There are years when the tight end position can be a true college fantasy football differentiator, and then there are years like 2010. 

While a few studs may emerge during the fall, heading into draft season the tight end prospects are few and far between.  To call it a down year would be an understatement. So in defining sleepers for this position, just about everybody but a few household names fall could under the umbrella. 

Below we hand-picked a few prospects with some upside, but most of which have yet to produce any results on the field.  Note:  the CFG Rank is from our initial Big Board and have since been updated.


Tight End Sleepers


Vance McDonald, SO (Rice) – CFG Rank #10
McDonald has been a spring camp all-star the past two years.  Can he translate his solid practice field performance to actual game situations?  We think he has the most upside of the tight end sleeper class this fall and is worthy of a late round draft selection in All-120 formats.

Jack Doyle, SO (Western Kentucky) – CFG Rank #15
As a freshman walk-on last fall, Doyle was a pleasant surprise for the Hilltoppers, producing a 37-365-1 statline.  With WKU's top receiver graduating, Doyle should continue to be a main cog in the passing game.

Justin Jones, rFR (East Carolina) – CFG Rank #16
Jones had a big spring camp in the Pirates'new offensive system.  He is probably not worth a selection on draft day, but keep an eye on him early in the season to see if he continues to garner a high amount of targets.

Jordan Reed, rFR (Florida) – CFG Rank #17
The quest to replace Aaron Hernandez is on.  Reed will battle Desmond Parks for the starting gig.  Keep an eye on the August practice reports to see who emerges as the starter.  If someone wins the job in a full-time capacity, he will likely jump up the draft boards.  Reed is likely to be drafted in most leagues.

Michael Egnew, JR (Missouri) – CFG Rank #24
Andrew Jones was supposed to be the next great Mizzou tight end in 2009, but it never materialized.  Don’t be surprised if Egnew outperforms Jones on the stat sheet in 2010.  He is another spring camp star (two years running) who has yet to step it up during the regular season.

Vaughn Charlton, SR (Temple) – CFG Rank #25
Charlton was moved over from quarterback to tight end this offseason.  He is an intriguing fantasy prospect who could produce some bonus passing yards on a few trick plays.  In a down year for fantasy tight ends, Charlton is worth keeping a close eye on.

Others to watch:
Collin Franklin, SR (Iowa State)
Morrel Presley, SO (UCLA)
Jonathan Massey, SR (Southern Miss)
BYU tight ends - wait to see who emerges


Check out the entire 2010 Sleeper Series here:
Quarterbacks
Running Backs
Wide Receivers
Tight Ends