Fantasy Football 2012, Week 5: Tight End rankings for standard and PPR leagues

With Jason Witten, Brandon Pettigrew, and others on bye week, it is time to figure out who to put in your week 5 lineup. Below are some notes followed by my rankings for both standard and PPR leagues.

• I think both Tony Gonzalez and Fred Davis will both have good weeks in what should be a shootout in Washington. Gonzalez has looked like a top 3 guy and will be going against my beloved Redskin's paper-thin defense. On the other hand, I think the Skins, who will most likely be down by multiple scores, will be forced to abandon the run and throw the ball a lot. Fred Davis has started to develop some chemistry with RG III and you could do much worse then him as a bye week or 2nd TE fill-in.
• This is a big week to see what Antonio Gates has left in the tank. The Saints have one of the worst defenses in the NFL and this is likely to be a shootout. If Gates doesnt perform this week I think it makes a very clear statement about his health. On the other hand, this could be the game that reinvigorates Gates and pushes him back up into the upper echelon of tight ends.
• This is the week to have Kyle Rudolph in your lineup. Tennessee has shown an inability to stop tight ends, and Rudolph is already one of the most targeted tight ends in the league. Plug him in and enjoy at least 75 yards and a touchdown.
• I think both Jacob Tamme and Joel Dreessen are good plays this week. In what will be a high scoring affair against New England, I fully expect that Tamme will see a lot of targets while Dreessen has a very good chance of getting into the end zone. If any of your guys are on bye weeks, these are both players who may be available on the waiver wire who are more then capable one-week replacements.
• Heath Miller is another guy who may be available on the waiver wire who is a capable one-week fill in. While Miller is never a threat to post big receiving numbers Big-Ben has not been hesitant to look his way in the end zone. With small speedy wide receivers on the outside, Miller is the perfect big target to use when Pitt gets in close. While you dont want Miller as an every week guy, its not a terrible bet to think that he will reach paydirt.
• Jared Cook is a guy who had been highly touted in the pre-season and has not quite lived up to expectations. I actually think that playing with Hasselbeck this week might benefit him. Jake Locker is a gunslinger: a guy in the Brett Favre model who goes for it all and zeroes in on receivers, trusting his arm strength to get it in. Hasselbeck is nowhere near the athlete, but a much smarter player. He knows how to take advantage of matchups and will use the whole field instead of forcing throws to wide receivers. As one of the more athletic weapons on the Titans offense, I think Cook could have a starting-worthy performance this week.