Top 25 Tight Ends in PPR Fantasy Football
These are the guys that will be the most consistent at a position that needs it in Fantasy Football
Continuing with the series of best players at each position in Fantasy Football, the Tight End is next and having an elite TE in Fantasy Football is crucial since it is a position that many Fantasy players worry about and stress over.
Unless you are drafting one of the big three: Travis Kelce, George Kittle, or Darren Waller, you shouldn’t have wasted a top 3 round pick on a Tight End. However, you should have found one in your drafts by Round 8 otherwise you will be in big trouble. Either way, here are the top 25 TE’s for PPR Fantasy Football leagues this season.
1. Travis Kelce
As much as I like George Kittle and Darren Waller, Travis Kelce is the undisputed best fantasy Tight End right now and maybe ever. The touchdown machine is the safest and best first-round pick you have probably ever taken and Kelce will get at least a TD, maybe even 2 TD’s every single game, while also getting 5-7 receptions for over 80 yards each game. Mahomes’ #1 target (along with Tyreek Hill) is a fantasy football god and will win you, leagues.
2. George Kittle
George Kittle is extremely talented and one of the best Fantasy Tight Ends in recent memory along with Kelce. Although I think Darren Waller has a better QB throwing to him, Kittle is way more talented and should continue to be a Red-Zone machine this season.
With Raheem Mostert being out for the season, Jimmy Garroppolo and the offense must rely on Deebo Samuel, Brandon Ayuik, and primarily George Kittle now more than before. Even though Kittle didn’t have a fantastic week, Garroppolo throwing for over 300 passing yards is a good sign for Kittle and the offense.
3. Darren Waller
Waller was his usual beast self in the Monday night win for the Raiders over the Ravens catching 10 passes for over 100 yards while also pulling in a touchdown. Waller is the #1 target for the Raiders offense and Derek Carr and because of that, like Kelce and Kittle, is basically a Wide Receiver. As long as the Raiders’ offense keeps rolling, so will Waller. He could even finish as the top TE by the end of the year if he keeps his production going.
4. Mark Andrews
Andrews had a miserable first game against the Raiders in the Ravens’ loss only catching 3 passes for 20 yards without a touchdown. Even though Andrews should be Lamar Jackson’s #1 Red Zone target, he wasn’t on Monday night which is a little bit concerning.
Marquise Brown and others led the way in receptions from the passing game and if the Ravens want to win a lot of games they should target Andrews more. Big physical Tight Ends that can be used like receivers are hard to find.
5. T.J. Hockenson
Hockenson had a huge day against a very good 49ers defense catching 8 passes for 97 yards including a touchdown. This should be very promising for Fantasy owners of Hockenson because if he can go off against a dominant defense like San Francisco, he should be able to go off against most other defenses as well. Hockenson remains an extremely solid TE1 in all PPR leagues.
6. Kyle Pitts
Pitts is an obviously extremely gifted Tight End who like Waller, Kittle, and Kelce, plays basically Wide Receiver. Pitts is a catch machine and a mismatch nightmare for defenses. He just was not used right against in the Falcons’ blowout 32-6 loss to the Eagles.
He only caught 4 passes for 31 yards and Matt Ryan and the rest of the offense could not get going at all. Pitts is still Ryan’s #1 target in the Red-Zone so do not overreact at Pitts's subpar first NFL game of his career. Pitts is an elite TE1 in all PPR leagues that you could have gotten in rounds 5+. Pitts has so much upside this season and I would be surprised if he isn’t targeted more next week against the Bucs.
7. Rob Gronkowski
Gronkowski was a touchdown machine pulling in two touchdowns in the Bucs opening game win against the Dallas Cowboys. Obviously, Gronkowski will not produce like this every week, but it is very promising for Fantasy owners of Gronk that he remains Brady’s #1 Red-Zone target.
He may not end up with as many receptions as he usually does this season, but he will end up with the most touchdowns he has had in a while and because of that is an extremely solid TE1 in PPR formats.
8. Logan Thomas
Logan Thomas pulled in the lone touchdown the Washington Football Team had in their 20-16 loss against the Chargers on Sunday. Thomas is one of Taylor Heinicke’s favorite targets and remains the #1 Red-Zone threat along with Terry McClaurin and Antonio Gibson for the Football Team.
Thomas had a big year last year and should have an even bigger year this year making him a solid TE1 in all PPR leagues if you prioritized elsewhere in the early rounds of your draft.
9. Noah Fant
Fant is one of the most talented Tight Ends in the NFL and a great guy to have on your team if you own the Denver Broncos, but not a guy you necessarily want on your Fantasy Team. Fant is way too inconsistent and the Broncos have a very shady offense. Since Jerry Jeudy is out for the year, Fant should become an even bigger part of the Broncos’ offense.
This is the reason why he leapfrogs Tyler Higbee and Jonnu Smith. Either way, I personally would rather have Tyler Higbee and Jonnu Smith on my Fantasy team, but Noah Fant is not the worst guy to have as your Tight End in PPR leagues.
10. Tyler Higbee
Higbee had a very solid first game with Matthew Stafford throwing to him catching 5 passes for 68 yards without a touchdown in the Rams 34-14 win over the Chicago Bears on Sunday night. Higbee is one of the many options Stafford is going to use in the passing game but remains a good fantasy Tight End with a very high production output.
11. Jonnu Smith
Jonnu Smith and Hunter Henry are both great Tight Ends who will split action in the passing game. Smith had 42 receiving yards and Henry had 31 receiving yards last week against the Dolphins.
Mac Jones thew enough in week 1 against a good defense, but will throw many more passes in week 2 against a very weak defensive New York Jets team. This means that both Smith and Henry should get a ton of targets from Mac Jones and both should have great weeks.
12. Austin Hooper
Austin Hooper only had 3 receptions for 27 yards in the Browns’ 33-29 loss to the Kansas City Cheifs last Sunday. Hooper is still a solid Tight End who will undoubtedly be targeted more throughout the year.
The best is yet to come for Hooper, but he is not a safe Tight End to have in Fantasy because of him not being targeted as much as other Tight Ends.
13. Evan Engram
Engram has a lot of upside this season because the Giants are apparently going to pass more this year. However, no one knows how long Evan Engram will be injured. He did not play last week and will miss tonight’s game against the Washington Football Team as well.
Engram should not be your starting Tight End. If he is or anyone else on the rest of this list is, you need to come up with a trade proposal for a solid Tight End as soon as possible. Having a weak TE in Fantasy Football is purgatory and you won’t get out until it’s too late.
14. Dallas Goedert
Goedert had a touchdown reception for the Eagles in their 32-6 win against the Atlanta Falcons, but don’t expect him to continue this kind of production.
Zach Ertz is getting back into the mix and is another very formidable Tight End, so who knows how much Goedert will be out there as TE1 on his team for the rest of the season. He is a good TE to have on your bench or someone to look at on the waiver wire if your Tight End gets hurt.
15. Robert Tonyan
Obviously, Tonyan did not get many looks because no one did in Aaron Rodgers’ worst performance of his career. I mean Davante Adams only got 5 receptions for 56 yards so what do you expect from the fourth option of this offense? The Packers will obviously be better than last weekend, but it is very unlikely that they will be as good on the offensive end as last year.
That type of production is impossible to replicate and because of that Tonyan won’t have as good of a year as last year, just like everyone else on this Packers roster. Tonyan remains a waiver wire or bench TE but if he is your starter be prepared for some tough times in Fantasy Football. You need to upgrade.
16. Mike Gesicki
Gesicki remains one of the most overrated Tight Ends in the league as people reach for him in PPR league drafts way too often.
Tua Tagovailoa can’t get Jaylen Waddle and Will Fuller going that much so how is he supposed to get Gesicki going every week? This Dolphins team relies on its defense, not its subpar offense and you don’t want any players from a subpar offense on your Fantasy team.
17. Hunter Henry
Henry is a great Tight End but shares too much time with Jonnu Smith. Plain and simple. Don’t pick up Henry even if he has some good weeks because Belichek will most definitely be inconsistent with the targeting of his two Tight Ends, especially Henry who is the team’s TE2 behind Smith.
18. Jared Cook
Jared Cook has a very inconsistent role on the Chargers. One week he will catch 7 passes for almost 90 yards and the next he won’t even have a reception. That goes to show how deep and how many weapons this Chargers team has. Either way, because of the inconsistencies Cook is not a good Tight end to own in Fantasy.
19. Eric Ebron
Ebron isn’t a big enough part of the offense to be rewarded a roster spot.
20. Cole Kmet
Kmet is young and very talented, but until Justin Fields becomes the starter his production will be limited. When Fields becomes the starter we may come back and have a different conversation on whether Kmet can play on your Fantasy team.
21. Gerald Everett
Everett pulled in a touchdown for the Seahawks against a very good Colts defense in week 1. However, he will not be targeted enough to play in any PPR leagues as of right now. If he continues to pick up a touchdown every week then maybe he will be an eligible TE1 in Fantasy.
22. Anthony Firkser
Firkser only caught 3 passes for 19 yards in the Titans blowout loss to the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday. In retrospect, no one had a big day for the Titans’ offense so Firkser wasn’t the only one who did not produce. Firkser is not playable in any Fantasy Football format right now, but we will see how this Titans offense produces in week 2.
23. O.J. Howard
Howard is playing behind Gronkowski in the Bucs’ offensive scheme and because of that, he will be limited in production. He could become a solid pickup on the waiver wire in Fantasy Football if he gets time along with Gronkowski.
24. Blake Jarwin
Jarwin is a decent Tight End, but he should not be on anyone’s fantasy team because he does not produce enough.
25. Zach Ertz
Ertz is playing behind Dallas Goedert in the Eagles offense which limits his upside. He is a do not draft or pick up on the waiver wire player until he sees more action.