Good morning everyone, I hope this finds you well.
This will wrap up my top tens. I will leave the kickers up to you. We are taking a look at the tight end position. This is arguably the most frustrating position in fantasy football if you do not have an elite or middle tier guy. Then, if you wait too long you will have to play the waiver wire and hope for matchups, and that is not a fun time. For this position you want to look at the other weapons really, and how productive the offense is. If the tight end is the real #2 wide receiver, that’s a good tight end. If the team does not have any good wide receivers, then the tight end will provide the offense.
Let’s look at some rankings as of now.
| Fantasy Pros (Half PPR) | ESPN (PPR) |
| 1. Travis Kelce – Kansas City | Travis Kelce – Kansas City |
| George Kittle – San Francisco | George Kittle – San Francisco |
| Mark Andrews – Baltimore | Zach Ertz – Philadelphia |
| Zach Ertz – Philadelphia | Mark Andrews – Baltimore |
| Darren Waller – Las Vegas | Darren Waller – Las Vegas |
| Evan Engram – New York (Giants) | Evan Engram – New York (Giants) |
| Hunter Henry – Los Angeles (Chargers) | Tyler Higbee – Los Angeles (Rams) |
| Tyler Higbee – Los Angeles (Rams) | Hunter Henry – Los Angeles (Chargers) |
| Jared Cook – New Orleans | Austin Hooper – Cleveland |
| Rob Gronkowski – Tampa Bay | Rob Gronkowski – Tampa Bay |
ESPN and Fantasy Pros flip Cook and Hooper at 9 and 12 in their respective rankings. I like these rankings, I think they are solid. Tough to argue who is who, but let’s do it anyway.
#1 – Travis Kelce – Kansas City
This is an easy #1. Kelce is the best tight end in routes, and he’s on an offense that loves to throw the ball. He’s an absolute matchup nightmare. Kelce stays the #1 until the 49ers have to actually start passing the ball. In 2015 Kelce finished 7th behind my sleeper Eifert, 2016, 2018, and 2019 #1 overall, 2017 #2 behind Gronk. I mean he’s the guy until he’s not, he’s got three years left at the top if he stays healthy. If you are at the end of the first, he might be worth in on the way back in the second. Tough to say. You just have to hammer the waiver early and pick up that sleeper young wide receiver. But Kelce, veins.
#2 – George Kittle – San Francisco
Kittle on average actually tied Kelce for the #1 on average fantasy points last season. Kittle obviously has downside in the opportunity category. The wide receivers for the 9ers are not great, losing Emmanuel Sanders makes their WR core worse. They have some exciting guys in Deebo and Aiyuk, but they are not Emmanuel Sanders. I like Kittle to be the #1 target. I like him red zone. I like him when a big play is needed. The offense may be run heavy, but Kittle is the clear franchise guy for the 49ers. I took Kittle when my internet cut out as an auto draft in the second last year, and it worked out for me. Kittle is a mid-second pick, and again you just have to watch the waivers to make up for whatever position you didn’t take in the first.
#3 – Zach Ertz – Philadelphia
People are going to say that Goedert is going to take away from Ertz, I do not buy it. Or I do not buy that anyone below Ertz is as safe of a pick. I think Wentz is going to look around and realize that he has to be Tom Brady and check down a lot. No more hits for Wentz, and his playmakers are Miles Sanders (James White) and Zach Ertz (Gronk). If Wentz wants to succeed, dip and dunk with your playmakers, and hope whoever is playing wide out can catch the deep ball when it’s there.
#4 – Darren Waller – Las Vegas
He is the one success story from the Raiders passing offense last year. Finished third overall last year. He has come into his own. I like him to continue for the Raiders. He could be the bust, but I don’t think you have that good of a season and then Carr forgets he’s his only ticket to success. I think they continue to work together while the Raiders still look for a wide receiver to call their #1.
#5 – Mark Andrews – Baltimore
Tight ends are so hit or miss. Andrews was a touchdown machine, with 10 last year. The options for Andrews are that he is the next Tony Gonzalez or Antonio Gates, or he regresses. But if you are looking at tight ends, you have to think he’ll be involved a lot in the Ravens offense that does a lot of run, play action, drill the tight end type plays. I think his offense benefits him. I think Lamar has to throw more this year, and whatever regression Andrews has in touchdowns he should mitigate with some more targets/receptions/yards.
#6 – Austin Hooper – Cleveland
I like Hooper. I know Stefanski is going to go with a lot of 12 personnel. Baker needs a reliable target. Hooper can be that guy. Play action offense, hit the tight end. Hooper is very good, he did well with the Falcons. The biggest problem is going to be opportunity. I feel that he will not leave the field for the Browns, so when the opportunities do come up at least he is on the field. But you don’t go out and get Hooper if he’s not your guy, so I expect him to be.
#7 – Tyler Higbee – Los Angeles (Rams)
This is purely volume. Rams will throw the ball a lot. Higbee was 7th in targets for Tight Ends, missed a game so that number can go up a conservative 5. But if you look at the Rams, Cooks is gone, and those receptions will go somewhere. Higbee should get more work. Also, Kupp took all the touchdowns last year. Woods or Higbee should benefit from that. Looking at the tight end ranks, I think Higbee being a solid option with some upside puts him as a good #7.
#8 – Evan Engram – New York (Giants)
This is a gamble, which is why I dropped him to #8, but he easily could sneak into the top 5. Engram missed half the season last year. But in theory if he’s healthy he is right around that #6-7 spot. Daniel Jones should settle in more, I like Saquon to keep the box stacked, and for Engram to be the guy to get some more looks in play action. I just think play action equals tight end success. I’m all in on these guys with good RBs and decent QBs. I think Jones plays more evenly this year, and you just have to hope Engram is healthy. Healthy Engram is like a healthy T.Y. just fun to watch. If you draft Engram, I would look to have a solid backup tight end just in case.
#9 – Mike Gesicki – Miami
Mike was right behind Higbee in targets. Fitzmagic is going to start the season and early in the year I like Gesicki to be a key part of the offense. Finishing 11th last year, and with other teams having QB issues worse than Miami’s potential shift from Fitz to Tua, either way I like him. Cooks has to share his role with Emmanuel Sanders, I do not like that. Hunter Henry is going to have Tyrod or Herbert throwing to him, I don’t like it. Gesicki is likely a guy the Phins feel out to see if he can be a building block for this young core. I’m more confident in the Dolphins offense making plays for Gesicki more than the other tight ends left at this point.
#10 – Rob Gronkowski – Tampa Bay
You cannot have a top 10 without Gronk. I think everyone kind of likes his upside, but that’s all of Tampa Bay. How much upside can one team have? I think Brady throws it a lot with Arians. Gronk will get enough touches to stay relevant. I think he has a Travis Kelce role, lot more routes less blocking. With a freak athletic specimen like Gronk, a year off might do the body some good. For those reasons I have to have Gronk in the top ten.
There are some big names that missed the list. Jared Cook just has too much competition and if I think Mikey T does well and Kamara bounces back, and Sanders is around, where is Jared Cook? Hunter Henry, just the odd man out with Gronk coming back. I have to leave him out. Dallas Goedert, split back fields are bad, split tight ends are worse. I like Ertz to produce as he has, but Goedert was just a touchdown guy. Six touchdowns is a lot for the second tight end on a team. I don’t like that to happen. I like Miles Sanders to take some of those touchdowns. Noah Fant, Jannu Smith, Blake Jarwin all could be the guy to hit this year, but I can’t put them in my top ten. I really like Tyler Eifert, not on my team, I just want him to do well.
Now before we get into the rookie tight ends, I want to make one thing very clear. I am not thrilled about anybody in this group. I do not see any of these guys as being breakout stars. I think these guys and the tight end position, is really something you have to wait on to have value, so for dynasty purposes maybe one of these guys will click in three years. But, unlike some of my college shirts, some of these guys are good fits.
#5 – Adam Trautman – New Orleans
This guy had really good numbers, but he played for Dayton. I like the offense for him, lot of passing so he just has to stick around and he’ll have his shot. He’s got the right size, so I just have to worry, like I worry about all of these tight ends, about blocking. Every single rookie tight end is going to need to learn how to block this year.
#4 – Dalton Keene – New England
Keene was ten picks behind Asiasi at the draft, so he’s just behind him in the rookie rankings. I have to think the Pats investing this much in tight end capital in the draft means they are going to try and work in their tight ends. One of these New England tight ends will turn out, so they are both worth the risk.
#3 – Harrison Bryant – Cleveland
Harrison was tight end of the year. David Njoku wants out of Cleveland, and now he is staying. I do not like that long term. That’s awkward for one of the parties. Bryant also has a decent shot of seeing some playing time because of the Browns offense. I think the Browns run a ton or at least line up like they will. So this can mean Bryant works in just to keep everyone fresh. Seeing as he has a shot at seeing the field, he has to be in the top 5.
#2 – Devin Asiasi – New England
I like Asiasi to start and be the guy for New England for years to come. If Keene was the guy they wanted, then they would have taken him at 91 and not 101. Without Gronk, the Pats need to address the tight end position. And they will with Asiasi.
#1 – Cole Kmet – Chicago
Everyone had Kmet as the top tight end during the draft, so I am just going to piggyback off of that. I am going to trust the experts. I think the fit is a mess. The Bears have 9 or so tight ends on their roster. One of them is Jimmy Graham who is too old, great career, but too old for fantasy or dynasty consideration. Kmet should step into a role next year if not this year. The Bears are a really unorganized team, and that’s partially Mitch Trubisky. When your QB is a problem everything becomes a problem.
That does it for tight ends and player rankings. Check out the Instagram @jonnydiiifootball for each team’s logo beginning on Monday. We are still looking for sponsor of our league/trophy, we just need something, merch or whatever for each one of the owners in exchange for being mentioned in each tweet and Instagram post as we mention the league name in each post. As for next week, we are closer to other drafts. I will give away my favorite value/sleepers, some combination of those picks. Until then I hope you and yours have a better tomorrow.
Let’s go!
JonnyDIII
DIII Digest 