Upside by Jason Wood
Very little separates fantasy TEs beyond a select view (think Tony Gonzalez and Todd Heap); which is why your best bet to maximize draft value is to focus on two lower rated TEs that have as good a chance as any to finish among the top 10. No TE represents this drafting style more for 2004 than Marcus Pollard.

Pollard is the 14th TE off the board, in the 13th round on average according to Antsports mock draft results. What's more stunning is that fellow Indy TE Dallas Clark is being taken four slots earlier (10th) despite having little if any chance of outperforming Pollard this season. Before we compare the two (Pollard and Clark), keep in mind that few teams utilize the TE position more than the Colts:

• 1998 - 612 yards, 5 TDs (Dilger-303/1, Pollard-309/4)
• 1999 - 853 yards, 6 TDs (Dilger-479/2, Pollard-374/4)
• 2000 - 977 yards, 6 TDs (Dilger-538/3, Pollard-439/3)
• 2001 - 1082 yards, 9 TDs (Dilger-343/1, Pollard-739/8)
• 2002 - 548 yards, 6 TDs (Pollard-478/6, Davenport-70/0)
• 2003 - 881 yards, 4 TDs (Pollard-541/3, Clark-340/1)

Pollard has finished 10th, 11th, 2nd, 6th, and 7th among fantasy TEs over the last five seasons; THAT'S PRODUCTION. Now, in terms of choosing between Pollard and Clark, people seem obsessed with the idea that Clark is the younger player, thus projecting upside. While he's a talented young TE, he's not the complete player Pollard is and, in situations where the Colts don't put two TEs on the field, you can be sure Pollard will be in the huddle; not Clark. Clark must improve his blocking in order to see the field as much as Pollard. In any event, both are worth rostering this year but Marcus Pollard is as close to a lock for the top 10 as you'll find beyond the early round TE studs, and yet he's being drafted as a backup. Don't make the same mistake.

Downside by Cathy Fazio
Marcus Pollard has been one of my favorite tight ends for a couple of years now. While not ranking with the elite tight ends like Tony Gonzalez, Todd Heap or Jeremy Shockey, Pollard has been a quality fantasy tight end for a number of years. He has been a consistent safety valve for Peyton Manning. And it is hard for me to say, because I will always have a soft spot in my heart for him, but I am thinking that his days as a quality fantasy tight end are soon to be over.

There is a fresh face in Indianapolis. Dallas Clark is entering his second year with the Colts. He found his season cut short last year with a broken leg. He only played in 10 games and yet made 29 receptions for 340 yards and 1 touchdown. In that same period Marcus Pollard made 23 receptions for 356 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns. Very similar numbers, but Clark had a slight edge. Pollard finished last year with 40 receptions for 541 yards and 3 touchdowns.

This season look for them both to be a factor in the receiving game, but if you had to give one of them an edge, I would give it to Clark. Pollard fits well into the blocking tight end role, which limits his value as a fantasy tight end.