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Tight end has become almost a glamour position in the NFL these days, as more and more of these inline receivers put up numbers that work for fantasy owners. There have been at least six tight ends with a minimum of 800 receiving in each of the past three seasons. In the previous seven seasons, there was one season with more than five 800-yard receivers at the tight end position. More passes are being thrown in the NFL and tight ends are included in that aerial expansion. The best of them is a guy who spent his offseason trying to shed the tight end label. The Saints Jimmy Graham was angling for wide receiver money after New Orleans hit him with a franchise tag, but all was eventually sorted out once Graham inked a new deal. Hes coming off a season in which he accumulated 1,215 receiving yards and a league-high 16 receiving touchdowns. Over the past three seasons, there have been four tight ends with at least 2,000 receiving yards and 20 touchdowns; one (Tony Gonzalez) has since retired and there is no one in Grahams stratosphere. That makes Graham a first-round value in most formats. If there is one tight end who might compare with Graham, its New Englands Rob Gronkowski, who has averaged more yards and touchdowns per game in the past three years, but Gronk has had problems staying on the field, playing 34 out of a possible 48 games. Hes an incredible talent, a difference-maker, when healthy, but his value for fantasy purposes is diminished somewhat by his propensity for injury. Back and forearm issues have plagued Gronkowski to this point of his career, but hes only 25. Usually the wear and tear comes a little further down the road. A safer pick than Gronkowski might be Denvers Julius Thomas, who emerged as a big-play target for Peyton Manning last season, scoring a dozen times while catching 65 passes for 788 yards. That was the first regular playing time of Thomas career, so if he can build upon those results, he has a chance to join the elite at the position. While were looking at potential, Washingtons Jordan Reed showed some flashes in nine games last season, gaining 499 yards with three touchdowns. Project that over a full season and Reed could go for 800-yards-plus. The Carolina Panthers have a patchwork receiving corps, so veteran tight end Greg Olsen, with back-to-back seasons of more than 800 receiving yards, ought to be a prime target for quarterback Cam Newton. One of last years big breakouts came from Browns tight end Jordan Cameron, who had 917 receiving yards and seven touchdowns. There may be uncertainty at quarterback in Cleveland, but suspension of Josh Gordon leaves Browns quarterback with few solid receiving options, making it all the more likely that Cameron puts up big numbers again this season. With a bolstered receving corps in San Francisco, maybe Vernon Davis wont be used as much as he was last season, when he tied a career-high with 13 touchdowns, but hes also been held under 790 receiving yards once in the past five seasons. Davis is now 30-years-old, but hes not the only veteran that still produces enough to have fantasy appeal. Antonio Gates only had four touchdowns for the Chargers last season, his fewest since his rookie year in 2003, but also had 77 catches for 872 yards, his most since 2009. Dallas Jason Witten is another in the over-30 brigade who still puts up big numbers and Witten has consistently been one of Tony Romos favourite targets for a long time. Wittens 851 receiving yards last season counted as his lowest since 2006, but he hasnt missed a game since 2003 and last years eight touchdowns counted as the second-best total of his career. Beyond that group, the options start to open up a little more. Charles Clay had a breakout year (759 YDS, 6 TD) in Miami last season and second-year tight ends Tyler Eifert and Zach Ertz have potential to do big things in Cincinnati and Philadelphia, respectively. Minnesotas Kyle Rudolph (nine touchdowns in 2012) and San Diegos Ladarius Green (376 YDS, 3 TD last season) are a couple more possible breakout candidates. There are a couple of good options coming off injury-plagued 2013 seasons. Baltimores Dennis Pitta had 669 yards and seven touchdowns in 2012 before managing just four games last year, and Indianapolis Dwayne Allen had 521 yards and three scores as a rookie in 2012, before getting hurt in Week One last season. Among the darkhorse candidates, to consider for deep leagues, Kansas Citys Travis Kelce appeared in one game last season, but his last year in college, at Cincinnati, was productive (722 YDS, 8 TD, 13 GP) and hes expected to have a regular role in the Chiefs offence. Lions rookie Eric Ebron was a force at North Carolina (62 REC, 973 YDS, 3 TD as a junior last season), so he offers a new dimension for a Detroit passing game that is already one of the leagues most prolific. As you can see, beyond the first eight or ten, the field opens up with lots of potential, but there is reason to secure the guys at the high end. Even as the field of talent gets deeper, the guys at the very top are creating big enough gaps to retain value. Scott Cullen can be reached at Scott.Cullen@bellmedia.ca and followed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/tsnscottcullen. For more, check out TSN Fantasy on Facebook. Fantasy Football Report powered by Coors Light. Discount Under Armour Shoes . 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A year ago, Lowrys post-game antics may not have been so well received but what was snide and snarky is now endearing quick wit.TORONTO -- Joffrey Lupul will miss roughly three weeks with a broken bone in his right hand, Toronto Maple Leafs coach Randy Carlyle said on Saturday. Lupul injured the hand in a fall at practice on Thursday. He will wear a cast for a minimum of 10 days before he can put a glove back on it and get some mobility back, said Carlyle, who added the winger wont go on the teams upcoming road trip. With Lupul out, the Leafs recalled forward Sam Carrick from the American Hockey Leagues Marlies, and hes making his NHL debut Saturday night against the Chicago Blackhawks. Carrick, 22, was a fifth-round pick of the Leafs in 2010 and was noticeable in the pre-season and then in seven games in the minors. We thought he made a strong impression at training camp and with his play with the Marlies, Carlyle said..dddddddddddd. What weve tried to do is always make a statement that if you go down and play well, youre going to be recognized and were going to give you the opportunity when it presents itself and were going to bring up the best player. Lupuls absence means the Leafs have to shift things around with their lines. Daniel Winnik, David Clarkson and Peter Holland will be counted on to pick up the slack. Carrick slides in on the fourth line and is expected to see some penalty-killing duties while with the team. Its all about opportunity, Carrick said. I think thats one of the things that I take pride in is being a hard guy to play against on the penalty kill. Thats what they told me coming in here -- they thought I did a good job in pre-season at that. I just need to keep on doing it. ' ' '