- Bengals rookie running back Giovani Bernard had only 22 yards on 13 carries but added five catches for 51 yards. He’ll be bordering a RB1 heading in to 2014.
- Ravens tight end Dennis Pitta led the Ravens in targets (11), catches (8), and yards (63). Pitta has made an amazing comeback after a severe hip injury early in the season. He’ll be a top ten dynasty tight end in 2014.
- Bengals receiver Marvin Jones had five catches for 61 yards and a touchdown, capping an impressive 2013. He’ll most likely be the second receiver behind A.J. Green in Cincinnati next year and could be an intriguing prospect
- Ravens safety Matt Elam had 10 more tackles to cap off a nice three game stretch to end the year. His 26 tackles, tackle for a loss, and interception in those three games bodes well for 2014.
Tag Archives: dennis pitta
Updated Dynasty Tight End Rankings – December
Be sure to check out our latest dynasty tight end rankings here.
- No changes in the top 11.
- The big risers this month were Dennis Pitta (15), returning from injury, and Ladarius Green (17), who was more involved in the San Diego game plan late in the season. Both are young and good and should be even higher heading in to 2014.
- The big fallers were Jermichael Finley (14), with questions lingering on how soon he’ll return, and Tony Gonzalez (24), who swears this is it. I’ll believe it when I see it.
- Youngsters Charles Clay (37) and Tim Wright (29) enter the list thanks to injuries on their teams giving them an opportunity. Wright has more of a chance at sticking around with no clear answer in Tampa.
Dynasty Recap – Week 14 Recap – Ravens edge Vikings, 29-26
- Vikings rookie receiver Cordarrelle Patterson had his best game as a pro, going for 141 yards on five catches and a touchdown. He also added 111 kick return yards. Patterson appears to be the real deal and, with noting to play for, the Vikings could finally unleash his talent.
- Ravens tight end Dennis Pitta made a strong comeback from a hip injury with six catches for 48 yards and a touchdown. He also tied for the team lead in targets with 11. Pitta’s injury obviously hasn’t hampered his role in the offense. He should climb back up the dynasty tight end rankings soon.
- Vikings linebacker Audie Cole continued his surprisingly good play in the middle with 13 more tackles. In the three games he’s played since taking over for Erin Henderson, Cole has racked up 35 tackles, a sack, two tackles for a loss and a pass defended. It’s very possible Cole ends up with the job next year as the Vikings have much bigger holes to fill.
Daily Dynasty Update – November 21st
- The Raiders will start Matt McGloin at quarterback this Sunday. McGloin may still be available in a lot of leagues so it doesn’t hurt to get another commodity at the position, especially in two-quarterback leagues.
- Redskins receiver Leonard Hankerson is having surgery to repair his LCL and is done for the season. It’s too bad because Hankerson has ability but in a run-first offense and now the third passing option at best, Hankerson’s prospects in Washington didn’t look bright. He can be dropped.
- Colts rookie linebacker Bjoern Werner will start at linebacker this week over suspended linebacker Erk Walden. Hopefully the first round pick can shine in a golden opportunity.
- Ravens tight end Dennis Pitta will resume practicing which is great news. Hopefully Pitta can be back in time for 2014 and continue on a very promising career.
Daily Dynasty Football Update – July 29th
Training camp is kicking into high gear. Let’s see what we got:
- Of course, the season-ending injuries to Jeremy Maclin and Dennis Pitta were the big stories. We looked at what they mean, fantasy-wise, here.
- Vance McDonald looks to get a good look in the pre-season to determine what his role will be early on. We looked at McDonald’s long-term prospects here. With a good, young offense and the mentoring of one of the best, the situation is ideal for McDonald to become an asset in dynasty leagues.
- Kevin Kolb got more first-string snaps early on but E.J. Manual had his share. He’ll be given every opportunity to win the job so draft accordingly.
- Jake Locker looked shaky in the beginning of camp but has picked it up. With a finite supply of starting quarterbacks, this is good news for those forced to roll with Locker as a backup.
- Zach Ertz is also off to a good start. While, at first glance, it didn’t look like there’d be a place for Ertz, his receiving ability is too good to ignore. And with the same finite options as quarterback, drafting a quality tight end with promise is crucial. Ertz is a full-go in dynasty leagues.
Remember, if you’re able to read this, it’s the best day ever.
Dennis Pitta, Jeremy Maclin out for the year
First it was Jeremy Maclin then Dennis Pitta. Maclin to a torn ACL and Pitta to a dislocated hip. The dynasty analysis:
- Dennis Pitta – Pitta was ranked no later than six in dynasty rankings. With Anquan Boldin traded, Pitta was in line for a ton of targets and receptions. And with the lack of reliable tight end targets around the league, could have even improved his dynasty draft ranking. Now Pitta has a fractured hip which is not all that dissimilar from what Bo Jackson had which ended his career. In fact, two of the eight players with the same type of injury had their careers ended because of it. Needless to say, there’s little reason to draft Pitta unless you have some sort of injured reserve in your leagues. Ed Dickson will improve on his 44th dynasty ranking. He did have a respectable 54/528/5 line in his only season as a starter but that will probably be the ceiling for him.
- Jeremy Maclin – Maclin was ranked 25th in dynasty rankings heading into the season (and a contract year) before tearing his ACL. 25th may have been high seeing as Chip Kelly goes run-first and the quarterback question is still up in the air. But showing glimpses of talent, being the #1 target on a team and at just 25 years old, Maclin still made a good investment in dynasty leagues. However, now he’ll have to wait until his age-26 season and find a team willing to take a chance. For the Eagles this year, Riley Cooper will take over. If a player of Maclin’s ability produced no more than 66 yards a game over four years, I don’t know that Cooper can do much more.
Who’s the third best tight end in dynasty fantasy football?
Jimmy Graham and Rob Gronkowski are the two best tight ends in football. Fantasy football, real football, dynasty football, Madden football.
After those two, however, is a considerable debate. If you average together rankings from Pro Football Focus and Dynasty Warehouse you see a group of four players that are clearly ranked ahead of the pack: Kyle Rudolph, Jason Witten, Vernon Davis and Dennis Pitta (click here to see the whole list!). Let’s look at a couple different angles:
- Age – Since you’re in a dynasty league there is a premium on age. Rudolph (24) would win that battle as he has four years on the next tight end in the group, Dennis Pitta (28), followed by VD (29) and Witten (31). However, youth also means inexperience and there is no guarantee that Rudolph will fulfill the lofty expectations he has. Personally, I need to see results before I’m convinced. Rudolph’s line of 53/493/9 is comparable to Rob Gronkowski (55/790/11). The only difference is Gronk did it in five fewer games. The lack of production may or may not be a result of Christian Ponder’s poor play but the bottom line is Ponder is back for another year which means Rudolph’s potential is limited.
- Targets – Dennis Pitta broke out last year (as evidenced by me taking him in round 20 or later) to the tune of 61/669/11. Offseason reports indicate it’ll only get better. With the departure of Anquan Boldin and his 112 (!) targets, Joe Flacco is going to have to spread the ball around. Even, if you were to divvy up the targets evenly among the 11 players that caught a pass from Flacco in 2012, Pitta’s in line for 10 more targets and 6-7 more catches this year. However, that’s assuming defenses don’t pay more attention to Pitta which they most certainly will. Additionally, without another receiver to take the heat off the middle of the field like Boldin did so well, linebackers are going to zero in on Pitta. I go back to my thoughts about Rudolph and want to see more before I’m convinced.
- QB Upgrade – While Kyle Rudolph is still a year or two away from an upgrade, Vernon Davis finally got one last year in Colin Kaepernick. Now, you could argue that VD performed well despite the lack of arm strength from Alex Smith. In fact, he was awesome: 2009-78/965/13; 2010-56/914/7; 2011-67/792/6. However, you also see a downward trend that coincides with Michael Crabtree’s rise: 2009-48/625/2; 2010-55/741/6; 2011-72/874/4. This all led to a 2012 that saw VD with 41 catches on 61 targets compared to Crabtree’s 85 catches on 126 targets. Things looked dire (fantasy-wise) for VD with the trade of Anquan Boldin but with Crabtree’s injury, we’re still back where we were last year. As a 49er fan, I hope the trend doesn’t continue but unless they make a concerted effort to get Davis the ball, I just don’t see him getting back to 2009-2010 level.
- Verdict – If I had to pick one out of this group to go with it’d be Jason Witten. Since his breakout, age-25-30 seasons started in 2007, he’s averaged 92/1018/5. Looking ahead, I think a fair comparison is Tony Gonzales (76/945/6 in his 25-30 years old seasons) , who’s still chugging along at age 37. Since turning 31, Gonzales has averaged ONLY 84/877/7. Hypothetically, this gives Witten five years of 84/877/7. And the fact that Tony Romo and his gun-slinging ways aren’t going anywhere, I think you the stability needed to continue a great career.
Dynasty Fantasy Football Central 