Dennis

Pitta

The Ravens are running more plays out their “Diesel” package, which features two receivers, two tight ends, and a running back. While that’s potentially good for Pitta, who’s coming off one of his most productive games, Dickson has yet to establish himself as a consistent target in Baltimore’s passing attack.

The Ravens only needed to throw 19 times to beat the Bengals, and Pitta emerged as Joe Flacco’s favorite target underneath. Ed Dickson (1-20) was quiet. As Dickson is a poor man’s Rob Gronkowski, Pitta is the poor man’s Aaron Hernandez. He ended the regular season with 405 receiving yards and three touchdowns. The Ravens get a first-round bye entering the NFL postseason.

The Ravens talked about using more two-TE sets heading into tonight, and Pitta was the beneficiary rather than Ed Dickson (two catches, eight yards). Pitta has seen half the targets that Dickson has (23-to-49 entering tonight), and it’s not reasonable to believe one game would change the distribution too much. Consider Pitta a low-end TE2 target.

“I’m just a Dennis Pitta fan,” said Suggs. “He’s kind of the black sheep. We’ve got a lot of personality on this team. Here you’ve got this blue-collar guy.” Suggs has nicknamed Pitta “American Express” because he’s “everywhere you want him to be.” Pitta and Ed Dickson combined for 94 receptions, 933 yards, and 8 TDs in 2011.

Pitta, in particular, became an integral part of the game plan down the stretch, hauling in four touchdowns in the final eight games. Dickson, on the other hand, was targeted just 27 times in the final nine games after a hot start. We prefer Pitta to Dickson in Dynasty and keeper formats.

Pitta opened the season playing a limited number of snaps, but he earned a bigger role during the stretch run as an athletic matchup problem for defenses. All four of Pitta’s touchdowns came in Baltimore’s final eight games, including the playoffs. Pitta remains unlikely to make a large 2012 fantasy impact, but he’s got more upside than co-starter Ed Dickson.

Pitta’s break was clean. He’s expected to miss 4-6 weeks, tentatively putting him on track to play against the Bengals in Week 1. In the intermission, starter Ed Dickson has a chance to grab some momentum.

Dickson is progressing quickly off the sprained right shoulder he sustained during the preseason opener. He’s hoping to return to practice in roughly a week, giving him ample time to get ready for Week 1. Meanwhile, Dennis Pitta (broken hand) is without a timetable for catching passes.

Both players have resumed practicing, and coach John Harbaugh hinted Monday they will be ready to go for Week 1. With neither offering more than TE2 upside and the Ravens playing in the second-to-last game of the week, however, fantasy owners can do far better at tight end. Neither Dickson nor Pitta is on the redraft radar until further notice.

Dickson was the preferred passing-game option early on last season, but Dennis Pitta was vastly more effective later in the year and into the playoffs. No matter who is the “starter,” both are going to see plenty of snaps as the Ravens run two-tight end sets. The fear is that they’ll cap each other’s upside.