The tight end position was revived last season. The breakouts of young tight ends saved the position for fantasy football, and we may not be done yet. Not only did Sam LaPorta, Trey McBride, and Dalton Kincaid break out, but Evan Engram also showed us flashes we last saw in his rookie season. The fun doesn’t stop there, as this offseason brought on more exciting opportunities at the position. Kyle Pitts gets the gift of Kirk Cousins, and Brock Bowers enters the league. There is a lot to be excited about for the fantasy football tight end, whether you play redraft or dynasty.
When it comes to drafting a tight end this year, I love drafting one of the top six options; that being said, there is a tight end at every level of the draft that you should be happy with in ten-team leagues. When a one-off position like tight end has the depth it does this year, it gives you tons of flexibility. When checking out the rankings and tiers below, pay close attention to the tier breaks in your drafts, as they can be something of a decision-maker on whether you should wait at the position or strike now.
For context, let me briefly break down how I look at the top few tiers:
Tier 1: Young elite players with known roles in the offense.
Tier 2: A combination of veterans and youth with TE1 overall potential and one or two minor concerns.
Tier 3: Older players who are looking like some of the better values at the position.
Let’s dive in!
Tier 1
1. Sam LaPorta (TE, DET) – Sam LaPorta stood in rarified air last season, ranking in the top five in the league in targets, receptions, yards, and touchdowns. He scored 10 touchdowns in a year, whereas the next-best tight end scored six. Oh, and he did it as a rookie. It’s true that touchdowns are not the most sticky of stats, but to do it as a rookie and in an offense that stayed almost entirely the same heading into 2024, LaPorta is the truth. His role in the offense is secure, and even with his round three ADP, I have no problem pulling the trigger.
2. Trey McBride (TE, ARI) – Trey McBride was on pace for just under 1,200 yards last season from week six on. You could easily make a case that he should be at the top of this list. Heading into 2024, McBride now has a fully healthy Kyler Murray and Marvin Harrison Jr. to take the defense’s attention away. While it’s true the target pie gets smaller with Harrison, he and McBride don’t generally work in the same areas of the field, and they should complement each other well. McBride is a great value right now, and I wouldn’t be afraid to grab him anytime after round three.
Tier 2
3. Kyle Pitts (TE, ATL) – Kyle Pitts’ season has finally arrived, for real this time. The upgrade from Desmond Ridder to Kirk Cousins cannot be overstated. Cousins’ former tight end, T.J. Hockenson, averaged 937 receiving yards and five and a half touchdowns per season. He has spent the early parts of his career with poor quarterback play and learning parts of the wide receiver position. This year, it all comes together. Pitts has eyes on the best tight end in football this year, and it is well within his range of outcomes. Being drafted as the TE7 in redraft leagues makes him a slam dunk. Draft him confidently and thank me later.
4. Dalton Kincaid (TE, BUF) – Dalton Kincaid could be heading toward a breakout season in 2024. Kincaid currently is the favorite to lead this team in targets after the departure of Stefon Diggs. While the Bills may struggle more than they have in years past, Kincaid has an excellent chance to eclipse the 91 targets he saw in his rookie season. He will, of course, not be alone, as Dawson Knox will get playing time but should be filling the in-line tight-end role more than Kincaid.
5. Travis Kelce (TE, KC) – Travis Kelce has been the TE1 overall in six of the last eight seasons, but last season was not one of them. Still, he was producing at an elite pace when he was fully healthy. Kelce can’t do this forever, but he was not showing too many signs of slowing down. 2024 may be the youth takeover, but Kelce and Mark Andrews should still be able to post massive numbers in the final stages of their career.
6. Mark Andrews (TE, BAL) – Mark Andrews could fall anywhere from TE1 to TE6. He has dealt with injury concerns, but when he is on the field, he is truly one of the elite fantasy football tight ends in the league. It will be interesting to see how OC Todd Monken implements Andrews and Isaiah Likely this season as they have sights on a late-season run. My rough projections have Andrews accruing 789 yards and seven touchdowns.
Tier 3
7. Evan Engram (TE, JAC) – Evan Engram led the league in targets last season and nearly broke the tight end receptions record. He is one of the returning weapons for Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars and has some sleeper TE1 overall value. He is being drafted as the TE8 right now and finished as the TE2 last season. He has one of the safest floors at the position and is an easy pick at cost.
8. George Kittle (TE, SF) – George Kittle had one of the best seasons of his career in 2023. He was a top-ten tight-end 12 times, 10 of which he was the TE5 or better. The Brandon Aiyuk trade talks have seemed to stall, but if Aiyuk does get traded, Kittle could be heading for his fourth 1,000-yard season.
9. David Njoku (TE, CLE) – David Njoku finally had his breakout season in 2023. He racked up nearly 900 receiving yards and six touchdowns and set career highs in every pass-catching category. This year, you can expect much of the same from Njoku. The only reason he falls to nine is because the tight end position as a whole is heading toward a massive 2024 season.
Tier 4
10. Pat Freiermuth (TE, PIT) – Pat Freiermuth battled some injuries in his career, but the talent is evident. While I am not buying Freiermuth’s breakout season, he is a value at his ADP. Don’t forget that just a year ago, “Muth” was able to eclipse 700 receiving yards in 2022. I expect a return to TE1 territory this season. He gets an added bump if Fields takes over the starting gig.
11. Brock Bowers (TE, LV) – The Raiders stunned many by selecting Brock Bowers in the NFL draft. Bowers is one of the best tight-end prospects of all time coming out of Georgia. He shouldn’t be asked to block much and might be the best player on this team, not named Davante Adams. The only thing holding him back from a Sam LaPorta-type breakout in year one is his quarterbacks.
12. Jake Ferguson (TE, DAL) – Jake Ferguson slipped into the TE1 conversation due to a massive workload, seeing 102 targets last season. He has a chance to see a similar workload this year. Ferguson’s upside is limited, though. He is one of the safer options if you want to lock in 8-12 points each week, but he rarely gives you more than that.
13. Dalton Schultz (TE, HOU) – Dalton Schultz is the picture next to the word average in the dictionary. He gets exactly what you expect with the plays he is given. Schultz will flirt with TE1 numbers all season, but you won’t ever be happy with having him on your roster.
14. Dallas Goedert (TE, PHI) – Dallas Goedert has found his home just outside the top tight ends in the league. He is essentially Dalton Schultz with better marketing. He isn’t the one winning you weeks, and as long as he is healthy, he won’t ever get you that dreaded zero. If you are in a bind, there are worse options.
Tier 5
15. Isaiah Likely (TE, BAL) – Isaiah Likely proved in Mark Andrews’s absence that he deserves more playing time. During the final five games of the season, Likely posted four TE1 finishes, three of which were TE5 or better. Todd Monken has already hinted that Likely will be used in creative ways in 2024. If this does come to fruition, Likely may be way too low here.
16. Cole Kmet (TE, CHI) – While there is virtually no chance Cole Kmet will see the 90 targets he received last season, his touchdown opportunity is on the rise. Kmet is also a great blocker, so while he may be a force in NFL terms, he will struggle to find consistency in 2024.
17. T.J. Hockenson (TE, MIN) – T.J. Hockenson tore both his ACL and MCL last season. He is an excellent IR stash for leagues that allow it. When healthy, Hockenson is a top-ten tight-end talent. The only other question is what Sam Darnold and JJ McCarthy are going to provide as far as target quality in 2024.
18. Luke Musgrave (TE, GB) – Luke Musgrave should lead the Packers’ tight ends in fantasy points. He is tied to a young quarterback on the rise in Jordan Love. There is a lot to like in Green Bay. That being said, Tucker Kraft will be a thorn in his side all season long. Musgrave has all the potential to be a tight end in fantasy, but unless Kraft gets hurt, he may never realize that potential.
19. Hunter Henry (TE, NE) – Hunter Henry may have a bit of a rollercoaster season ahead of him. He is rapidly approaching 30 years old and will have some combination of Jacoby Brissett and Drake Maye leading the charge. He should dominate passing down work for the Patriots, but the offense may be trying to find its identity for most of the season. He is not a bad bye week option, but beyond that, the ceiling is limited.
20. Chigoziem Okonkwo (TE, TEN) – Chigoziem Okonkwo did not quite live up to the hype last season. He saw decent target volume (77 targets) but was only able to find the endzone one time. In the new iteration of the Titans offense, Chig may be moved around more, and increased usage in the slot may be seen. While this does bode well for his fantasy outlook, I don’t expect it to be enough to move up near the top 12 at the position.
21. Taysom Hill (TE, NO) – Taysom Hill is an enigma wrapped in anomaly. The Saints’ do-it-all man should continue to be implemented in all phases of the game, but with new OC Klint Kubiak, I would not be surprised for him to see fewer reps across the board. He enters his age-33 season and currently sits at 111 total touches in my projections.
22. Cade Otton (TE, TB) – In tight-end premium or two tight-end leagues, Cade Otton could be a breakout candidate. He took a small step forward last season, and as he enters year three, he is being used all over the formation during training camp. He should be able to eclipse the 500-yard mark while posting three to five touchdowns.
23. Jonnu Smith (TE, MIA) – Jonnu Smith took his talents to Miami this offseason. He may not be one of the top three targets, but there is potential for him if the Dolphins deal with injury. Smith had one of the best seasons of his career last season with the Falcons and joined one of the more explosive teams in the leagues. At the very least, his touchdown opportunity will undoubtedly go up, going from Desmond Ridder to Tua Tagovailoa.
24. Tucker Kraft (TE, GB) – Tucker Kraft looks to be on track for week one, which means that while he and his teammate Luke Musgrave both have incredible ceilings, they are capped by the other’s existence. If one were to miss time, the other would establish them firmly in the tight end of one conversation. Until then, I am avoiding both in most leagues, and Kraft starts the year behind Musgrave.
25. Tyler Conklin (TE, NYJ) – If Tyler Conklin had caught just three touchdowns last season, he would have jumped to the TE14 on the season. The Jets were a mess in the passing game, but the return of Aaron Rodgers could be great news for Conklin. I doubt he flirts with the TE1 production this season, but he could be a nice bye week or injury fill-in against the right defense.
Tier 6
26. Theo Johnson (TE, NYG) – Theo Johnson is already earning first-team reps in New York. The Giants saw Darren Waller retire this offseason, leaving them with Daniel Bellinger as the only other option. Johnson should have a chance to earn the starting job out of camp, being that he is a towering 6’6″ and 264 pounds and ran a 4.57 40-yard dash time at the combine. His athleticism shouldn’t be ignored in dynasty formats, but for redraft, it may be a carousel for a large part of the season as Johnson adapts to the NFL game.
27. Juwan Johnson (TE, NO) – Juwan Johnson will need to earn the trust of new OC Klint Kubiak if he wants to be fantasy-relevant this season. Not only that, but the broken-down bus version of Derek Carr at quarterback does not bode well for the 27-year-old. Last season, he took a small step back from his 2022, where he was able to finish the season as the TE10 in half-PPR leagues. In 12-team leagues, you can avoid Johnson this season.
28. Noah Fant (TE, SEA) – Noah Fant has yet to live up to his potential, but there have been flashes of brilliance during his five-year career. 2024 may be a bounce-back season if Fant can stay healthy, but there are a lot of mouths to feed in Seattle, and Fant looks to be the fourth or fifth option right now. There are higher upside options available.
29. Michael Mayer (TE, LV) – Michael Mayer had a strong end to last year’s season and was approaching a potentially huge breakout season. Then, the Raiders selected Brock Bowers in the NFL Draft. Mayer could still serve as the primary in-line tight end, but with the Raiders quarterback situation, the volume and quality of targets will not be enough to make him a viable starter at tight end.
30. Jelani Woods (TE, IND) – Jelani Woods is currently listed as the tight end three on the Colts depth chart. He struggled with an injury that kept him off the field all of last season, which could be part of the reason. The upside with Woods is tangible as one of the most athletic tight ends in the NFL. That being said, if he can’t stay healthy and the Colts are dead set on rotating three to four players at the position, it may be time to give up on Woods in all formats.
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