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We are at the time of the year where your fantasy football drafts are starting up, and positional rankings are near the top of your draft preparation. From looking through positional tiers and handcuffs to understanding target share and snap workload, this time of the year is what helps you build out your championship roster.
Rounding out our positional series is our fantasy football tight end rankings – while Sam LaPorta was responsible for leading this group in scoring last season, there might be a few surprises mixed in for our top 10 this year. As always, utilize our rankings for your league format, adapting them to the style of roster you want to build – there is no one right way to build a trophy winner.
For more insight, listen to our 2024 fantasy football primer:
All data regarding the 2023 fantasy finish of players and past stats was pulled from Sleeper and all rankings factor in a points-per-reception (PPR) league format. Without further ado, let's get into the list.
1. Sam Laporta, Detroit Lions
2023 Finish: TE1
Helping kick off our fantasy football tight end rankings is LaPorta, who more than exceeded expectations on his way to finishing as the overall TE1 last season. While expectations for last year’s tight end draft class weren’t exactly low, no one saw this kind of season coming for LaPorta.
Without a WR2 to help Amon-Ra St. Brown, LaPorta has a hold on a massive target share heading into the 2024 NFL season. Earning a healthy 21.1 percent target share (21.3 percent in the red zone) helped elevate LaPorta to fantasy football stardom last season, and you can expect more of the same this year.
Look for the former Iowa tight end to improve upon his 86/889/10 stat line from last season. While his touchdown total could actually decrease, the amount of quality touches LaPorta will likely earn should increase his fantasy potential this year, so you should feel comfortable drafting him as the first tight end off the board.
2. Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs
2023 Finish: TE3
Having finished as the overall TE1 six of the last eight seasons, Travis Kelce took a bit of a backseat last season, wrapping up his year as TE3. Only suiting up in 15 games knocked Kelce down a bit in the tight end rankings, but he still found the end zone five times and fell seven receptions and 16 yards short of 100 receptions and 1,000 yards.
As one of the most sure-fire options in fantasy football over the past five-plus seasons, Kelce has frequently been a first-round pick in your drafts. But with the running back and wide receiver talent holding more importance lately, Kelce’s draft stock makes him a solid buy a round or two later, especially when he is utilized in unique ways in the offense.
MAHOMES BEHIND THE BACK 🫢
📺: #DETvsKC on @NFLNetwork
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/eewdYOpS8c— NFL (@NFL) August 17, 2024
While Rashee Rice will likely be the top wide receiver target for Patrick Mahomes, Kelce should still be his top target overall. Especially if your league is a tight end premium (TEP) format, Kelce offers a positional advantage that you should try to take advantage of.
3. Trey McBride, Arizona Cardinals
2023 Finish: TE7
Moonlighting as the top receiving option for the Arizona Cardinals in 2023, Trey McBride is fully on the fantasy football radar moving into his third NFL season. While he will take a step back and allow Marvin Harrison Jr. to fill that top target role, McBride’s fantasy football impact will still be quite large.
Kyler Murray will hopefully be healthy for the full season this year, which would help improve both the ceiling of the offense as a whole, as well as McBride’s season ceiling. An area of improvement for McBride this upcoming season is to try and find the end zone more, as he only recorded three touchdowns last year.
If the final eight games of last season is a preview for what’s to come this year, then the Murray-McBride connection will be a very healthy one in 2024. While normally you try to stack receivers with quarterbacks, McBride is definitely one outlier that would fit this mold if you decide to build out your team this way.
4. Dalton Kincaid, Buffalo Bills
2023 Finish: TE11
It shouldn’t be surprising to hear that Dalton Kincaid is being pegged as Josh Allen’s top target in 2024, especially considering both Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis are no longer on the team. With the pecking order of the passing game not fully established yet, Kincaid is one of only a few returning players for Buffalo that will have a big role in the offense.
Kincaid looked the part last season, earning 91 targets on his way to finishing as the TE11. His jump up into fourth on our fantasy football tight end rankings speaks equally to his new role in the offense as well as his talent and how the offense can best utilize him this year.
Who doesn't want to watch Dalton Kincaid highlights?
You're welcome, #BillsMafia.#GoBills pic.twitter.com/IRhPt9Kuek
— The Wandering Buffalo (@TheWanderingBuf) April 21, 2024
While both RBs and WRs take more headlines in fantasy football, drafting an elite tight end is a perfect way to stand out from the rest of your league. Kincaid’s draft cost of around pick 50 isn’t too expensive, so you don’t have to give up a super premium pick to select him.
5. Mark Andrews, Baltimore Ravens
2023 Finish: TE15
Helping round out the top five of our fantasy football tight end rankings is Mark Andrews, who has dealt with a few injuries over the past few seasons. While his TE15 finish was his worst output since his TE18 rookie campaign, all signs are pointing up for Andrews to return to his normal production for Baltimore.
The receiver room for the Ravens looks relatively untouched from the offseason, as Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman still lead that group. That, combined with the history that Andrews and Lamar Jackson have, will result in a bounceback fantasy season for the veteran pass catcher.
As a bigger name for fantasy football, Andrews’ average draft position (ADP) of 46 doesn’t bake in his down year all that much. While his production will be there, the draft capital it will take to select Andrews may be a bit rich for your taste.
6. George Kittle, San Francisco 49ers
2023 Finish: TE5
Offseason core surgery doesn’t look like it will slow George Kittle down as he enters his eighth season in the NFL. Last season’s TE5 performance looked like vintage Kittle, as he recorded his first 1,000 yard season since 2019.
The common knock on Kittle is that the San Francisco 49ers offense has so many weapons in the passing game that Kittle ends up being the odd man out. While Brock Purdy does have to distribute targets to Brandon Aiyuk, Christian McCaffrey, and Deebo Samuel in addition to Kittle, each player is able to get their own, and that does include the talented tight end.
Injuries have been a concern for Kittle in the past, but only having missed a handful of games the past three seasons has shown that he is still a viable fantasy football asset. His ADP of 53 is fair value for the sixth-ranked tight end on our fantasy football tight end rankings, and he is in a great spot to return on that investment you are making in him and his round five draft capital.
7. Jake Ferguson, Dallas Cowboys
2023 Finish: TE9
The main beneficiary of the Dallas Cowboys not having a strong WR2 is Jake Ferguson, meaning that he has TE1 potential this year. Having already put up TE1 numbers last season, Ferguson has a solid relationship with Dak Prescott that should only continue to grow.
Even if the Cowboys are able to come to an agreement with CeeDee Lamb on a new contract, Ferguson’s role will likely expand in the passing attack. His three-touchdown performance in Dallas’ playoff upset loss last season shows what kind of role he could grow into, and his 2024 season has the potential to reach new levels.
Prescott has typically incorporated his tight ends well into the passing attack, but Ferguson is one of the more talented options Prescott has had at his disposal. With his 102 targets and 761 receiving yards, Ferguson is more than capable of increasing his workload, which could make his ADP of 87 one of the bigger steals of this draft cycle.
8. Kyle Pitts, Atlanta Falcons
2023 Finish: TE13
Every year is billed as the year for the Kyle Pitts breakout, but so far, everyone in the fantasy football community has been let down. Outside of his TE6 finish in his first season, Pitts has mostly been a disappointment.
However, catching passes from Kirk Cousins gives Pitts his first real shot at putting up a strong season. With Cousins being the best QB of his career, Pitts (as well as Drake London) looks to be in line for an impressive 2024 campaign.
With his ADP located around pick 55, Pitts’ draft capital is a bit rich for a player that has repeatedly fallen short of expectations. Near the backend of our TE1 list, Pitts has the skillset to be a top option this year, as long as the offense checks all the boxes everyone is expecting them to.
9. Evan Engram
2023 Finish: TE2
Last year’s TE2 finds himself on the fringes of TE1 territory in our fantasy football tight end rankings, but that isn’t a slight to Evan Engram at all. More so, it speaks to the depth on the roster for the Jacksonville Jaguars instead, meaning there likely will be less of a reliance on Engram.
2023 marked two consecutive top-five seasons for Engram, who easily cleared previous career bests in targets (143), receptions (114), and receiving yards (963). Fighting Christian Kirk, Brian Thomas Jr., Gabe Davis, and Travis Etienne for targets means that Engram likely will see his workload decrease a bit.
Engram’s ADP of 68 feels on par for how successful his season was last year, as well as realistic expectations this year. Coming off the board mid-way through the fifth round in 12-team formats, Engram should still up TE1 numbers this season, but don’t necessarily expect him to be in the conversation to lead this position in scoring.
10. David Njoku, Cleveland Browns
2023 Finish: TE6
The final player on our fantasy football tight end rankings is David Njoku, who finished as the TE6 last year with the Cleveland Browns. Having played most of the season without Deshaun Watson, Njoku experienced a lot of success catching passes from Joe Flacco instead.
That missing relationship with Watson is a bit concerning for his 2024 outlook, but Njoku still offers good value in round seven. Competing with Amari Cooper and Jerry Jeudy still gives Njoku a clear path to a healthy workload, but a 123-target workload like last season may not be in the cards for this year.
The Cleveland offense is a bit uncertain this season, especially with the health of both Nick Chubb and Watson up in the air. With Jameis Winston ready to step in, Njoku’s 2024 role should still be QB proof, even if that lowers his ceiling a bit.
Just missing out on our top 10 fantasy football tight ends list – Pat Freiermuth, rookie Brock Bowers, Dalton Schultz, and Dallas Goedert. Which tight end are you putting your money on this year to lead this position?
