Tight end used to be the toughest position in Fantasy Football to fill. With the emergence of Tony Gonzalez, Antonio Gates, Alge Crumpler, Jeremy Shockey and other pass catchers that’s not really the case anymore. Big guys with soft hands are taking the field every Sunday for almost every team in the league. And TEs with 6-7 TDs at season’s end aren’t a rarity.

Still, identifying breakout candidates is an important part of winning any fantasy league. And picking up a cheap TE with the potential for a 650+ yard season with 7-10 TDs this year (and much more down the road) would be high on anyone’s wish list.

So here’s Ben Troupe. He caught 8 passes for 67 yards and 1 TD vs. the Texans yesterday. His TD came on a Tony Gonzalez-esque play with Ben catching the ball around the 7 and extending his unnaturally long arms out over the goalline. It was a great play and a sign of better things to come.

He’s 24 years old, 6′4″, 270, and in his second year out of Florida. He’s racked up 19 receptions this year for 156 yards and 3 TDs.

Erron Kinney has more yards and receptions (25 catches for 204 yards) but Ben is clearly the more exciting player. He’s athletic, he’s THE red-zone target for the Titans right now, and he’ll only get better. Drew Bennett is a downfield threat, but Troupe is the goalline threat. He’s the same kind of nightmare matchup for linebackers and DBs as are Gonzalez and Gates.

His long reception thid year is 16 yards, so right now he’s just looking like a yardage and goalline threat. I think it’s in him to be a downfield guy, and we’ll probably see that in the second half of the season. His 2.3 yards-after-catch stat. is pretty slim, but at 6′4″, 240 you’d have to figure that’ll improve. On the other hand Antonio Gates’ YAC is only 4. Gates, by the way, is 6′4″, 260.

With Steve McNair looking OK at QB I think you’ll see a lot of balls thrown Ben’s way this year. I can see him finishing the season with 65 receptions. Steve doesn’t run, and neither do the Titans. This has become a shotgun offense with TEs assuming a much bigger role than in the past. Frank Wycheck was always good for a Top 10 ranking during the good ‘ole days in Tennessee. Now it’s Troupe’s turn.

I’d expect an 800+ yard season from Ben next year with 8-9 TDs. This year you’re looking at 500-600 yards and 7-9 TDs. If any of the Titans receivers go down that number could easily hit double-digits.

Ben Troupe Stats. And Info.