Todd Heap

While Heap played through injuries earlier in this career, he’s now missed nine games the last two seasons. But even when on the field, Heap wasn’t much of a factor in the passing game with only 283 yards and one touchdown in 10 games last year. Questionable quarterback play didn’t help his cause, either, and he only had two targets in the red zone. This season, Kevin Kolb should be healthier, and the Cardinals drafted Michael Floyd, who, along with Larry Fitzgerald, should leave the middle of the field open for Heap to operate. In theory, there’s hope for Heap to have some fantasy relevance if he doesn’t miss too much time due to injuries.

Health has been the key for Heap for a number of seasons now. He's failed to play a full slate in four of his 10 NFL seasons, including last year when a hamstring injury sidelined him for three games. Even when Heap has notched 16 games, he's often been limited by injury. On the field last year he was effective, posting a career-high 9.4 yards per target. But his targets fell to just 65, thanks in part to the addition of rookie Ed Dickson (23 targets). Heap still has arguably the best tight-end hands in the game – he did not drop a pass last year – but he will always be an injury risk. He's a lock to start for Arizona, but his fantasy value is probably lower in the desert than it was in Baltimore.

Heap finally stayed semi-healthy to put together three-year highs in catches (53), receiving yards (593) and touchdowns (6) last season. The bad news for him is that the Ravens drafted tight ends Ed Dickson (third round) and Dennis Pitta (fourth round), both of whom are considered receiving tight ends. Health, age (he turned 30 this year) and competition for targets are potential trouble spots for Heap, but even if those issues break his way, don’t expect more than last year’s 75 targets.

Heap struggled for the second straight season, dealing with neck and back injuries. He was also asked to take on more of a blocking role, seeing only 64 targets – a far cry from the 113 and 115 he saw in 2005 and 2006, respectively. Heap’s fantasy prospects took a hit this offseason with the signing of L.J. Smith and the drafting of Devon Drew as well.

After scoring 13 touchdowns the previous two seasons, Heap was limited to just six games in 2007 because of a hamstring injury. The return from injury is something that bears watching during training camp, but at press time, Heap appeared to be completely healthy. Heap has had an odd track record of injuries, playing all 16 games four times in his career, but missing 10 games in two different seasons. With a new coaching staff in Baltimore and quarterback Kyle Boller likely keeping the position warm for rookie Joe Flacco, there’s no sense in reading into the team's previous tight-end usage. But when healthy, Heap is one of the premier pass catchers at the position, and given the Ravens’ starting wideouts' (Mark Clayton, Derrick Mason) lack of size, Heap is likely to be the team's top threat from in close.

Heap responded with two big seasons since an injury-plagued 2004, finishing with a team-leading 73 receptions last season after catching 75 passes in 2005. The Ravens have two reliable targets at receiver in Mark Clayton and Derrick Mason, but Heap continues to get steady work as the Ravens use the tight-end position often. Last season, their tight ends accounted for 29 percent of the team’s receptions (4th in NFL), and the Ravens lead all teams in that category over the past five seasons with 31.3 percent of the team’s total.

Heap got his career back on track in 2005 – 855 receiving yards (53.4 YPG) – after missing 10 games with an ankle injury the previous season. Despite the Ravens offensive struggles of late, you can count on the team utilizing the TE position. Baltimore tight ends have caught 31 percent of the team’s passes over the last five years – first in the NFL over that time – and Heap is the reason why. His seven touchdowns last year were the most among Ravens’ receivers, and 75 catches second only to Derrick Mason.

Heap, who struggled through an injury-plagued 2004, is expected to miss the beginning of training camp because of shoulder surgery, but the Ravens are confident he will start the season healthy. Baltimore’s notoriously pedestrian offense in recent years has resulted in Heap being the team’s No. 1 receiving target and a top fantasy tight end when healthy. As measured by the percentage of a team’s total receiving yards over the last four seasons, the Ravens’ tight ends have ranked first, accounting for 30.9 percent of the team’s receiving yards. To put that into perspective, the league average for that span is 15.9 percent. That could change this season as Baltimore signed free agent Derrick Mason and selected Oklahoma wideout Mark Clayton in the first round of the draft. While Kyle Boller will try to make these new weapons work for him, he knows he can count on Heap when the downfield passing game isn’t flowing.

Heap, who has size, speed and excellent hands, rounds out the elite corps of fantasy tight ends. The Ravens use their tight ends more than other teams, with the position accounting for 34.9 percent of the team’s receptions (the most in the league by far) in 2003, though that’s also a function of their awful downfield passing game. With Jamal Lewis around, the Ravens run more in the red zone than pass, so that might keep Heap’s touchdowns down. Then again, Heap did most of his damage early last season with Kyle Boller at quarterback, and Boller will once again be the starter in 2004.

In 2002, Heap benefited from an unspectacular wideout corps, developing into the primary offensive target in the Ravens' passing game. He caught 68 passes for 836 yards and had eight games of more than 50 yards (one 100-yard game) and six touchdowns. Our one concern is that the Ravens were primarily a running team within the red zone, only finding Heap twice (both TDs) inside the 20-yard line. Chris Redman should begin the season as the starting quarterback once again, and while Heap had his biggest game of the year with Jeff Blake under center (7, 146, 1 in Week 17), he scored four of his six touchdowns on passes from Redman. But his average yards per catch increased with Blake (10.7 first half/13.9 second half).