Positional rankings are incredibly important when building out your fantasy football rosters, especially when there is a key decision between two players. If there is a tier break between the two options, then knowing where both players sit in your rankings can help make that decision easier. Let's now look at the top fantasy football tight ends.
The following list focuses on the top 10 tight ends for the 2023 NFL season – regardless of if your league format treats TEs differently or not (TE-premium), the TE position can be a cheat code for your fantasy football roster. While they certainly do get roped into blocking situations, it is the positional matchup that they offer that truly can make – or break – your rosters.
All rankings are based on PPR league formats, and the reasoning for the rankings of each player on this list are below. Each 2022 finish (in total fantasy points) is listed in italics.
10. Tyler Higbee 2022 Rank: TE15
Tight ends on bad teams seem to still be relevant for fantasy football, and Tyler Higbee was a great example of that last year. Granted, Cooper Kupp did go down with an injury late in the year (as did Matthew Stafford), but nonetheless, Higbee once again flew under the radar.
Entering this season, hopes are pretty below average for the Los Angeles Rams, even if both Kupp and Stafford are healthy for a full season. Without a strong WR2 option in the offense, look for Higbee to continue to soak up those targets, something he did to a tune of 108 last year.
9. Dalton Schultz TE11
Having been a solid safety valve option for Dak Prescott last season, Dalton Schultz stayed in the state of Texas but switched conferences this offseason, joining the Houston Texans. A rookie QB’s best friend tends to be a tight end, and Schultz profiles as that dump-off option that can also stretch the field.
The Houston offense has a lot of ground to make up to even be league average, so counting on Schultz may be a scary undertaking come time for your draft. But with as much passing as CJ Stroud likely will be doing, Schultz should be peppered with a healthy amount of looks.
8. David Njoku TE13
Similar to the case for Amari Cooper’s 2023 fantasy season, David Njoku gets to have a full season catching passes from Deshaun Watson, which will help raise his ceiling. Expectations feel higher than usual for the Cleveland Browns this year, and Njoku, who signed a four-year extension last year, likely will be a big part of that.
Cleveland has plenty of passing-game weapons, with Cooper, Elijah Moore, and Njoku filling those roles. As Nick Chubb remains the bellcow RB for the Browns, look for Njoku to thrive.
Even in the limited work Watson was on the field for last season, it was quite evident the trust he has for Njoku – Watson’s target rate for TEs in general would have been in the top eight if averaged out across a full season.
7. George Kittle TE2
A bit more bearish on him than most fantasy football rankings lists, George Kittle is a curious case when tackling the 2023 tight end position. Having finished as the TE2 last season is a bit misleading, as he still came in over 60 points behind the TE1 on the year.
With Brock Purdy at the helm, Brandon Aiyuk, Christian McCaffrey, and Deebo Samuel all need to be featured as well, which can, at times, leave Kittle out of the picture. While this slightly-pessimistic outlook for Kittle in 2023 may give you some pause, it is more related to his current average draft position (ADP) than his expected results.
In other words, if Kittle falls past his 64th overall average draft position, then feel free to draft him. But don’t feel confident if you need to ‘reach’ for a tight end and set your sights on him.
6. Kyle Pitts TE33
Could this finally be the year for Kyle Pitts? There are waaaaay too many Pitts truthers out in the wild for 2023 to not be the year he finally cashes. And on paper, it certainly feels like he could find that next level.
The Atlanta Falcons have moved on from Marcus Mariota (28.3% target rate for TEs) and are now featuring Desmond Ridder as QB1, which leaves a lot of questions for Pitts. Going from a QB that targeted the TE position the third-most in the league to an unproven could keep Pitts on the path of too many uncatchable passes this year.
On the other hand, an inexperienced QB tends to lean on his crutches, and Pitts certainly should become a big-time beneficiary of Ridder learning the ropes, especially to start the season.
5. T.J. Hockenson TE4
For our discussion on the best fantasy football breakout and sleeper candidates, listen below:
After being traded to a divisional foe, T.J. Hockenson essentially became WR2 for the Minnesota Vikings as he helped get them to the playoffs. On the hunt for a new contract, his first offseason with the team has been pretty eventful, but more for off-field reasons than on-field ones.
With rookie Jordan Addison now in the fold taking over for departed Adam Thielen, Hockenson could see his role revert more towards a typical TE role, something that could limit him. But his talent (and his eventual big-money extension) justifies a top-5 finish for the former Detroit Lion, one of the few pieces that can be counted on for the Vikings.
4. Dallas Goedert TE10
Expecting a tight end to produce in an offense that also produces two 1,000-yard wide receivers can be seen as foolish, but Dallas Goedert did just that last season. Finishing as the TE10, Goedert showed that he is more than capable of holding down a role in the passing attack, even with both A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith earning bigger pieces of the passing pie.
There is potential for a dud week here and there for Goedert, but that goes for every single name on this list. The role for the third target in the Philly offense feels like it’s pretty much Goedert’s for the taking again, which makes for a safer floor when looking to add a tight end to your fantasy football roster.
3. Darren Waller TE24
The talk of the offseason has been the Daniel Jones Darren Waller connection, which seemingly has been happening in every single drill in Giants camp. Age and injuries have slowed Waller down lately, but is 2023 the year where we get to see the vintage version of Waller again?
There is no WR1 option in New York for Jones to target, which means that Waller has the best odds at taking that on. Having always been a matchup nightmare even during his time with the Raiders, Waller could very well be the most improved TE this year.
2. Mark Andrews TE5
It feels like Mark Andrews continuously is the bridesmaid and not the bride when it comes to TE rankings, and all things point to that happening again this season. In what looks to be a revamped passing attack, the Baltimore Ravens could actually incorporate Andrews even more, which seems hard to do.
Even with the trio of Rashod Bateman, Odell Beckham Jr., and rookie Zay Flowers manning the WR spots, Andrews will absolutely still feast. As the most trusted target for Lamar Jackson, it would be silly to knock Andrews down just because there are ‘big’ names now in the WR room for Baltimore.
Jackson targeted the TE position a whopping 40.2% of his passes last year, almost 10 percent more than what Patrick Mahomes did, and while that number likely will decrease, it still backs up the type of role Andrews likely will have this year again.
1. Travis Kelce TE1
Old faithful is back again at the top of the list, and Travis Kelce doesn’t look ready to give up the crown. Without that top receiver in Kansas City, Kelce will continue to hold that role, which is perfectly fine for your fantasy football roster.
Taking a tight end in the first round, especially one that will turn 34 in October, is a risk, there is no doubt about it. But it is the shear positional advantage you get by taking Kelce that can set your team out from the rest of the league, especially in a tight-end premium (TEP) format.
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