FANTASY FOOTBALL IN-SEASON FEATURES

Visanthe Shiancoe, Vikings –
There is one reason and one reason alone why Shiancoe moved up this week, and it isn’t his stats.  Sure, they were very nice, and they’ll probably be similar most weeks, but that isn’t the main reason for his movement.  The primary reason for his move up is simply this:  his quarterback has no faith in any of his receivers except Shiancoe.  This will change as time moves on, but Favre has always liked throwing to his tight ends, and until he gains some confidence that any of his other receivers can get the job done, he’ll feed Shiancoe over and over again when it counts…especially near the end-zone, where fantasy owners like to see their tight ends get action.

Brent Celek, Eagles –
Celek slips for a few reasons, all of which are quite volatile.  First, the quarterback situation is unsettled due to Kolb’s injury, and while both quarterbacks have question marks, Kolb is much more likely to use his tight end than Vick.  Second, the passing game of the Eagles seems to still be out of synch and could be for a couple of games.  The slide in the rankings isn’t very far, however, because the schedule is favorable for passing games over the next few weeks at least, so he only takes a little hit.         

Jermaine Gresham, Bengals –
Gresham, a rookie, got off to a great start, living up to some of the hype that had been heaped upon him by some fans and fantasy owners.  The Bengals took a while to warm up, but after they did, the passing game actually showed more life than many thought it would, as a rule, this season.  Gresham has all the look of a solid receiving tight end and obviously showed himself to be worthy of a fantasy option moving forward.

Marcedes Lewis, Jaguars –
Lewis had a huge day for fantasy owners simply because of his two touchdown catches, not because he had a lot of catches and yards.  He only had those two catches, but the thing that tells us is that when the team is down near the end zone, his quarterback is looking his way as a primary option.  Will all his games and catches be like this?  Not likely, but the fact that he’s a top option with his quarterback is enough of a selling point for most fantasy owners.             

Tony Moeaki, Chiefs –
While he didn’t have a huge game, what rookie Moeaki did was solidify that he was Matt Cassel’s favorite rescue line.  He also proved that he has all the skills needed to fill the void left when Tony Gonzalez left KC.  He’s a low end options still, but if he starts to be a favorite target in the red-zone every week, his stock will continue rising, and quick.  The passing game looked a bit rough, weather notwithstanding, and the tight end will likely play a very large role in quite a few games this year, all helping boost Moeaki’s value.