Faceoffs: Spotlighting the tight end position

Editor's note: Senior Fantasy Writers Dave Richard and Jamey Eisenberg start their offseason of debating with a few topics that might interest Fantasy owners as you start looking ahead to the offseason.

Who should be the top tight end in Fantasy drafts in 2009?
Dave Richard	Jamey Eisenberg
Jason Witten might not have had a stellar 2008, but with quarterback Tony Romo and offensive coordinator Jason Garrett expected to return to the 'Boys, there's no reason to believe Witten's statistical slide will continue. Let's also not forget that there were three games Romo missed and another six that he played in with either a rib or ankle injury. Consider his first six games of the season: 39 grabs for 497 yards (12.7 avg.) and two touchdowns. That's not bad. Plus, he still finished fourth among all tight ends in receptions (81) and second in receiving yards (952). So even in his "down" year, Witten outperformed most of his position class. All he needs to do is score more in 2009, and that should come with the territory in Dallas. He's an easy choice to be my tight end this summer, and he can be had a full round later than where I got him last year.	My strategy with tight ends is to wait until the later rounds and hope for one of my sleepers to have a breakout year. Last year, I tried to target Owen Daniels in every league, and he finished as a top-six tight end. But if I was picking an elite tight end this year, I would take Dallas Clark first. He is poised to be the best tight end in 2009 after finishing 2008 at No. 2 behind Tony Gonzalez. Clark plays with a stud quarterback in Peyton Manning in a passing offense, and with Marvin Harrison near the end of his career, Clark has emerged as the second-best target for the Colts behind Reggie Wayne. Clark will continue to improve, where Witten might have peaked two years ago. And you're never going to hear anyone on the Colts complain about Clark's relationship with Manning like Terrell Owens did about Witten and Tony Romo.

Are tight ends even necessary for Fantasy?
Dave Richard	Jamey Eisenberg
I play in a league where tight ends can be used as receivers, and it's phenomenal. Now, owners aren't always headed to the waiver wire lured in by a one-week performance by Steve Heiden or Chris Baker. Instead, they can consider tight ends as needed and really only trust in the ones that produce good totals on a near-regular basis. Every NFL club might have tight ends, but not every team uses them regularly as part of their offenses, and Fantasy commissioners should consider the same idea and not enforce starting a tight end in every lineup.	This isn't the Run-and-Shoot. We use tight ends in Fantasy Football because they are a vital part of the offense on most teams. And with the rules so heavily favored toward the passing game these days, tight ends continue to improve their production on a yearly basis. Last year, Tony Gonzalez finished with as many Fantasy points as Terrell Owens in a standard-scoring league. And 12 tight ends finished in the Top 150 players, ahead of Chad Johnson, Plaxico Burress and Carson Palmer, among many others. Are you not going to draft those players? Getting a productive tight end is part of the strategy in Fantasy leagues. That's why you use them.

Who is a top sleeper tight end for 2009?
Dave Richard	Jamey Eisenberg
If the third year is when receivers make their progression to the next level, then put me in the driver's seat of the Greg Olsen bandwagon. After posting improved totals in his second season from his rookie campaign, Olsen finds himself on a team with no real receiving threat. That gives Olsen a shot to continue making strides, possibly to the point of being a Gonzalez-like figurehead in the Bears offense. All he must do is slightly improve his receiving average while being targeted more in the end zone for him to be one of the elite Fantasy tight ends in the league. It very well could come together in his third season, and it will cost me a mere late-round pick to risk a roster spot on him.	With the Eagles expected to bring back Andy Reid and Donovan McNabb this year, look for the passing game to remain the same in Philadelphia. One difference could be Brent Celek replacing L.J. Smith as the full-time starter at tight end after Celek was impressive toward the end of last season. In his final four games, including the playoffs, Celek had 22 catches for 181 yards and four touchdowns. Those stats would make Celek a No. 1 Fantasy tight end. Plan on targeting Celek with a late-round pick, and he could pay dividends. The only problem will be if Smith re-signs as a free agent, then just target Celek off the waiver wire.

Which 2008 rookie tight end will prove to be the best for 2009?
Dave Richard	Jamey Eisenberg
I believe that John Carlson's beefy rookie totals were the result of no one else in Seattle's offense being reliable on a weekly basis. That will surely change in 2009 as the Seahawks get fresher at wide receiver, leaving Carlson with numbers south of what he had last season. On the other hand, the Jets offense could look more like the Seahawks', stuck with question marks at quarterback and underperforming veterans at wide receiver. Who would be left to make plays? Dustin Keller, of course, who has a terrific blend of size and speed for a tight end. Just ask Brett Favre what he thinks of the kid, and even if Favre's not the one passing to him in 2009, whomever the Jets start will surely utilize him.	"John Carlson will be the only good Fantasy option on the Seahawks next year." That's what Dave said on one of our podcasts in November, and he might be right. The one concern I have with Carlson in 2009 is his quarterback, with Matt Hasselbeck expected to return, but nothing is certain. Still, Carlson was able to shine as a rookie with Seneca Wallace throwing him passes, so he should adapt to whoever plays quarterback. Carlson finished as a top-10 Fantasy tight end in all scoring formats last year and should remain there this year. He outplayed Keller as a rookie and will do so again as a sophomore.

Should Kellen Winslow be targeted as a starting Fantasy tight end in 2009?
Dave Richard	Jamey Eisenberg
A year ago, I was optimistic that the Browns would be one of the best teams in the NFL. Naturally, I've done a 180-degree turn, especially in the wake of coaching changes the team made this offseason. That frustration coupled with Winslow's never-ending string of injuries makes it hard to like the potential-laden tight end. For Winslow to truly be effective, he needs to catch a slew of passes (he's averaged around 10 yards per catch for all but one of his four NFL seasons) and become more active in the Browns' red-zone efforts. I'd rather let one of my fellow league owners gamble on him and go with an entity that I can count on for better production.	All the Browns were a mess in 2008. They had a tough schedule, poor quarterback play and plenty of injuries, including Winslow. When healthy, Winslow is a 1,000-yard receiver with 100-catch potential and 10 touchdowns. He had 82 catches for 1,106 yards and five touchdowns in 2007 when he was healthy, and he should play well this year. Brady Quinn should start for the Browns, and the two combined for 10 catches for 111 yards and two touchdowns against Denver in Week 10 last year. Look for Winslow to bounce back and target him as a starter in 2009.

Do you agree with Dave or Jamey? Send your thoughts to DMFantasyFootball@cbs.com and we'll post the best responses. Be sure to put Attn: Fantasy Faceoff in the subject field. Include your full name, hometown and state.