1. Jimmy Graham, New Orleans Saints
2014 Statistics: 24 receptions, 254 yards and two touchdowns (80.00 points)
Match made in heaven for Graham' owners and daily fantasy football players. The No. 1 ranked fantasy tight end will line up against a Dallas Cowboys defense that ranks dead last in the league in points against as it relates to the tight end position. What could possibly go wrong here?
Graham will likely be going up against Barry Church and/or Rolando McClain for the most part in this one. Outside of throwing double teams Graham's way the entire time, which is a difficult thing to do with Dez Bryant on the outside, Graham will eat a lot come Week 4.
Projected Statistics: Nine receptions, 125 yards and two touchdowns
2. Antonio Gates, San Diego Chargers
2014 Statistics: 14 receptions, 185 yards and three touchdowns (50.50 points)
Gates ranks sixth among tight ends in fantasy points and will be going up against a Jacksonville Jaguars defense that is 31st in the league against fantasy tight ends. Much like what I mentioned with Jimmy Graham above, the indicators are all here for success. However, Gates is always an injury wildcard. He's been dealing with a nagging ankle injuy and saw action in only 45 snaps last week against the Buffalo Bills. There has to be some concern over that.
Projected Statistics: Seven receptions, 90 yards and one touchdown
3. Delanie Walker, Tennessee Titans
2014 Statistics: 17 receptions, 233 yards and two touchdowns (52.30 points)
Walker, who has been a fantasy dynamo thus far this season, will look to help his Titans team rebound against a division rival in the Indianapolis Colts that has an average of 70 yards and one touchdown per game against opposing tight ends. Considering that Jake Locker has continued to look in Walker's direction through the season, there is no reason to believe that this will chance anytime soon. Even if Zach Mettenberger finds himself under center, Walker will get the necessary targets to be an impact fantasy tight end.
Projected Statistics: Six receptions, 80 yards and one touchdown
4. Rob Gronkowski, New England Patriots
2014 Statistics: 11 receptions, 116 yards and two touchdowns (34.60 points)
Gronkowski finds himself a tad lower on this list simply because he has not been the PPR threat that many expected thus far this year and will be lining up against a Kansas City Chiefs team that does a solid job covering down the field between the hashes. Tom Brady may look in Gronkowski's direction in the red zone, but the quarterback has better matchup on the boundaries against a group of well below-average Chiefs cornerbacks. That might earn Gronk a score, but it will also impact his PPR performance come Monday night.
Projected Statistics: Five receptions, 65 yards and one touchdown
5. Niles Paul, Washington Redskins
2014 Statistics: 18 receptions, 253 yards and one touchdown (47.30 points)
Paul ranks second among all NFL tight ends in receiving yards and is averaging a whopping 14.1 yards per reception. That's pretty awesome for someone that was a wide receiver coming out of Nebraska a few years back. Transitioning to his new position wasn't easy for Paul, but he seems to have it down at last.
With Kirk Cousins now slates to start for the never several weeks, it appears that the two have found a nice little connection. Now the starter, Paul will line up against a Giants defense that hasn't necessarily faced a top-tier tight end this season. Look for a huge performance, at least from a PPR standpoint, in this one.
Projected Statistics: Seven receptions, 80 yards and zero touchdowns