2010 TE2 Value Analysis

I'm going to highlight a few guys you should keep an eye on with a flier TE2 pick rather than list everyone:

Greg Olsen - It's good to see fantasy nation being smart this year.  Mike Martz kills the fantasy value of TEs because he simply values them far more as a blocker than a receiver.  Olsen is solely a backup, but his talent is worth a late round flier to see if he can buck the trend.

Dustin Keller - He's a very good young pass catcher at the TE spot, but with the run-first offense combined with the acquisition of Santonio Holmes, there simply won't be enough targets for him to consistently be a fantasy producer.  Still, like Olsen, his talent is good enough for a stash.

John Carlson - I'm a big fan of Carlson this year, but I think he's better as a backup to mitigate the risk.  He's a very talented pass catcher, but he was mostly used as a blocker last year.  With a lower price tag this season, I think Carlson could turn into a TE1 as Carroll will definitely use him more as a receiver after signing Chris Baker to handle blocking duties.  He's an ideal TE2.

Heath Miller - He's being buried in drafts this year, but he had a very solid 2009 season.  He'll probably start slow until Ben Roethlisberger returns, but he could be valuable depth after that.  He's a good stash.

Ben Watson - Watson continuously disappointed in New England despite excellent talent, drawing ire from scouts saying that he's simply not a very good football player.  However, he's landed on a team that has very little in terms of receiving talent, and someone will have to catch the ball.  He's worth an end-of-draft flier to see if the light turns on for him thanks to a lack of better receiving options.

Tony Scheffler - Scheffler got buried last season by Josh McDaniels whose offense simply does not use the TE much.  Detroit traded for him, and while Brandon Pettigrew remains a threat for snaps, I don't think they acquired him to sit on the bench.  He's projects more as a slot receiver in Detroit's improved offense, and he could re-emerge as a fantasy threat like he did in Denver during Cutler's final season there.  He's another solid TE2 stash.