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Top 12 Fantasy TEs for 2014
Unless you're one of the fortunate owners who land Jimmy Graham, the tight end position has become a crapshoot -- and the expected retirement of Tony Gonzalez hurts depth even further. Here's an early look at how the position will break down heading into the 2014 fantasy football campaign.

Graham has emerged into the unquestioned No. 1 tight end in fantasy football, leading the position in points in consecutive seasons while also finding the end zone a combined 25 times in that span. He's the lone tight end who is worth a first- or second-round selection in standard and PPR formats.

One of the most athletic tight ends in the NFL, Thomas burst onto the scene in 2013 with career bests across the board. The 6-foot-5, 250-pounder has great size and should continue to be a popular red zone target for Peyton Manning in 2014. Thomas will be one of the top three tight ends selected.

Davis wasn't consistent at times, but he still ranked second in fantasy points among tight ends last season and has now finished in the top 10 in four of the last five seasons. There's little doubt that he'll be one of the first five tight ends selected in both standard and PPR formats in 2014.

Gronkowski has endured multiple surgeries in the last two years, including a reconstructive knee procedure that has his status for the start of the 2014 campaign in doubt. Even if he's back in time for the opener, Gronkowski will still be one of the biggest risk-reward players in fantasy drafts.

Witten will be entering his 12th NFL season, but he's shown no signs of slowing down in the stat sheets. He finished sixth in fantasy points among tight ends last season, and has now ranked no worse than eighth at his position since 2006. Witten should come off the board in the middle rounds in 2014.

Cameron was on fire in the first half of 2013, scoring eight-plus fantasy points in six of his first eight contests. He did experience a drop in production down the stretch, but Cameron still proved that he has the tools to make an impact. Let's see if the loss of Rob Chudzinski affects his value.

Reed appeared to be on pace to be a second-half fantasy superstar, as he scored nine-plus fantasy points in three of four games before he suffered a concussion and was lost for the season. He should be fine for the start of 2014, though, and will be a prime breakout candidate in fantasy leagues.

Pitta missed most of the 2013 campaign due to an injured hip, but he averaged four catches per game upon his return and could be in line for a productive season in 2014. In fact, he should be a good bet to duplicate his 2012 numbers and once again rank among the top 10 tight ends in fantasy football.

You might not know it, but Olsen has finished among the 10 best tight ends in fantasy football three times in the last five seasons. That includes a 2013 campaign that saw him finish with 816 yards and career bests in receptions and fantasy points. Consider Olsen a mid- to low-end fantasy starter.

The loss of Dustin Keller in the preseason created a chance for Clay to emerge in the Dolphins pass attack, and he took full advantage with career bests across the board. As long as he retains the top spot on the depth chart in Miami, Clay will retain low-end No. 1 fantasy tight end status next season.

Gates looked like he was on the verge of a bounce-back 2013 campaign with 10-plus fantasy points in three of his first four games. He faltered down the stretch, though, and at 33 he's now past his statistical prime. In fact, Ladarius Green could end up being the better fantasy option in 2014.

Coach Marc Trestman's offense improved the value of Bennett, who recorded career bests in receptions, yards and fantasy points. He's not going to emerge into a top-end fantasy option in a pass attack that has a lot of mouths to feed, but Bennett will be a borderline No. 1 or 2 option next season.