Fantasy Football 2015: 5 Undervalued Tight Ends

Oct 23, 2014; Denver, CO, USA; San Diego Chargers tight end Antonio Gates (85) catches a pass during the first half against the Denver Broncos at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports

Antonio Gates, San Diego Chargers

He’s only missing four games.

After violating the league’s performance-enhancing drugs policy, tight end Antonio Gates is set to miss the first four games of 2015, but fantasy owners shouldn’t be completely scared off. This is still one of the best tight ends in NFL history, and even if he misses four games he should still be excellent.

With an average of 9.6 fantasy points per game, if Gates had missed four games last season he would have still finished as the 8th best tight end in the NFL. He’s currently being drafted as the 14th highest tight end, and the 126th player overall. Maybe people are scared of Gates’s age, or maybe they’re scared his backup Ladarius Green will take over, but I have faith that Gates can follow up on his 2014 which saw him finish as the second best tight end in fantasy.

The San Diego defense will still struggle which means Phillip Rivers is going to throw the ball a lot again, and Antonio Gates is going to see the tail end of a lot of those throws. He’s finished in the top-5 in terms of fantasy points among tight ends nine times in his career, and despite missing four games, he should still have elite numbers.

Even at age 35 Antonio Gates is an outstanding offensive weapon, especially in the red-zone, as he’s got the 2nd most touchdowns among tight ends. If you’re willing to find a replacement for the first couple weeks, getting Gates in the bottom half of your fantasy draft may be one of the best values of the 2015 season.

Next: Mile-High Man