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Fantasy Football Spotlight: Tony Scheffler
Posted by tomvanwyheTight ends are an interesting bunch of fantasy football players. They’re arguably the hardest to predict, outside of kickers and perhaps defenses, especially when you consider how inconsistent they can play throughout the course of a season.
But as the game has changed and philosophies adjusted with the times, the tight end position has evolved. Tight ends are faster than ever before, and if they can’t catch, they might as well move to the offensive line.
Tony Scheffler is one of these evolved players, a tight end who excels more as a receiver than a blocker. He’s fast, athletic, and he can catch better than some wide receivers, all of which might add up to make him even more valuable this season in Josh McDaniels’ new offense.
McDaniels isn’t known for making use of tight ends. In New England they weren’t often used as receivers, instead blocking for the most part. Because the Broncos have a better blocker in Daniel Graham, a former New Englander, Scheffler’s value is up in the air.
In practice this offseason Scheffler has been limited to playing opposite Graham in two tight end sets. That’s the role he played under Mike Shanahan, which may bode well for him when you consider he’s finished the past two seasons (29 games) with a combined 89 receptions for 1,194 yards and 8 touchdowns.
Of course it’s hard to project for a tight end under a new regime, especially when the coach is known for rarely using them as receivers. Scheffler will no doubt play a role in the offense and should finish with at least 35-40 receptions, but the bigger question is what he’ll average per catch next season. In 2008 he was picking up a stunning 16.1 yards per reception, but the season before he averaged just 11.2 yards. While an offensive coordinator in New England, McDaniels’ tight ends averaged around 11 yards per reception.
On the other hand, in 2006, McDaniels’ first season as the team’s offensive coordinator, tight end Ben Watson finished the season with 49 receptions and averaged 13.1 yards per reception. Who’s to say he won’t use Scheffler in a similar vein?
As for touchdowns, it wouldn’t surprise me at all if Kyle Orton locked on to Scheffler and Graham in the red zone. Furthermore, if wide receiver Brandon Marshall happens to be traded as requested, Josh McDaniels may have no choice but to use the tight ends, especially Scheffler who is clearly the better receiver.
Interesting to consider is whether McDaniels will use Scheffler outside his usual role as a tight end at times this season. Scheffler draws parallels to Indianapolis Colts tight end Dallas Clark in build and athleticism. Seeing him play a hybrid role similar to Clark would be interesting, and it wouldn’t surprise me if the team used him there at different points during the course of the season.
Expect Scheffler to finish 2009 with around 45 receptions for 585 yards and 6 touchdowns. Those numbers could be enough to make Scheffler a top ten tight end and certainly a fantasy starter.
Tags: Analysis, Denver Broncos, Fantasy Football, Fantasy Football Analysis, Josh McDaniels, NFL, Preview, Spotlight, TE, Tight End, Tony Scheffler
