• Perhaps a passing of the baton: Have Sam Laporta He completely took the TE1 crown. Travis Kelce Or will the debate still be ongoing in 2024?
• A strong group of capable options emerges in the second and third tiers. With more talent and more young players at the tight end position, there are more fantasy-worthy starters this season.
• Get an early start on fantasy football: use PFF Fantasy Football Mock Draft Simulator Get ready for your live draft by creating a real live mock draft simulation.
Estimated reading time: 8 Minutes
Dividing fantasy football rankings into tiers can help fantasy managers understand the differences between each grouping and how to evaluate players at each position this season.
Tier 1: Head-to-head battle for the TE1 crown
After having one fantasy TE1 for several consecutive seasons, a rookie TE1 in 2023 is a new contender. Sam Laporta Dethroned Travis KelcePerhaps this means passing the baton to a younger generation. Detroit Lions Tight end. But while Kelce's 2023 season saw him drop off compared to past years, he's still one of the best at his position and could be considered a TE1 draft candidate in 2024.
While Kelce is likely in the final stages of his NFL career, he remains one of the most dominant tight ends in the league, leading the position in PPR points per game (14.8) and PPR points per snap (0.29). Kelce missed one game in 2023 and lost the TE1 spot to a top prospect in LaPorta. While Kelce is no longer a first-round fantasy draft prospect, he remains a top contender at the position to generate a ton of targets and touchdowns in 2024.
Laporta had a historic rookie season in 2023, recording 889 receiving yards and 10 receiving touchdowns as a PPR TE1 on the year. His 118 targets and 7.6 per game were also top-five records for the position. Laporta's 23 red zone targets were also top-five records, leading to 9 of his 10 total touchdowns in the regular season. Laporta's high-end usage in the Lions' offense is expected to continue in 2024, as he gains another year of NFL experience and is expected to be a prime candidate to win another TE1 season.
Tier 2: Showcasing new strengths in your position
Thanks to the overall strong showing at the position in 2023, this second tier is the deepest it has ever been, and several candidates not included in the second tier could have a shot at a spot here next season.
Mark Andrews His combination of talent and usage in the Ravens offense puts him ahead of the Tier 2 pack, and alone among other tight ends. Travis Kelce Andrews was the TE1 for the six seasons prior to last season. He missed 2023 with an injury and played in just 10 games, but still ranked in the top five at his position in receiving grade (80.7), touchdowns (6) and yards per route run (1.96). Andrews was the Ravens' top receiving target in all regular-season games played last season, averaging a higher target rate than any other player. They Flowers During that span, they had a 6-1 advantage in receiving success percentage (21.6% vs. 18.6%) and an advantage in receiving touchdowns.
Evan Engram Engram was the NFL's most targeted tight end last season (140) and finished the season as the 4th-best PPR TE on the year. Jacksonville relied on Engram in the passing game, finishing in the top five in points per game (13.2) and points per snap (0.25) despite his low red zone usage at just 0.9 red zone targets per game (tied for 14th). Calvin Ridley Last year, he had the fourth-most red zone targets in the league (40). TennesseeEngram still has plenty of room to improve his scoring potential after scoring just four touchdowns last season.
As long as we are discussing the big role to inherit, Dalton Kincaid It may be one of the best things to do after he leaves office. Stefon Diggs from BuffaloDiggs will be taking over from one of the league's best quarterbacks after being targeted 159 times last season (fifth in the league), and while Kinkaid won't inherit all of those targets of course, he is one of the players most expected to see a significant increase in usage this season despite finishing in the top 10 in targets (90) and receiving yards (673) last season.
Much has been said Kyle Pitts' He has the potential to once again be the high-end fantasy tight end we all expected from him when he was drafted fourth overall in 2021. Pitts is one of the most talented receiving tight ends in the league, and with Raheem Morris taking over as head coach, that coupled with his more consistent usage in the offense makes him a huge upgrade for the quarterback.
Tier 3: Top 10 Contenders
Jake Ferguson Ferguson is likely to reclaim his spot as the second-best receiving option in Dallas' offense this season after a strong first year as the full-time starter in 2023. Last season, Ferguson ranked in the top 10 at his position in targets (96), receiving yards (761), touchdowns (5) and receiving grade (73.4), and with the Cowboys not adding any significant target competition this offseason, Ferguson should be heavily involved again.
Rookie first-round pick Brock Bowers Projecting 2024 is tough, as the Raiders' offense is unlikely to be an above-average unit and will likely split time with a 2023 second-round pick. Michael MayerThat being said, I'd say he's the best tight end prospect of the PFF era.This shows the amount of upside potential there is at the position, especially at this point in the draft. If Bowers can hit the ground running and become a focal point of the offense as quickly as his college profile suggests, he'll be drafted much higher than this in 2025.
TJ Hockenson Hockenson, who tore his ACL late last season, is one of the most questionable players at the position at this point in the offseason. It's unlikely, but not impossible, that Hockenson will be back before the new year, and there's also concern that he may take some time to get back into form even when he does get on the field. That's easily avoidable for most players at this position, but Hockenson has a good chance of finishing in the top five when healthy, so fantasy managers may want to take a gamble here if they pick the rest of the players in this tier.
Tier 4: Fantasy starting lineup candidates
Pat Friarmouth 2023 was a disappointing year for him as he was not involved in the offense at all, but I personally think 2024 will be a season of recovery. The key will be whether he fits into Arthur Smith's offensive line. Smith's offensive line has ranked in the top three in tight end target rate since 2021, and is again in the top three when it comes to tight ends lined up from in-line positions, which makes Freimus' fit into the offense different from other offensive lines. Kyle PittsComing into 2021, Friarmouth has spent 67.9% of his offensive snaps in an in-line configuration while Pitts has done just 29.5%. This should keep Friarmouth on the field for a more consistent and reliable performance.
Luke Musgrave Unfortunately, he missed a lot of time with injury in his rookie year, but he's another favorite in this tier. With one of the better offensive teams this season, there's the enticing possibility of a strong receiving tight end emerging. Musgrave was an intriguing receiving tight end prospect. Oregon But he was also plagued by injuries. Last season, he showed glimpses of his receiving ability, finishing as the team's highest receiving tight end (16.4 percent). Tucker Craft He also outshot Kraft in yards per run (13.2 percent) and yards per route run (1.28) over Kraft (1.20). Kraft is dealing with a pectoral injury he suffered during camp that could cost him time. Jordan LoveMusgrave could have a real breakout chance this season if he's healthy.
Tier 5: NFL starters who serve as fantasy depth
At this tier, a top-12 finish is possible in any given week if you can get to the end zone, but over the course of the year that's pretty rare and not all that interesting for fantasy. Starting snaps at least help provide fantasy managers with a good production floor. something They could be started if necessary, but among this group, their dominance is questionable at best.
Tier 6: Deep Sleep
Deep sleepers at tight end are a low-risk, likely low-reward play, but they're not an impossible group to find fantasy relevance in. Ben Synnott They'll each have consistent roles in the offense and be solid contributors in the passing game. They have the talent to emerge, but it will continue to be a tough situation for rookie tight ends, especially in lower-level offenses.
Isaiah probably If something does happen, it stands out as one of the only true handcuff options in this position. Mark Andrews Likely has proven to be a capable starter in Andrews' place over the past two years. In the eight games that Likely has filled in for Andrews, he averaged 5.5 targets, 56.6 receiving yards, 1.74 yards per route run and six receiving touchdowns. For reference, those are better efficiency numbers than the TE10 posted in PPR last season. Dalton Schultz The production was across 14 games.
