Tight end might be the most vexing position to figure out in fantasy football. It’s usually a onesie position unless you’re a complete sicko playing in a two-TE league—there’s no reason to put yourself through that kind of pain. Outside of that scenario, you typically need only one starter on a weekly basis.
Because of that, every offseason we convince ourselves that “tight end is deep this year,” and wait to draft one. Sadly, that rarely turns out to be true.
There is perhaps no better position in fantasy football that separates the “haves” from the “have-nots” more than tight end. If you had Travis Kelce in his prime or last season’s Trey McBride, you know exactly how valuable an elite option in your starting lineup can be every week.
A Bumpy Road
At the top, the studs are easy to identify. Lately, if you can correctly guess who’s going to run the most routes, there’s a high probability you’ll end up with the season’s TE1 or TE2. That’s happened in each of the past four seasons. Outside those top-tier studs, though, good luck trying to figure things out.
Harold Fannin, courtesy Cleveland Browns
Last year, Kyle Pitts — after years of being a punching bag — finished as the overall TE2. Harold Fannin Jr. put David Njoku on the bench and ended his rookie season as the TE7. Juwan Johnson had a rare Year 6 breakout and finished as the TE8 completely out of nowhere. Meanwhile, Evan Engram signed with Denver to be the “Joker” in Sean Payton’s offense and completely faceplanted, finishing as the TE31 in points per game.
I could go on and on, but the point is, there are only a few difference-makers at the position, and getting one of those guys can give you a weekly edge against your competition. The question is whether it’s worth ponying up for that advantage, or if you’re better off punting the position to try finding a diamond in the rough later in drafts.
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Hanging with the Elites
At the top, it’s Brock Bowers and Trey McBride. No matter how much others want to push the young guns like Colston Loveland and Tyler Warren up there, I don’t believe they’re in the same tier. Not yet.
Brock Bowers | Las Vegas Raiders
Bowers has been an absolute star in his first two NFL seasons. As a rookie in 2024, he finished as the TE1 in total fantasy points and ranked inside the top 10 in nearly every important efficiency metric. Last year, a knee injury in Week 1 nearly derailed his season, but he later returned after missing only a few games and finished as the TE2 in fantasy points per game (14.7).
Brock Bowers’ Advanced Metrics
Just how good has Bowers been compared to the greats before him? The only tight end to average more fantasy points per game than Bowers (15.13) over their first two seasons is Rob Gronkowski (15.17). Less than a tenth of a fantasy point away from Gronk. I’d say that’s… pretty solid company.
I currently have Bowers as my TE1 and rank him as my No. 11-overall player in PPR leagues for 2026. He offers the rare combination of an incredibly high floor and extreme ceiling. If you ask me for a few guys who could break fantasy this year, Bowers is on that short list.
Trey McBride | Arizona Cardinals
And if I miss out on Bowers, I’m okay “settling” for McBride, last year’s overall TE1 by a mile. He scored 105 more fantasy points than the TE2, Kyle Pitts. That gap was larger than Pitts to T.J. Hockensen, who finished as TE26. Just preposterous when you put it that way.
It was a historic season for McBride, who rode monumental volume to a tight end NFL-record 126 receptions and the third-best fantasy season ever produced at the position.
Trey McBride’s 2025 Historic Productivity
There’s no chance he runs 683 routes in 2026, but McBride is still going to be a focal point on offense and is currently in his prime at just 26 years old.
Last year was no fluke, either. McBride has been a beast for three seasons running now and should continue to operate at an elite level. Fade in the second or third round at your own risk.
The Next Tier
Don’t want to spend your precious early-round picks on Bowers or McBride? Here are the other top-tier guys being drafted highly who won’t quite cost you an arm and a leg.
Colston Loveland | Chicago Bears
Last year’s No. 10 overall pick in the NFL Draft ended his rookie campaign on an absolute tear. Over his final four games, including the playoffs, Colston Loveland averaged 12 targets, seven receptions, and 95 receiving yards. Loveland also ranked sixth in both first downs per route run (0.099) and yards per route run (1.96). He’s a buzzy name attached to Ben Johnson. If you want him, you’ll need to take him near the Round 3-4 turn.
Tyler Warren | Indianapolis Colts
Tyler Warren’s Advanced Metrics
The 14th overall selection in the 2025 Draft got off to a blistering start. Then Daniel Jones got hurt, forcing the Colts offense to go off the rails. Still, Tyler Warren led the team in targets and finished with 76 receptions for 817 yards and four scores. His 11.1 fantasy points per game were good for TE9. With Michael Pittman no longer around and Alec Pierce still on the mend, Warren should command plenty of targets and have a strong second season.
Tucker Kraft | Green Bay Packers
The Cheeseheads’ version of George Kittle, Tucker Kraft was pacing for a massive 2025 season before tearing his ACL in Week 9. Prior to that, he was averaging 16.1 fantasy points per game, behind only McBride. Kraft finished first in yards per reception (15.3), second in yards per route run (2.56), and third in first downs per route run (0.115).
He will have less target competition this year with Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks playing elsewhere. If you’re not worried about the ACL, he could be a great pick in Round 6.
Kyle Pitts | Atlanta Falcons
Last year’s TE2 overall, folks. Kyle Pitts finally delivered after all these years of promise. He set career highs in targets (118), receptions (88) and touchdowns (five) while racking up 928 yards. The Falcons gave him a fat contract this offseason, so they’ll be incentivized to utilize Pitts heavily.
Kyle Pitts’ 2025 Explosive Play Rating
Now paired with head coach Kevin Stefanski, who has a history of producing fantasy-relevant tight ends, there’s potentially another level to Pitts’ game that we haven’t seen yet. He’s my favorite target in Round 6 or 7 if I don’t have a TE yet.
Sam LaPorta | Detroit Lions
Sam LaPorta finished as the overall TE1 as a rookie in 2023 with 889 yards and 10 touchdowns. Since then, his production has fallen in back-to-back seasons as he’s dealt with injuries. However, he remained a top-10 player on a per-game basis. In nine games last year, he averaged 11.9 fantasy points per game, which was sixth at the position.
LaPorta has a lot of competition for targets in Detroit, but he’s on one of the best offenses in football and remains a dangerous weapon near the end zone. He’s another guy going in the Round 6 or 7 range, and he’s already proven to have TE1 upside.
Just Kick it Away
If bypassing a running back or wide receiver to take a tight end in the first seven rounds isn’t your thing, you can essentially punt the position and take some swings on guys later in drafts.
The likelihood of them being massive producers is lower, but that’s why you’re taking them in Round 9 or later. Certainty is largely out the window at this point; you’re hoping for a large role or volume increase.
Travis Kelce | Kansas City Chiefs
Right now, you can get Travis Kelce around the Round 8-9 turn. He may be older than dirt, but he still finished as the TE3 overall last year. In what should be his swan song, Kelce is going to be motivated to go out on a high note. At that price, I’m willing to bet he still has something left in the tank.
Dalton Kincaid | Buffalo Bills
Dalton Kincaid is an interesting gamble in the Round 9 range. Last year, he ranked No. 1 in basically every efficiency metric known to man. The only problem? He played just 38.3% of the snaps.
Dalton Kincaid’s 2025 Efficiency
If his knee is healthy and that snap share ticks up to 60-65%, Kincaid might rack up some insane fantasy numbers. He just needs to be on the field.
Dallas Goedert | Philadelphia Eagles
In 2025, Dallas Goedert scored a career-high 11 touchdowns and averaged 12.3 fantasy points per game, good for TE5. Yet you can routinely get him in drafts around the Round 9-10 turn.
Rookie Eli Stowers isn’t a threat to him this year. Draft Goedert with confidence.
Jake Ferguson | Dallas Cowboys
At TE15 in ADP is Jake Ferguson. Last year, he finished TE5 in PPR scoring with 82 receptions for 600 yards and eight touchdowns. His role as Dak Prescott‘s safety blanket is locked in, making him a nice value for managers who wait on the position.
Juwan Johnson | New Orleans Saints
Juwan Johnson enjoyed a Year 6 breakout, finishing with 77 catches for 889 yards. He was TE11 in fantasy points per game.
Juwan Johnson’s 2025 Explosive Play Rating
He could keep the good times rolling with rookie wideout Jordyn Tyson missing the start of the season because of a hamstring injury, and all it costs you is typically a Round 12 pick.
Hunter Henry | New England Patriots
Hunter Henry was a red zone monster last year for the Patriots, scoring seven touchdowns, and the team rewarded him this offseason with a two-year contract extension. He averaged 10.5 fantasy points per game in 2025 thanks to 60 catches for 768 receiving yards. Still, no one wants to draft him until Round 13.
Chigoziem Okonkwo | Washington Commanders
Chigoziem Okonkwo is Jayden Daniels‘ new TE1. Daniels leaned on Zach Ertz during his first two years, which provides some hope that Okonkwo can step into that role and be productive. With his 4.52 speed, he’ll be a weapon over the middle for the Commanders, and he’s dirt-cheap in drafts in Round 14.
Dalton Schultz | Texans
The Texans lost receiver Jayden Higgins for the season (Ed. note: Also noteworthy: there is no timetable for Tank Dell’s return). That should open up more target volume for Dalton Schultz.
Schultz has quietly finished as a top-10 option in total fantasy points five of the past six seasons. He’s not a sexy name and no one is excited to draft him, but he somehow gets the job done year in and year out.
Kenyon Sadiq | New York Jets
Kenyon Sadiq’s Advanced Metrics
Athleticism is usually tied to success at tight end. If you want to take a shot on a superior physical specimen, rookie Kenyon Sadiq is going in the 16th round on average.
Sadiq ran the fastest 40-yard dash ever for a tight end and was drafted 16th overall by the Jets. There are worse dart throws you can make near the end of drafts than the athletic freak with first-round draft capital.
Parting Shots
There’s more than one way to attack the tight end position this year. Maybe it really is the year where things are deep. It seems that way, at least for now. We’ll see how the landscape looks once the fantasy points start flowing.
No. 87 Travis Kelce, courtesy ChiefsKingdom
Whether you spend up for the true difference-makers, live in the middle tier, or take the wait-and-pray approach, just make sure you have a plan going into your drafts. It’s not as bad as the running back position, but tight end can get ugly fast, especially if these late-round guys don’t pan out like we hope they do.
Wolf Trelles-Heard is a fantasy football analyst for PlayerProfiler.
Follow @DynastyFFWolf
