All right RotoHoggers, we’ve got the QB, RB and WR rankings out of the way, so now it’s time to move on to a perhaps underappreciated position, the tight end.  Having an elite tight end on your team could be the difference between winning your league’s title or missing the playoffs completely.  So when you start getting to the fourth or fifth round, you should definitely start thinking about addressing the TE position with one of the top four or five guys on my list… and you’ll find out who they are soon enough.  For now, here’s my list from 21-30.

30) John Carlson – Seattle Seahawks: The ‘Hawks used a second-round draft pick on this Notre Dame alum, so they clearly were looking to upgrade the tight end position.  And who can blame them with the uninspiring Will Heller currently at the top of the depth chart.  At 6’5” and 250 pounds, Carlson has the size to step in and make a difference in his rookie season.  He might not make an impact right away, but expect Carlson to be on the field more often than not as the season progresses.  Has the potential to climb up into the top half of these rankings.  My Projection: 22 rec, 232 yds, 1 TD

29) Leonard Pope – Arizona Cardinals: Although the Cardinals don’t use the tight end as much as most teams, Pope nevertheless managed to turn himself into a bonafide goal-line target last season, to the tune of 5 TDs.  It should be noted, however, that Pope also had one or less catch in 7 of the 13 games he appeared in last season.  Owners looking for consistency would do best to stay away from Pope, although he could make a passable bye week replacement for your TE stud.  He is also facing competition for the starting job from second year pro Ben Patrick.  Neither will have a stat line worthy of every week starting status though.  My Projection: 25 rec, 260 yds, 1TD

28) Kevin Boss – New York Giants: An afterthought in the offense for most of the year, Boss stepped up at the end of the regular season and in the playoffs when starter Jeremy Shockey was injured.  Although he won’t be an every-down player, Boss nevertheless has the talent to be a relevant fantasy player.  He has a knack for the big play, as evidenced by his 18.0 yards per catch average in the playoffs.  Although I have him ranked this low as the Giants TE2, look for his value to blow up if Shockey gets injured and or traded.  Both are possibilities.  My Projection: 28 rec, 285 yds, 1 TD

27) David Martin – Miami Dolphins: Martin was a marginal fantasy contributor last year, and figures to be again this year unless the Fins can develop some stability at the QB position.  The revolving door of Trent Green, Cleo Lemon and John Beck made it hard for any of the Dolphins’ receiving corps to establish a rhythm.  That trend looks to continue this year, as Beck (the only returning Miami QB), Josh McCown and rookie Chad Henne all figure to see their fair share of reps this year.  Still, Martin has decent upside should Miami figure out its QB mess.  My Projection: 36 rec, 326 yds, 1 TD

26) Vinsanthe Shiancoe – Minnesota Vikings: The only way Shiancoe could be considered a fantasy stud is if his owner was playing Scrabble.  Regardless, he figures to up his meager numbers from last year as the Vikes offense continues to mature under Tarvaris Jackson and Adrian Peterson.  If the Vikings offense can leap up from the middle of the pack, Shiancoe could leap TO the middle of the pack of fantasy tight ends.  Still, there are much better options out there at this position.  My Projection: 28 rec, 331 yds, 1 TD

25) Ben Utecht – Cincinnati Bengals: Cincinnati is another one of those teams that doesn’t use the tight end in its offensive packages that much.  Still, they brought over Utecht from the Colts to take over for the non-factor Reggie Kelly.  The Colts love to use their tight ends, so hopefully Utecht picked up a few pointers.  He will be an improvement over Kelly, although he doesn’t figure to put up elite – or even above average – numbers.  Still, a weak running game could mean red zone opportunities.  My Projection: 33 rec, 331 yds, 1 TD

24) Jeff King – Carolina Panthers: King is, to quote John Madden, a hardhat player.  He plays every game hard, has all the right intangibles, and helps his team win.  Unfortunately, when I say “his team,” I mean the Carolina Panthers – NOT your fantasy team.  King’s ceiling is marginal at best, although he should be a consistent performer.  He can help your team if your regular starter is hurt for a week or two, but that’s about it.  The return of a healthy Jake Delhomme might bump his numbers up a bit, but not enough to make him draftable.  My Projection: 48 rec, 431 yds, 1 TD

23) Marcedes Lewis – Jacksonville Jaguars: Lewis has a lot of talent, but his skills don’t translate especially well to the Jags ball-control, smash mouth style of offense.  Nevertheless, he has proven to be a decent security blanket for QB David Garrard and could help in points per reception leagues.  However, he’s only been to the end zone three times in two seasons, which really hurts his fantasy value.  But the lack of depth at TE on the team and improving chemistry with Garrard could boost his value a little.  Could be a waiver wire surprise.  My Projection: 35 rec, 397 yds, 2 TDs

22) Dustin Keller – New York Jets: Keller is the one player from this tier who really has the potential to shoot a long way up this list.  The lone tight end selected in the first round in this year’s draft, Keller comes to a team without a lot of options at the TE position.  He has 4.55 speed and good hands, so he shouldn’t be confined to the bench for too long.  Whoever the Jets decide on as their QB – incumbent Chad Pennington or youngster Kellen Clemons – will have a nice option in Keller as the season goes on.  My Projection: 38 rec, 424 yds, 2 TD

21) Eric Johnson – New Orleans Saints: Three years ago, Johnson was one of the best tight ends in the NFL with the 49ers.  But, after two lackluster years in a row, a lot of people are questioning how much he has left.  QB Drew Brees’ air-it-out, spread-it-around approach doesn’t really help his value either.  Nevertheless, Johnson is a proven performer with soft hands and the ability to catch the ball in traffic.  He might not get into the end zone much, but he should put up decent yardage and will help in PPR leagues.  An above-average waiver-wire pickup if you need a TE.  My Projection: 44 rec, 421 yds, 2 TDs

So there you have it.  None of these guys are really worth even a late-round draft pick, but some could turn into great pickups off the waiver wire for bye weeks or as injury replacements.  Up next is numbers 11-20.  Not quite elite, but these are some guys who should be on your draft radar.