t expect them to quite double, but he’s a good
pick either way. 6. Chase Coffman, Missouri
Coffman will probably be the third TE off the board in most drafts, and you
are likely better with Thor or Slate. He is a good red zone threat but is
not as consistent with his scoring and can be a frustrating play at times. 7. Dennis Pitta, BYU
Pitta started out hot last year but slowed down as BYU got into conference
play. He could be a nice candidate to buy low and sell high again this year. 8. Jermaine Gresham, Oklahoma
Gresham will be listed higher on most boards, and you should let him go. He
had one huge game last year with 80 yards and 4 TDs, but that leaves just
438 yards and 7 TDs in the other 12 games. Nothing special to see here. **Sleeper Alert**
9. Bear Pascoe, Fresno State
What’s not to like about a tight end named Bear? Pascoe was hot to start the
year with 4 TDs in his first two games but cooled off and dealt with
injuries to close the year. He has improved greatly each season and could go
out with a bang this year. 10. Brandon Ledbetter, Western Michigan
If you’re in a league that features very few conference options, then
Ledbetter may be one of your top tight ends in play… 11. Andrew Mooney, Ohio
…If not, then these MAC guys are nothing more than average fill-in starters,
capable of a couple good games and a bunch of fluff. **Sleeper Alert**
12. Kory Sperry, Colorado State
Sperry started last season with 100 yards and 3 TDs in week one but snapped
his ACL in week two. Reports have him healthy and ready, back for one more
campaign, and he may be the best bet among later tight ends to have a shot
of cracking the top 5 if he stays whole. 13. Shawn Nelson, Southern Miss
The Golden Eagles have promised to pass more this season. That may mean
Nelson, who has already posted solid seasons, will block a little less for
Damion Fletcher and run a couple extra routes instead. 14. Cornelius Ingram, Florida
Ingram is a fine tight end, but Florida has too many goal line options in
Tim Tebow alone, so you can expect a lot of hit or miss plays here. **Sleeper Alert**
15. Justin Akers, Baylor
You’ll want to check position eligibility and make sure Akers is listed here
and not at receiver. But with Baylor’s pass attack, Akers essentially acts
as a receiver and makes a nice sleeper if he’s eligible. **Close but no cigar**
Ryan Purvis, Boston College
DJ Williams, Arkansas
Ed Dickson, Oregon
Tony Moeaki, Iowa
Brandon Pettigrew, Oklahoma State Comment on this
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