By John Sarianides

The tight end position has become even more valuable in recent years thanks to the emergence of several receiver first tight ends that are piling up big numbers. 

Tight ends have value in both standard and PPR scoring leagues because they are targeted in the red zone now more than ever. 

Gone are the days when you took a tight end in the later rounds. Now you want to take one by the fifth round or you may miss out. 

Here are my pre season top 20 tight ends.

1. Rob Gronkowski, Patriots: Gronkowski continues to be the standard bearer at the position but injuries continue to derail his career. He only played in eight games last season. As a result, some fantasy owners will stay away from him which means he can be had in the 3rd or 4th round of drafts.

Don’t let the Patriots off-season shopping spree scare you away. Gronkowski will still be one of Tom Brady’s top targets and if healthy, he will pile up the numbers. 

2. Travis Kelce, Chiefs: With Jeremy Maclin gone, Kelce will become the Chiefs top target in the passing game. Gronk 2.0 is a match up nightmare for defensive coordinators because of his ability to line up anywhere in a formation and separate after the catch. Kelce could top his 85/1,125/4 line from last season. He will score more than four touchdowns.

3. Jordan Reed, Redskins: Reed will be overvalued in fantasy drafts and as a result will go earlier in drafts than he should. Reed had a solid 2016 campaign finishing with 66 catches for 686 yards and 6 touchdowns. In theory he should top those numbers in 2017 given the fact that DeSean Jackson is gone but I don’t think he will. 

I expect Reed to put up similar numbers but to think he will top them is wishful thinking. The Redskins still have Jamison Crowder, Josh Doctson, Vernon Davis and they signed Terrelle Pryor. There are still plenty of mouthes to feed in D.C.

4. Tyler Eifert, Bengals: Eifert is just as maddening as Rob Gronkowski because he can’t stay healthy either. Eifert is one of the top red zone targets in the NFL, when he’s on the field. 

The potential is there for Eifert to catch 70 passes and score 8 plus touchdowns but again, he needs to stay healthy. 

5. Greg Olson, Panthers: Mr. Consistency is the one constant in the Panthers passing game. Olson caught 80 passes for 1,073 yards last season. He only caught 3 touchdown passes last season which was a major disappointment for all of the fantasy owners out there who overvalued him and took him early. 

Moving forward, Olson might have more value in PPR leagues than standard scoring leagues.

6. Jimmy Graham, Seahawks: The forgotten man at the tight end position. People forget that this guy was a top ten pick in fantasy drafts in 2014. 

Graham put up solid numbers in 2016 catching 65 passes for 923 yards and 6 touchdowns. Sure, those aren’t the numbers we were accustomed to seeing in New Orleans but that is still a pretty good stat line. 

If you are willing to wait until the 5th or 6th round to take a tight end, you might be able to get Graham. Especially in a ten team league.

7. Delanie Walker, Titans: Walker was great last season as Marcus Mariota’s top target catching 65 passes for 800 yards and 7 touchdowns. Walker won’t be as much of a focal point this season thanks to a revamped Titans receiving corp but he should still put up good numbers in an offense that will emphasize the pass more.

8. Martellus Bennett, Packers: Bennett averaged 9.9 yards per catch last season which lead all NFL tight ends. He was terrific in his one and only season in New England. 

Now he goes from playing with Tom Brady to playing with Aaron Rodgers. Bennett’s targets will undoubtedly decrease but he will get more one on one opportunities down the middle of the field. Don’t be surprised if he exceeds his 7 touchdown receptions from a year ago. 

9. Kyle Rudolph, Vikings: I bet you didn’t know that Rudolph caught 83 passes last season. He did. Rudolph had a great season statistically. He had 800 yards receiving and scored 7 touchdowns. I don’t think he will replicate those numbers in 2017 but I still think he can be productive. If you are willing to hold off on tight end and not take one until rounds 8 or 9, you should target Rudolph. 

10. Zach Ertz, Eagles: Ertz became rookie quarterback Carson Wentz favorite target last season and as a result caught 78 balls for 816 yards. He only scored 4 touchdowns so he is not the red zone threat that other tight ends are. Ertz is a guy that I would be all over if I were in a 12 team, PPR league. He won’t score a lot but he will be targeted.

11. Hunter Henry, Chargers: Henry only played in 54% of the Chargers offensive snaps last season but he still caught 36 passes for 478 yards and 8 touchdowns. 

Antonio Gates is still Philip Rivers go to go guy with the Chargers but OC Ken Whisenhunt knows what type of player Henry is and he will once again use him the same ways he did under Mike McCoy. I would draft Henry as a potential flex. 

12. Eric Ebron, Lions: I keep waiting for Ebron to become a star and a legit TE1. It hasn’t happened yet. Ebron caught 61 passes last season for 711 yards but only scored one touchdown. He needs to be more of a difference maker both in reality and fantasy. He is too talented not to be. 

13. O.J Howard, Buccaneers: I am going all in on Howard. I think the rookie tight end will catch 40-45 passes for 500 plus yards and score 5-6 touchdowns. Howard will be a big part of the Buccaneers offense and he will get a lot of one on one match ups thanks to playing with Mike Evans and DeSean Jackson. 

14. Jack Doyle, Colts: Doyle won’t wow you with his physical attributes but he is a good player who is consistent, runs good routes and knows how to get open. He had a solid first season as the starting tight end in Indy posting a 59/584/5 stat line. Those are good numbers for a starting tight end. If you are willing to wait for a tight end later in your draft, Doyle would be a good value pick. 

15. Jason Witten, Cowboys: Witten caught 69 passes last season from a rookie quarterback. That is all you need to know. The guy is Mr. Reliable. He is still fantasy relevant despite not scoring as many touchdowns as he used to. If you are in a PPR league and willing to hold off on a tight end, you should target this saavy veteran late. 

16. C.J Fiedorowicz, Texans: Fiedorowicz emerged as the Titans number one tight end last season after catching 54 passes from Brock Osweiler and Tom Savage last season.

 Fiedorowicz is poised to exceed that number this season, especially if rookie quarterback DeShaun Watson beats out Savage. Fiedorowicz will be his security blanket. Another tight end you could take late if you don’t want to invest an early pick on the position.

17. Coby Fleener, Saints: I drafted Fleener last summer with the hope that he would be a legit number one tight end. It didn’t work out. I still like Fleener and part of me is tempted to draft him again because he plays with Drew Brees. I still think he could put up a 60/600/7 stat line if targeted. The Saints need to get him the ball more. 

18.  Zach Miller, Bears: Its hard to believe Miller is 33 years old. He has been in the league for a long time. Miller missed time with a foot injury last season but when healthy, he was productive. I don’t like Miller as a TE1 but he could be a solid TE2 or a bye week fill in. 

19. Cameron Brate, Buccaneers: Brate’s numbers will take a hit with O.J Howard now in Tampa but he will still get targeted and will still put up enough numbers to warrant drafting as a TE2. 

20. Julius Thomas, Dolphins: Thomas should be higher on this list based on his previous production. I couldn’t do it though. That being said, he has big time sleeper potential. You could either draft Thomas late as your starter or pair him up with a TE2 and play him based on the match up.