People ask the Machine all the time:\u00a0 when should I draft a TE?\u00a0 The answer, much like the answer to \u201cis she hot\u201d and \u201cdo you think I have a shot\u201d is:\u00a0 it depends.\u00a0 Most Fantasy Football \u201cexperts\u201d will tell you not to draft a TE until at least Round 5.\u00a0 That\u2019s sooo 2005, and the Machine is here to call bullshit on that outdated thinking.\u00a0 Like Shakira\u2019s hips, the numbers don\u2019t lie. \u00a0The new-age TEs have become an integral part of the passing game\u2026and are more than just big, dumb meatheads that block and occasionally run the seam.\u00a0 In some cases they are the first option in the offense (see 49ers, San Francisco).\u00a0 In fact, 4 of the Machine\u2019s Top 10 are from the c2010 Draft.\u00a0 Fact: top flight TE\u2019s should be viewed as #1 WRs.\u00a0 Here are the Machine\u2019s Top 10 TEs for 2012 (Receptions\/Yards\/TDs).<\/p>\n
1.\u00a0 Rob Gronkowski<\/strong> (90\/1327\/17).\u00a0 Gronk had more TDs than Megatron, and more receptions than Fitz.\u00a0 Case closed.\u00a0 Always thought of as having first round talent, Gronk dropped to the second round in 2010 due to injury concerns.\u00a0 However, in his first two years in the league, he\u2019s never missed a game, proof that the NFL has the best trainers (and access to pain meds) in all of sport.\u00a0 Whatever the reason, he\u2019s Tom Brady\u2019s go to target in the red zone, and an integral part of the Pats offense.\u00a0 Look for Gronk to reign supreme as your 2012 TE fantasy champ.<\/p>\n 2.\u00a0 Jimmy Graham<\/strong> (99\/1310\/11).\u00a0 There was a lot of hype about Jimmy at the beginning of last year, and he more than backed it up.\u00a0 Jimmy thing finished #3 in receptions, in the entire fucking league, trailing only Wes (\u201ctoken\u201d) Welker (122) and Roddy White (100).\u00a0 Perhaps even more impressive, Jimmy led the pass-happy Saints in receptions, yards, and tds.\u00a0 Another year in that high octane offense should only further increase his role.\u00a0 You heard it here first:\u00a0 Jimmy will top triple digits in receptions this year.\u00a0 Jimmy and Gronk are in a class by themselves.<\/p>\n 3.\u00a0 Jermichael Finley <\/strong>(55\/767\/8).\u00a0 Jermichael was finally healthy for an entire season, and backed it up with some solid numbers.\u00a0 Although there are several TEs that had more productivity in 2011, 2012 is all about projecting baby\u2026and the Machine likes what Jermichael\u2019s selling\u2026we also like saying Jermichael, it\u2019s right up there as one of the top made up names that begin with \u201cJer\u201d (a close second to Jermajesty Jackson).\u00a0 Anyway, Jermichael, if healthy, should shine in 2012.\u00a0 With Donald Driver taking on even less of a role, Jermichael is definitely the #2 passing option behind Greg Jennings.\u00a0 And, because the Packers rotate so many WRs in and out, he\u2019s going to be on the field more than Jordy Nelson or James Jones, leading to more balls going his way on a consistent basis.\u00a0 Certainly not on the level of Gronk or Graham (now is where you start drafting a TE in Round 5) look for Jermichael to have a dramatic increase in production, surprising many, but not the Machine or its loyal fan base.<\/p>\n 4.\u00a0 Jason Witten <\/strong>(79\/942\/5).\u00a0 You simply can\u2019t go wrong with Witten on your team.\u00a0 What\u2019s not to like about him (except that he\u2019s a Cowboy)?\u00a0 He puts up consistently solid numbers, has only missed one game his entire career (and that was back in 2005) and he\u2019s Tony Romo\u2019s best friend.\u00a0 That bromance leads to action (on the field of course).\u00a0 While his numbers were down compared to the two previous seasons where he caught 94 balls and had 1,000+ yards each year, he\u2019s still Tony\u2019s \u201croommate\u201d on road trips, and that close, plutonic bond should continue to produce solid fantasy numbers, and whispers in the locker room.<\/p>\n 5.\u00a0 Vernon Davis<\/strong> (67\/792\/6).\u00a0 Vernon blurs the distinction between TE and WR, probably more so than anyone on this list.\u00a0 Not just because he has the speed and route running ability of a WR along with the power of a TE on his chiseled 6\u20193\u201d, 250 lb frame, but also because he\u2019s a diva, which is traditionally reserved only for WRs.\u00a0 Sorry Vernon, but there\u2019s no crying in football, unless you\u2019re Dick Vermeil or a WR, and Vernon\u2019s post-game crying after catching the winning touchdown against the Saints is more T.O. than Vermeil.\u00a0 Don\u2019t forget he was banished to the locker room DURING A GAME.\u00a0 Also, do a google image search for Vernon Davis and you\u2019ll see just how into himself he is\u2026either that, or he doesn\u2019t realize he has enough money to buy a shirt.\u00a0 While this would normally get him top diva honors on most teams, Vernon ranks #3 on the niners in that regard (behind Randy Moss and wanna-be Randy Moss Michael Crabtree).\u00a0 Whatever, you\u2019re not drafting for personality, you\u2019re drafting for results, and although Vernon had career lows in receptions, yards, and tds in 2011, he\u2019s still the best receiver (and athlete) on the 49ers offense, and even with Alex Smith at the helm, Vernon should get his.\u00a0 Look for Vernon to get back to his usual stats, roughly high 70\u2019s\/900\/10.<\/p>\n 6.\u00a0 Brandon Pettigrew<\/strong> (83\/777\/5).\u00a0 The Machine is a big Pettigrew fan.\u00a0 He had a banner 2011, with career highs in receptions, yards, and tds.\u00a0 He has the talent to be a top 3 TE.\u00a0 The only thing holding him back is Megatron, who (rightfully) is the first, second, and third option, especially in the red zone.\u00a0 From a fantasy perspective, this makes it unlikely for Brandon to crack double digit tds, which is what separates the great from the good.\u00a0 Still, there\u2019s plenty of balls for him to catch in that offense, and he seems to have developed good chemistry with Stafford.<\/p>\n 7.\u00a0 Jermaine Gresham<\/strong> (56\/596\/6).\u00a0 Jermaine should improve upon his 2011 stats.\u00a0 With Jerome Simpson no longer flipping over folks (or slinging the rock) in Cincinnati, Gresham becomes the #2 passing option behind dynamo A.J. Green.\u00a0 One knock on Jermaine is durability\u2026he\u2019s yet to play a full season.\u00a0 If healthy, the sky\u2019s the limit.\u00a0 There\u2019s a good, young, offensive nucleus in Cincy, think of them as a poor man\u2019s Detroit Lions (did you ever think you\u2019d say that?).\u00a0 What this amounts to is greater involvement, and production, from Jermaine.<\/p>\n 8.\u00a0 Tony Gonzalez<\/strong> (80\/875\/7).\u00a0 At age 97 (ok 36 but still that\u2019s fucking old for a TE) you would think Tony would break down by now.\u00a0 I get it.\u00a0 He\u2019s old.\u00a0 How old?\u00a0 Well, when he came into the league (1997), the Machine was in college, Bill Clinton had yet to be blown by Monica (we think), and the number one song was Mo Money Mo Problems.\u00a0 That\u2019s how old Gonzo is.\u00a0 However, the dude doesn\u2019t break down.\u00a0 Out of a possible 240 regular season games, he\u2019s played in 238.\u00a0 And he hasn\u2019t slowed down like so many of his contemporaries.\u00a0 He\u2019s been with Atlanta for three years, and has averaged 77\/799\/6.\u00a0 Oh, and he hasn\u2019t missed a game as a Falcon.\u00a0 Look for Tony go have a 2012 similar to his three year average.\u00a0 Not bad for a dude born during the Carter administration.<\/p>\n 9.\u00a0 Antonio Gates<\/strong> (64\/778\/7).\u00a0 For sure the best undrafted TE of all-time, for years Antonio has been at the top of the fantasy TE list.\u00a0 However, although he\u2019s 4 years his junior, Antonio is the anti-Tony Gonzalez.\u00a0 Injuries have taken toll (he hasn\u2019t played a full season since 2009), and Antonio should no longer be thought of as a top flight TE.\u00a0 Notwithstanding, he\u2019s still a good TE and, when healthy, a very productive one.\u00a0 The Machine sees him coming into the twilight of his career.\u00a0 Age, plus injury concerns, means you\u2019ll soon be talking about the games on Sunday instead of playing in them.<\/p>\n 10.\u00a0 Aaron Hernandez<\/strong> (79\/910\/7).\u00a0 Hernandez not only bookends the Patriots on this list (something that before last year would be unheard of) but he rounds out the solid class of 2010 TEs, along with Gronk, Jimmy, and Jermaine.\u00a0 He makes the Top 10 even though he\u2019s the #2 TE on his team (again, something that\u2019s unheard of).\u00a0 Don\u2019t let that scare you too much.\u00a0 The Patriots do things differently because they can, and Hernandez is in line to put up solid numbers again.\u00a0 He hasn\u2019t played a full season yet, and that\u2019s pause for some concern, but Tom Brady loves to spread the ball around, so, if healthy, he should have no problems putting up solid numbers.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" People ask the Machine all the time:\u00a0 when should I draft a TE?\u00a0 The answer, much like the answer to \u201cis she hot\u201d and \u201cdo you think I have a shot\u201d is:\u00a0 it depends.\u00a0 Most Fantasy Football \u201cexperts\u201d will tell … Continue reading