When a fantasy football player prepares for his draft, it’s a guarantee that certain positions are given priority. You’ll almost never hear of anyone ever getting past the first three rounds without taking at least one running back, for instance...
Then, there are other positions (like team defense and kickers) that he may not consider at all and simply grab whomever is left in the final two rounds in order to fill up his roster.
However, it’s difficult to categorize the tight end position because it can often be one of the most unpredictable in football. Even if you own one of the top three (Tony Gonzales, Antonio Gates or Jason Witten), you will still experience the non-productive week (two catches for 20 yards, for example) that leaves you baffled. In short, not many people have a game plan regarding tight ends because they can be difficult to depend on week to week.
Owen Daniels turned in a career season last year in terms of receptions (70) and yards (862), but his touchdown total (2) was his lowest yet. Chris Cooley experienced the exact same scenario with his 83 receptions for 849 yards, both representing career highs for him, but he only scored once.
Despite their low scoring totals, both Daniels and Cooley are firmly entrenched in fantasy’s "second tier" of tight ends and will be sought by every owner in your league who doesn’t own one of the Big Three.
The question is, though, which guy should you want more and when do you select him?
REDRAFT CONSIDERATIONS:
Daniels plays in Houston and his situation is equal parts Curse and Blessing. On the one hand, he shares opportunities with mega-star receiver Andre Johnson and hotshot running back Steve Slaton, so he is almost never the primary target. On the other hand, defenses need to concern themselves to a high degree with his supporting cast, so Daniels can often find areas to exploit. While nothing will change for him this season, it’s worth noting that he has shown he is capable of assuming a big part of the workload as he did when Johnson was injured during 2007. He garnered over half his receptions total (63) that year in those seven games the wide receiver missed, so you can feel confident that he'll do it again if the injury bug bites. He’s worth spending a pick in an area where you would normally select a WR3 (the fifth or sixth round).
Cooley, on the other hand, has been Washington’s leading receiver in each of the past three years. His problems come in a different form, as he plays in an offense dominated by the run (the Redskins have averaged 492 rushing attempts per season in each of Cooley’s five years as a pro.) He also has to deal with the sometimes erratic Jason Campbell as his quarterback. To top everything off, the three teams he plays the most (New York Giants, Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles) all ranked within the top ten in the league against the pass. In spite of all of these obstacles though, the keen fantasy football enthusiast (one wonders if he drafts himself in the leagues he plays in and, if so, does he ever sit himself when he’s not feeling well) has managed to thrive and 2009 should be no different. In PPR leagues, you have to take Cooley around the fifth round to be safe, but he’ll produce better than many a WR2 taken there, anyway.
KEEPER/DYNASTY CONSIDERATIONS:
Daniels will turn 27 during the season and has not even entered his prime yet. This alone ups his dynasty value tremendously. However, in order to be a good long-term bet, he’s not only going to have to keep performing well, but he’ll also need the dynamics of the Texans’ offense to stay exactly as they are. Kevin Walter has shown over the past two years that he is a legitimate threat to cut into the passing offense pie. If he continues to be a wonderful complement to Johnson (and Slaton develops into the stud running back that many feel he will), then Daniels may find himself holding the short end of the stick in terms of targets, as there is only so much to go around.
Cooley will also turn 27 this year and he, too, will continue to improve. He hasn’t let Campbell’s struggles impact his numbers tremendously (the one touchdown year is probably a fluke), so if the Redskins do eventually bring in someone more qualified, then it will be all the better for Cooley. Clinton Portis is likely to slow down over the next two years and Washington does not have a replacement for him as of yet, so Cooley may be depended upon more than ever in the near future. About the only thing that can really hinder him is if Devin Thomas and Malcolm Kelly secure firm roles in the passing game. Unless that happens, though, Cooley has a very good chance to be considered an elite tight end soon.
BOTTOM LINE:
Here’s a partial list of wide receivers that both Daniels and Cooley surpassed last season in total receptions: Terrell Owens, Randy Moss and Laveranues Coles.
Either Daniels or Cooley will be a value pick for you as they should both outperform a number of WR2 candidates taken before them. You should be targeting them the heaviest in PPR leagues, though.
The lack of competition makes Cooley the better selection, now and for the future (provided he brings his scoring back up to previous levels). Daniels, however, would still be a nice consolation prize.
REDRAFT EDGE: Cooley
+++++
KEEPER/DYNASTY EDGE: Cooley
+++++
Like This? Thread The Needle Archives.