Retired tight end Tony Gonzalez caught 83 passes and eight touchdowns in 2013, which was his final season, and did so at age 37 with precious little fantasy belief when the year began. It wasn’t his best season, but he finished in the top five among tight ends for standard fantasy scoring -- pretty much the same kind of season he always had. Gonzalez had basically been pronounced done as a fantasy asset years earlier, so I quite enjoyed waiting until the 10th or 11th round in his final seasons to enjoy his excellent production.
That brings us to San Diego Chargers tight end Antonio Gates.
Last season Gates played in 11 games, so not quite on par with the other top options at the position, but still finished as fantasy’s No. 11 tight end, and seventh on a per-game basis for standard and point-per-reception formats. Gates wasn’t the same big-play dominator we've come to love, but he scored five touchdowns as quarterback Philip Rivers continued to look his way in the red zone, and only Rob Gronkowski and Jordan Reed hauled in more receptions per game. But because of a number of factors working against him -- he’s older than most, his touchdowns fell from 12 to five and the Chargers drafted a hotshot rookie -- most probably view Gates as done.
Well, I’m the type of fantasy owner who looks at last year’s ADP to see what the analysts and others were thinking, and before the suspension we didn’t think Gates was done heading into 2015 -- and in the end, his performance, while down from the year prior, wasn’t exactly down to the level of Vernon Davis, either. I’m not saying I build teams around older players, but having one or two potentially productive ones works just fine, especially as later choices. Gates, who nobody appears to be viewing as a potential top-10 tight end, isn’t done. I’ll gladly ignore the position until round 12 and select him there.
Fantasy owners often have short memories when it comes to who they do and do not draft, and there’s a lot more than a player’s 2015 numbers that should factor into the selection process. So it is that Gates is one of the relevant players leading my “don’t forget about” list. Just like the ‘80s band Simple Minds told everyone they shouldn’t forget about, well, fill-in the name here, fantasy owners should likewise broaden their occasionally simple minds about players coming off unproductive seasons with something left to prove. Perhaps they were hurt. Or fell on the depth chart. Or they’re just on the wrong side of 30. Whatever it is, don’t forget about Gates and these others.
Tony Romo, QB, Dallas Cowboys: Another oldie but goodie, Romo averaged 30 touchdown passes over a four-year span entering last season -- and then a broken collarbone in Week 2 changed everything. He returned later in the season, but merely for two games before reinjuring himself. Now 36, it’s more likely Romo can play effectively at his age than Gates, since quarterbacks do it all the time, but like Gates, few are anointing him a top-10 option. Romo has Dez Bryant, a fantastic offensive line and an exciting rookie running back. He just needs a healthy collarbone, which he apparently has now. Romo should be an excellent value pick, just like he usually is.
Other QBs: This doesn’t quite work the way it does for other positions, but for those in deeper formats, Atlanta’s Matt Ryan, Miami’s Ryan Tannehill and even San Francisco’s Colin Kaepernick were held in considerably higher regard a year ago. Ryan has a top-3 wide receiver. Tannehill has a better crew than last year to throw to and Kaepernick … well, who knows? Maybe he gets dealt. … Also, don’t forget about Tom Brady. I doubt you will, but some people think missing four games destroys all draft-day value. I do not.
Jamaal Charles, RB, Kansas City Chiefs: Uh oh, we’ve got a running back approaching the magic age of 30! Everyone run for the hills! Charles is 29 and there’s obvious trepidation in committing to someone coming off of a second ACL tear in the past five seasons, but he’s so talented and has never failed to average at least five yards per rush in any season. I think things will work out nicely. Sure, the Chiefs developed other running backs in his absence and there’s the threat of Charles seeing a far reduced workload, but… I don’t really buy it. Don’t they want to win? Charles won’t be merely a third-down guy so Charcandrick West or Spencer Ware can perform, either. He may or may not be regarded as a top-10 running back in your league and if he isn’t, I’m all in.
Frank Gore, RB, Indianapolis Colts: Time for me to make more excuses for an older player. Gore is 33, and most running backs are cooked by then. I get it. But think about Indy’s situation last year when Andrew Luck wasn’t around. Gore still found a way to approach 1,000 rushing yards and he sure looked good totaling 95 yards and two touchdowns in Week 16 at Miami. Nobody’s calling Gore a top-20 running back, but he’s falling a bit too far for my liking in drafts. Luck is back, defenders will be preparing for the pass and there’s no other running back -- at least not yet -- that looks like they’ll steal touches. I think Gore can be a reasonable No. 3 running back in standard formats.
Other RBs: Certainly DeMarco Murray is getting another chance to shine with the Tennessee Titans, and while I’m not quite on board with RB2 status, I would choose him over Gore. Barely.… Melvin Gordon did not have a great rookie season for the San Diego Chargers, and the fact that he was a first-round pick bears little meaning here. Perhaps it was a mistake, but I think it’s premature to say so with certainty. Gordon won’t catch passes, but he should be better -- especially near the goal line. Perhaps even RB2 better… When Arian Foster finds employment, I’ll become interested. Very interested. Let’s see where he lands… I can’t say I’m investing shares in Andre Ellington (Cardinals), C.J. Spiller (Saints) or Stevan Ridley (Lions), but it’s hardly outrageous to believe they see opportunity, and each has shown bouts of productivity when healthy.
Randall Cobb, WR, Green Bay Packers: In 2014 he caught 91 passes for 1,287 yards and 12 touchdowns. Last year, with no Jordy Nelson, a handicapped running game and way too much defensive attention pointed in his direction, he caught 79 passes for 829 yards and half the scores. OK, so he was a disappointment. He’s only going to be 26 in August. Give him a break. He might not get quite all the way to the yards and touchdowns of 2014, but he’s got Aaron Rodgers and he’s far from done. I thought about pushing Cobb back into my top-20 WRs, and I still might do so.
Vincent Jackson, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: I could have chosen other similarly older wide receivers in this space, but I decided to highlight this fellow because things really fell apart for him. Now 33 and in the final year of his contract, I don’t think people realize how productive Jackson has been, and he hasn’t exactly had Dan Marino as his quarterback over the years, though Jameis Winston will suffice. And while Mike Evans demands more attention in this offense and Jackson suffered a sprained MCL last year, I, for one, don't deem his final numbers overly relevant. He averaged 16.5 yards per catch and was pretty unlucky in the red zone, but still a factor. I see a bounce-back season, and if he’s your No. 5 receiver, that’s strong.
Other WRs: Starting with the older folks, there’s Steve Smith Sr. and Torrey Smith. We don’t know if Baltimore’s Smith will be ready for early-September since he’s recovering from a torn Achilles, but he was so good last season and the opportunity is clearly there. I’m investing late. As for San Francisco’s Smith, I’m not nearly as optimistic as others. Chip Kelly is still being viewed as an offensive genius? Believe it if you must. I don’t. But Smith should improve on his 2015 stats, regardless of the team’s QB… Philly might actually end up starting both Nelson Agholor, awful as a rookie, and former Giant Rueben Randle, on the outside. Jordan Matthews likely remains in the slot. Just saying there’s opportunity there… Kevin White could start for the Chicago Bears after a lost rookie campaign. Remember, he was the No. 7 pick in the 2015 draft, the second receiver after Amari Cooper. White should be great, if healthy… And finally, I doubt we see Cleveland Browns enigma Josh Gordon anytime soon, if ever again, but if he ever does get reinstated, the talent is immense.
Other TEs: Seattle Seahawks’ 2015 disappointment Jimmy Graham isn’t nearly as old as Gates, and the ability remains. We’ll assume both he and the offense are more comfortable with each other this year. If you’re in a deep league, or multiple tight end format, take the chance… I haven’t been so impressed with 2014 No. 10 pick Eric Ebron, but one has to think the Lions will look his way more in year three.