Sleeper Watch

Remember Ken Dilger? Once a solid – if unspectacular – fantasy tight end, the Illinois product’s star has faded of late. Last year, he caught just 22 passes in 15 games for a total of 244 yards, and found the end zone only once, a far cry from his three 500+ yard campaigns in Indianapolis. When Dilger, now in his tenth NFL season gained just 45 yards in the first four games of the 2004 season, most owners who hadn’t already done so finally gave up on him, once and for all. Yet that decision turned out to be a bit hasty, as help was on the way from a somewhat surprising source: Brian Griese!

In Griese’s first game of the seaon on October 10, Dilger racked up more yards than he had in a month of playing with Brad Johnson and Chris Simms, and also scored his first touchdown of the year as Tampa Bay held off the Saints, 20-17. Since then, the resurgent Griese has taken a firm hold on the Buccaneers’ starting QB job with 1113 yards in five games, and a TD-INT ratio of 8-to-2. Three of those touchdown passes were caught by Dilger, including two in the last two weeks.

Brian Griese’s production made him a highly popular fantasy pickup, yet Ken Dilger’s success has gone largely unnoticed. That state of affairs won’t last long, however, if Griese continues to rely on his tight end as much as he has in recent weeks. At this point of the season, Dilger looks like a solid TE option as the fantasy playoffs draw closer.