Bruno Boys Fantasy Football

- Written by Kyle Smith
- Edited by Marc Caviglia
- Predictions are based on Staff Consensus

 
WEEK 3 RANKINGS  QB  |  RB  |    |  TE  |  K  |  DEF

It was an all-around odd week in the National Football League, with upsets, officiating that was well beyond incompetent, and players who were nowhere to be found during fantasy drafts gobbling up fantasy points. The tight end position was a prime example – there were 13 players at the position who amassed at least eight points, and among them were Dante Rosario, Anthony McCoy, Kellen Davis and Tom Crabtree. Anybody out there have those guys in your starting lineup? Neither did we. Alas, all we can do is look ahead, and see what’s in store for the Week 3 slate of games.

::RANKINGS UPDATED AS OF SEPTEMBER 20, 2012::

1. Rob Gronkowski (New England Patriots) @ Baltimore

Gronk gave fantasy owners their money’s worth last week in the Patriots loss to the Cardinals, catching six passes for 75 yards and a touchdown. And now that Aaron Hernandez is out with an injury, Gronkowski has even more opportunity for success. He and the Pats face the Ravens this weekend, a team that Brent Celek scorched last Sunday. Gronkowski had five catches for 87 yards last season against the Ravens when the two teams met in the playoffs, so the vaunted Baltimore defense isn’t as big a roadblock as some may believe.
Point Projection: 16 points

2. Jimmy Graham (New Orleans Saints) vs. Kansas City

Fans of the New Orleans Saints have every reason to be concerned after their team’s 0-2 start to the season. Graham’s fantasy owners have little reason to share that apprehension. The third-year tight end out of Miami had seven receptions for 71 yards and a touchdown last week, and is currently second in fantasy points at the tight end position. He has a great match-up this weekend against the Chiefs, who have allowed a touchdown to a tight end in each of their first two games.
Point Projection: 15 points

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3. Brandon Pettigrew (Detroit Lions) @ Tennessee

Pettigrew only caught three passes last week against the 49ers, and compiled less than 20 receiving yards, but he did score his first touchdown of the season, and no tight end has a more auspicious match-up this week. Pettigrew and the Lions go to Tennessee to play the Titans, a team that has been the worst in the league – by far – in controlling opposing tight ends. The Titans have allowed an average of 25 fantasy points per game to tight ends through two weeks, which is a full 13 points more than any other squad.
Point Projection: 14 points

4. Vernon Davis (San Francisco 49ers) @ Minnesota

Davis’s five catches, 73 yards and two touchdowns on Sunday night against the Lions vaulted him into the top spot among tight ends in fantasy scoring. If he was on a team that threw it with more regularity, he’d be among the top five tight ends in the rankings every week, but he’s tied for 14th at the position in targets. Still, the Vikings have been vulnerable to tight ends in the season’s first two weeks, allowing a touchdown to a player at the position in both of their games, and we think Davis will traipse into the end zone yet again.
Point Projection: 12 points

5. Jason Witten (Dallas Cowboys) vs. Tampa Bay

Witten was targeted 10 times last week against the Seahawks, but caught just four of those passes for 58 yards. He’s had a slow start to the season, which is polar opposite to how he started last year, when he amassed double-digit fantasy points in four of his first five games. But Witten is too good to be held down for three consecutive weeks, and we envision a breakout against the Buccaneers, who allowed Witten’s former understudy, Martellus Bennett, to gain more than 70 yards and catch a touchdown last week.
Point Projection: 11 points

6. Brent Celek (Philadelphia Eagles) @ Arizona

Celek led all tight ends this week with eight catches and 157 yards, and was third in targets with 11. No tight end has accumulated more yards in the season’s first two games than Celek’s 222, but unfortunately, there has been no payoff in terms of touchdowns. He’s established himself as a fantasy starter, and it’s only a matter of time before he finds the end zone. In fact, we think he’ll make his way there in one of the next four quarters of football that he plays.
Point Projection: 10 points

7. Antonio Gates (San Diego Chargers) vs. Atlanta

We figured a San Diego tight end would have a big game last week against Tennessee, but we figured it would be Gates, not Dante Rosario. Gates was, to the surprise of most, not active for the contest due to an injury to his ribs. This cleared the way for Rosario to come in and catch four passes for 48 yards and three touchdowns. We’re quite certain almost nobody reaped the rewards of Rosario’s big game, and we believe Gates will be back this week to face Atlanta, though you never know with him.
Point Projection: 10 points

8. Martellus Bennett (New York Giants) @ Carolina

Bennett has obviously become an integral part of the Giants passing game, catching five passes for 72 yards and a touchdown (10 targets). It was his second touchdown in as many games for his new team, and he’s now fifth among tight ends in fantasy scoring. The Panthers, who the Giants play this week, do not possess an immovable force at defense, so Bennett will have a chance to exploit them. Eli Manning isn’t likely to throw the ball to him 10 times this week, but a half-dozen or so targets should give him ample opportunity to rack up some fantasy points.
Point Projection: 10 points

9. Tony Gonzalez (Atlanta Falcons) @ San Diego

Gonzalez just keeps going strong, and turned in another solid performance on Monday night against the Broncos with seven catches for 70 yards and a touchdown. He’s scored in each of his first two games, with at least 50 receiving yards in each. Though we don’t foresee another touchdown catch this week against the Chargers, we do think he’s worthy of a start, relative to whomever his back-up on fantasy rosters may be.
Point Projection: 9 points

10. Dennis Pitta (Baltimore Ravens) vs. New England

Know who the leader in targets at the tight end position is so far this season? Okay, we took the drama out of that question by putting it directly under Pitta’s name, but you get the point. He’s also the co-leader in receptions with 13 after his eight-catch, 65-yard performance last week against the Eagles. He’s clearly moved ahead of teammate and fellow tight end Ed Dickson on the Official Joe Flacco Prefer-To-Throw-To List, and if recent history is any indication, is in store for a quality showing this week against the Patriots. In last year’s Pats-Ravens playoff contest, Pitta had five catches for 41 yards and a score, and was targeted eight times, which was tied for the team high.
Point Projection: 9 points

11. Owen Daniels (Houston Texans) @ Denver

Houston quarterback Matt Schaub threw 35 passes in his team’s win over Jacksonville last week and nine of those went to Daniels, which was a team-high. Daniels caught six of those throws for 47 yards, for a YPC average of only 7.8. But that number isn’t necessarily an indictment on Daniels, because of the six Texans who caught more than one pass, only one averaged at least 8.0 YPC. We like Daniels a lot this week in Denver – the Broncos have allowed the second-most fantasy points in the league to tight ends, with players at that position accumulating at least 50 yards and a score against them in each of their first two games.
Point Projection: 8 points

12. Jermichael Finley (Green Bay Packers) @ Seattle

With Greg Jennings out last week, only Jordy Nelson had more targets in Green Bay’s win over Chicago, but Finley turned his five targets and four catches into a middling 26 yards. Still, it’s worth noting that Finley is tied for third among tight ends in receptions (12) and tied for fifth in targets. Unfortunately, he’s not making big plays, with a YPC average of just 6.6, the Seahawks have a very good defense, a great home advantage, and have allowed the sixth-fewest points in the league to opposing tight ends. As you may have guessed, we’re not overly confident about his potential for a big game this week.
Point Projection: 7 points

13. Jared Cook (Tennessee Titans) vs. Detroit

Though Cook was targeted six times last week against the Titans, he managed just three catches for a mere 23 yards. Considering the trouble Chris Johnson is having running the ball, the solid defensive line that Detroit employs, and the fact that the Lions gave up a pair of touchdowns to Vernon Davis last week, it would make sense for the Titans to make Cook a bigger part of the team’s passing game. He’s certainly capable of making big plays, and it’s time for him to reward the fantasy owners that believed he’d have a breakout season.
Point Projection: 7 points

14. Kyle Rudolph (Minnesota Vikings) vs. San Francisco

Rudolph’s six-yard touchdown with 0:31 left last week in a game the Vikings lost to the Colts, was one of his three catches and six of his 35 yards in the game. And while those numbers aren’t anything to write home about, it’s nice to see him being utilized in the red zone, as he should. Rudolph and his Minnesota teammates play the 49ers this week, and though they have allowed a touchdown to a tight end in each of their first two games, that’s a trend we have a difficult time believing will continue.
Point Projection: 6 points

15. Fred Davis (Washington Redskins) vs. Cincinnati

Davis suffered a concussion against the Rams in a game that was utterly out of control thanks to the worst officiating in sports history (okay, that’s a bit of an exaggeration – but just a bit), so his status for this week is up in the air. That’s exactly where the hands of Davis’ fantasy owners are too, in exasperation after his bizarrely poor start. He had two catches for 14 yards against St. Louis, and his four fantasy points this season are equal to the number that Jeff Cumberland and David Ausberry have. But he and the ‘Skins play the Bengals this week, who have given up the sixth-most fantasy points in the league (tied) to tight ends, and they played the Browns last week. So if Davis plays, look for him to turn it up a notch in Washington’s home opener.
Point Projection: 6 points