Don't sleep on San Diego Charger Patrick Crayton this week

When the Kansas City Chiefs give up a combined 89 points to Buffalo and Detroit and then have to travel to AFC West rival San Diego for a Week 3 contest, all of us that have Charger fantasy studs are salivating.

COMMENTS

Antonio Gates Schooled By Bill Belichick; Held Catchless In Loss

San Diego's Star tight end gets schooled by the New England Patriots' coach

Antonio Gates is one of the best tight ends in the league. Unless, that is, he's going up against Bill Belichick's Patriots defense.

COMMENTS

Fantasy Football: Tight Ends Deeper Than Ever

This year’s crop of tight ends is, without a doubt, the deepest in fantasy football history.

The undisputed heavyweight champion continues to be Antonio Gates, who has scored eight or more TDs in each of the last seven seasons and topped 900 yards five times — which doesn’t include the 782 yards he amassed in 10 games last season (his first year with fewer than 15 games played). On draft day, value Gates as a top-10 WR option who happens to qualify at TE.

Physical freaks such as Vernon Davis, Brandon Pettigrew and Jermichael Finley have shown signs of Gates-like (or Gates Lite) potential. Over the past two seasons, Davis has been Gates’ equal statistically — with 1,879 yards and 20 TDs to Gates’ 1,939 yards and 18 TDs — despite being drafted several rounds lower on average. But the workout warrior’s first three seasons combined (1,132 yards and nine TDs from 2006-08) produced numbers Gates can match in one All-Pro year.

On the surface, old reliables like Dallas Clark, Jason Witten and Tony Gonzalez seem safer than the young guns. But keep in mind that last year Clark played just six games (wrist), and Gonzo had his worst season since 1998. Witten, however, posted his fourth straight 950-plus-yard year with a career high nine TDs.

After those first seven are off the board, you can afford to wait a few rounds before debating on taking one-half of the Patriots’ second-year two-headed monster — Aaron Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski (a.k.a. Aarob Hernankowski) — or one of the power forward-framed upsiders — 6'6", 260-pounder Jimmy Graham (a Drew Brees favorite) and 6'6", 275-pounder Marcedes Lewis (10 TDs in ’10, 7 combined from ’06-09).

If a proven track record is more your style, keep waiting. There’s always Zach Miller and Chris Cooley, who both have quarterback concerns; or Owen Daniels and Kellen Winslow, who each have had injury issues. Further emphasizing the seemingly bottomless pool of this year’s tight end talent, there is a mix of breakout candidates — Dustin Keller, Jermaine Gresham, Tony Moeaki, Jared Cook and Kyle Rudolph — and familiar faces — Heath Miller, Benjamin Watson, Kevin Boss, Greg Olsen and Visanthe Shiancoe.

The tight end class is loaded. Pick a few options from each tier and then see how the draft plays out. Savvy drafters should get excellent value on a tight end with Pro Bowl (and fantasy stud) potential this year. Or, you can always just play it safe, take Antonio Gates in the third round and let everyone else in the room sweat it out.

What to do with Gronkowski and Hernandez
There is no reason both Patriots tight ends can’t be fantasy starters. They are different players. Hernandez is a better athlete with more ability in the open field, while “The Gronk” is a better blocker and plays a more traditional tight end role. So who should you draft first? It probably depends on your scoring system. They will be on the field together much of the year, with Hernandez lined up in the slot more on passing downs. He’s the better space player, so look for him to get more targets and therefore receptions and yards.

But look for Gronkowski to get the red zone and play-action targets, as the more physical player should be on the field more on running downs. Adjust your rankings to your scoring system accordingly.

— Braden Gall @AthlonBraden on Twitter

THIS WEEK'S POSITIONAL STORIES: QB • RB • WR • TE • K • DST

More Fantasy Football Cheat Sheets and Rankings:
2011 Fantasy Football Rankings: Top 280
2011 Fantasy Football Rankings: Top 240 w/ IDPs
2 011 Fantasy Football Rankings: Quarterbacks
2 011 Fantasy Football Rankings: Running Backs
2011 Fantasy Football Rankings: Wide Receivers
2011 Fantasy Football Rankings: Tight Ends
2011 Fantasy Football Rankings: Kickers
2011 Fantasy Football Rankings: Defense/Special Teams

COMMENTS

Fantasy Football: Top 12 Injury Concerns

Athlon Sports looks at the top 12 injury concerns overall and by position for the 2011 fantasy football season. These are 48 guys that may concern you in your draft preparation, and that you may be able to get as a steal due to their injury history or may go much sooner than they should because of that history.

• Overall
1. Matthew Stafford, DET, QB
Burly, strong-armed passer has played in only 13 of his possible 32 career games.

2. Frank Gore, SF, RB
Has not played 16 games in a season since his second year in 2006.

3. Maurice Jones-Drew, JAC, RB
Battled through injuries last season and underwent arthroscopic knee surgery in January.

4. Michael Vick, PHI, QB
Dynamic dual-threat who takes a beating has played in 16 games only once in his career.

5. Austin Collie, IND, WR
A thumb injury, multiple concussions, and his role in the slot make him a risky pick.

6. Owen Daniels, HOU, TE
Has missed 13 games over the last two seasons with serious injuries.

7. Antonio Gates, SD, TE
Chronic foot issues have bothered him for years; finally cost him six games last fall.

8. Joseph Addai, IND, RB
Has missed 13 games over the last three seasons for a team that doesn’t look to run often.

9. DeAngelo Williams, CAR, RB
A serious foot injury cost him most of 2010. He missed three games in 2009 as well.

10. Ryan Grant, GB, RB
Upright runner saw his 2010 end after eight carries with a season-ending ankle injury.

11. Steve Smith, PHI, WR
May start the season on the PUP list while recovering from microfracture knee surgery.

12. Sidney Rice, MIN, WR
Hip injury forced Rice to miss all but six games last season following breakout 2009.

• Quarterbacks
1. Matthew Stafford, DET
Burly, strong-armed passer has played in only 13 of his possible 32 career games — missing all but three contests last season.

2. Michael Vick, PHI
Dynamic dual-threat who takes a beating. Vick has played in all 16 games only once in his career (2006).

3. Peyton Manning, IND
Has had neck sugery in each of the past two offseasons. Colts might not be concerned — but fantasy owners should be.

4. Matt Hasselbeck, TEN
Has missed 12 games over the last three years, and he turns 36 in September.

5. Alex Smith, SF
Has averaged fewer than 10 games per season over the last three years.

6. David Garrard, JAC
His 216 carries over the last three years will begin to take a toll at some point — it cost him two games in 2010.

7. Tarvaris Jackson, SEA
Injuries interfered with his opportunities last fall, and the five projected starters on the O-line have never played together.

8. Tony Romo, DAL
Porous O-line could keep Romo running for his life after missing most of 2010 to a broken collarbone.

9. Jay Cutler, CHI
Takes chances, and his mental toughness was questioned in the playoffs a year ago.

10. Chad Henne, MIA
Has never started a full season in the NFL, due to injuries and ineffectiveness.

11. Christian Ponder, MIN
Suffered shoulder and elbow injuries in college; might not get much protection from his O-line this fall — if he plays at all.

12. Matt Schaub, HOU
Injury issues could be a thing of the past, but he missed 10 games in 2007-08.

• Running Backs
1. Frank Gore, SF
Suffered hip injury in Week 12 last season; had two knee injuries during his college days at Miami.

2. Maurice Jones-Drew, JAC
Battled through injuries last season and underwent arthroscopic knee surgery in January.

3. Joseph Addai, IND
Has missed 13 games over the last three seasons for a team that doesn’t look to run often.

4. DeAngelo Williams, CAR
A serious foot injury cost him most of 2010. He missed three games in 2009 as well.

5. Ryan Grant, GB
Upright runner saw his 2010 end after eight carries due to a season-ending ankle injury.

6. Pierre Thomas, NO
Ankle injury cost him 10 games last fall. Arrival of Mark Ingram crowds the backfield.

7. Ahmad Bradshaw, NYG
Nagging ankle injury required offseason surgery for the smallish second-year starter.

8. Ronnie Brown, PHI
Alternates healthy and injured years: seven games (2007), 16 games (’08), nine games (’09) and 16 games (’10).

9. Montario Hardesty, CLE
Recovering from a torn ACL that caused him to miss the entire 2010 season.

10. Beanie Wells, ARI
Battled injuries at Ohio State, and that trend continued last fall with a knee issue.

• Wide Receivers
1. Austin Collie, IND
A thumb injury, multiple concussions — in both November and December 2010 — as well as his role in the slot make him a risky pick.

2. Steve Smith, PHI
May start the season on the PUP list while recovering from microfracture knee surgery.

3. Sidney Rice, SEA
Hip injury forced Rice to miss all but six games last year following a breakout 2009 season.

4. Danario Alexander/Donnie Avery/ Mark Clayton, STL
Each of these Rams has dealt with major injuries over the past few seasons.

5. Arrelious Benn, TB
All signs point to him being healthy for the start of the season after rehabbing a torn ACL.

6. Marques Colston, NO
Appears to be struggling to get healthy after undergoing offseason knee surgery. He missed five games in 2008 as well.

7. Dez Bryant, DAL
Season ended with a fractured ankle last fall, but he appears ready to go in 2011. Bryant is also a concern off the field.

8. Percy Harvin, MIN
Migraine headaches have cost Harvin a handful of games the last few seasons; he also has a history of hamstring and ankle issues.

9. Michael Crabtree, SF
Injuries continue to plague the former first-round pick, who is battling an injury this training camp as well.

10. Wes Welker, NE
Healed from ACL injury in 2009, but he gets hit a lot near the line of scrimmage.

11. DeSean Jackson, PHI
Brittle, smallish player has missed time in each of the last two seasons.

12. Jerricho Cotchery, PIT
Offseason back surgery and declining numbers add doubt to his value in 2011.

• Tight Ends
1. Owen Daniels, HOU
Has missed 13 games over the last two seasons with serious injuries.

2. Antonio Gates, SD
Chronic foot problems have bothered Gates for years and cost him six games last fall.

3. Dallas Clark, IND
A season-ending wrist injury slowed one of the most physical tight ends in the league.

4. Jermichael Finley, GB
A season-ending knee injury in Week 5 cut short what was looking like a breakout season.

5. Todd Heap, ARI
Missed three games in 2010, and he turned 31 in March.

6. Heath Miller, PIT
Has missed two games in two of the last three seasons.

7. Kyle Rudolph, MIN
Rookie missed significant time over his final two seasons at Notre Dame due to hamstring and shoulder issues.

8. Jeremy Shockey, CAR
The 10th-year vet has missed 10 games over the last three seasons.

9. Jermaine Gresham, CIN
Suffered ACL injuries in high school (2005) and at Oklahoma (2009).

10. Chris Cooley, WAS
Workhorse bounced back last season after missing nine games in 2009, but is battling injuries in camp already.

11. Tony Moeaki, KC
Missed time in each of his final two seasons at Iowa and one game last season in Kansas City. Was on PUP list at outset of camp.

12. Tony Gonzalez, ATL
Has played at least 15 games in all 14 NFL seasons, but Gonzalez turned 35 in February.

COMMENTS

Fantasy Football: Breaking down the San Diego Chargers

San Diego Chargers Fantasy

SAN DIEGO
• Inside the Locker Room
With Bernie Wilson of the Associated Press

Were the fantasy expectations too high for Ryan Mathews last season?
No. He came in as the heir apparent to LaDainian Tomlinson after leading the nation in rushing during his final season at Fresno State. There was talk about his fresh legs and explosiveness compared to L.T.’s final few seasons. The Chargers said there wouldn’t be a lot of pressure on him to carry too much of the load because of their established passing game with Philip Rivers. An ankle injury and some fumblitis slowed Mathews, as well as his lack of experience picking up blitzes. Mathews had a strong finish to 2010 by rushing for 120 yards and three touchdowns on 26 carries in a win at Denver, so that alone is a sign that Year No. 2 should be better.

San Diego’s backup RB has always been a hot commodity for fantasy players. Who’s the standout No. 2?
Mike Tolbert for sure. Tolbert established himself as a power inside runner last season and carried the running game while Mathews developed. Tolbert had some fumble issues, especially inside the red zone, something that drove coach Norv Turner crazy. If he can hang onto the ball, he should be solid.

How much better can Philip Rivers’ numbers get in 2011?
He can certainly challenge Dan Marino’s single-season record of 5,084 yards, especially if Vincent Jackson returns and plays the whole season, and if Antonio Gates is healthy. Rivers led the NFL with the 10th-highest total ever, 4,710, despite a constantly rotating cast of receivers that didn’t include Jackson for the first 10 games and Gates for much of the season’s second half.

What’s the most intriguing question regarding fantasy football and this team in your opinion?
Whether Gates can make a full recovery from the painful torn plantar fascia that cost him significant playing time last year. Based on past history, Gates should be OK. Gates had the right approach with his injury, not wanting to put the team in jeopardy by trying to play hurt and then being ineffective and making his foot worse.

• Fantasy Playoff Run — Weeks 14-16: BUF, BAL, @DET
Two games at home against teams coming from the East coast is a good start to the fantasy postseason. Rivers is a spectacular December QB, throwing for over 5,200 yards, 40 TDs and only 14 interceptions in his seven-year career during the month. Gates owners should be a little wary as Baltimore and Detroit were sixth and fifth against TEs last season. He opens against a Buffalo team ranked 31st against the position.

• Athlon Best Bets
Sleeper: Vincent Brown, WR
Deep-Sleeper: Jordan Todman, RB
Overvalued: Mike Tolbert, RB
Top Rookie: Vincent Brown, WR
Bounce-Back: Ryan Mathews, RB
Top IDP: Eric Weddle, DB

• Try to Avoid
Patrick Crayton, WR
After scoring at least four TDs in four straight seasons with the Cowboys, Crayton managed only one score (on just 28 catches) in his first season on a talented, and for most of the season a Vincent Jackson-less San Diego offense.
WAIT UNTIL: 20th RD

• Draft Class Fantasy Impact
Even though Philip Rivers is coming off a career-high 4,710 passing yards, the Chargers gave him more weapons to use in 2011. Brown should be the team’s long-term option as the No. 2 receiver, but he will compete with Patrick Crayton and Malcom Floyd for playing time in 2011. Consider Brown a late-round sleeper pick in redraft leagues. Todman will be the No. 3 back but could be a valuable waiver pickup in case of injury to Ryan Mathews or Mike Tolbert.