2026 Fantasy Football - 1st Ranks - Tight Ends

Tight end is healing after a number of seasons where it seemed like Kelce and a couple others were the only viable fantasy TEs and the rest were a rotating crap shoot we now have a very promising group of young tight ends, and a league where 2 and 3 tight end sets are becoming the new norm.

 

Tier 1 (1-3) – Elite Tier
Rank	Player	Tm	Tar	Rec Yds	Rec TDs	FP	Pos ADP	Diff	1st Rank	1st Pos ADP	1st Vs 2nd
TE1	Brock Bowers	LVR	139	1092	8	260	1	0	1	1	0
TE2	Trey McBride	ARI	143	1007	8	256	2	0	2	2	0
TE3	Colston Loveland	CHI	98	748	7	187	3	0	3	3	0

 

Nothing to see here, only thing I think we can have a conversation about is whether Loveland is TE2 or in Tier 2.

 

Tier 2 (4-12) – Very Good Tier
Rank	Player	Tm	Tar	Rec Yds	Rec TDs	FP	Pos ADP	Diff	1st Rank	1st Pos ADP	1st Vs 2nd
TE4	Tyler Warren	IND	117	818	6	197	4	0	4	4	0
TE5	Tucker Kraft	GB	92	813	8	197	5	0	5	6	0
TE6	Kyle Pitts Sr	ATL	110	846	4	176	8	-2	7	7	-1
TE7	Harold Fannin Jr	CLE	105	754	6	181	7	0	9	5	-2
TE8	Dalton Kincaid	BUF	68	517	4	125	12	-4	15	13	-7
TE9	Sam LaPorta	DET	57	450	6	123	6	3	10	8	-1
TE10	Oronde Gadsden	LAC	105	880	6	198	20	-10	12	16	-2
TE11	George Kittle	SF	83	714	5	163	9	2	6	9	5
TE12	Jake Ferguson	DAL	97	679	6	175	13	-1	11	11	1

 

I’m very high on Gadsden, giving McDaniel a TE that moves like Gadsden could be an absolute menace. I also continue you belief in Kincaid who had a fantastic target share but just had trouble connecting with Allen last year.

 

Tier 3 (13-25) – Good Tier
Rank	Player	Tm	Tar	Rec Yds	Rec TDs	FP	Pos ADP	Diff	1st Rank	1st Pos ADP	1st Vs 2nd
TE13	Dallas Goedert	PHI	77	612	6	154	14	-1	19	14	-6
TE14	Travis Kelce	KC	99	812	5	182	10	4	8	10	6
TE15	AJ Barner	SEA	77	555	8	163	25	-10	21	24	-6
TE16	TJ Hockenson	MIN	80	563	4	136	21	-5	16	22	0
TE17	Isaiah Likely	NYG	88	652	6	163	11	6	14	12	3
TE18	Dalton Schultz	HOU	103	748	4	171	23	-5	22	23	-4
TE19	Mark Andrews	BAL	89	725	6	170	15	4	13	15	6
TE20	Chig Okonkwo	WAS	84	617	6	158	17	3	20	21	0
TE21	Brenton Strange	JAX	57	426	3	102	18	3	17	20	4
TE22	Gunnar Helm	TEN	75	466	5	137	28	-6	25	27	-3
TE23	Colby Parkinson	LAR	61	443	4	113	31	-8	18	32	5
TE24	Hunter Henry	NE	97	430	6	146	19	5	23	19	1
TE25	Kenyon Sadiq	NYJ	46	329	3	83	22	3	24	17	1

 

Barner is heading into year 3, he’s increased his targets from 38 to 68, and yards per target from 8.2 to 10 in his first two seasons. He’s a fantastic safety outlet and in the running for the 2^nd or 3^rd receiving option in an offense we want shares in. Likely might be the 2^nd or 3^rd option in his own offense but I’m not particularly high on Dart and not sure what this offense is going to be. Helm had a solid rookie year and I expect him and the offense to mature into something very useful this year. Parkinson is still the listed starter in LA with the aging Higbee, 2^nd year Ferguson, and Klare behind him. With the Rams leading the league in 2 and 3 tight end sets he’s still going to get plenty of snaps even if he regresses some this year.

 

Tier 4 (26-41) – Last of The Starters and Useful 2s Tier
Rank	Player	Tm	Tar	Rec Yds	Rec TDs	FP	Pos ADP	Diff	1st Rank	1st Pos ADP	1st Vs 2nd
TE26	Juwan Johnson	NO	85	641	6	156	16	10	27	18	-1
TE27	Pat Freiermuth	PIT	68	514	5	131	27	0	32	26	-5
TE28	Cade Otton	TB	71	499	6	135	29	-1	28	29	0
TE29	Greg Dulcich	MIA	84	681	2	137	26	3	31	31	-2
TE30	Terrance Ferguson	LAR	49	404	6	97	24	6	36	30	-6
TE31	Mason Taylor	NYJ	48	350	3	86	38	-7	43	37	-12
TE32	Eli Raridon	NE	42	343	3	82	42	-10	33	41	-1
TE33	Elijah Arroyo	SEA	41	291	2	62	85	-52	29	42	4
TE34	Ja'Tavion Sanders	CAR	32	207	2	59	85	-51	30	42	4
TE35	Theo Johnson	NYG	53	372	2	83	39	-4	44	39	-9
TE36	Dawson Knox	BUF	52	390	2	85	85	-49	41	42	-5
TE37	Mike Gesicki	CIN	41	299	2	68	34	3	53	34	-16
TE38	Cole Kmet	CHI	53	373	3	93	85	-47	45	42	-7
TE39	Michael Mayer	LVR	45	297	1	67	40	-1	34	38	5
TE40	Evan Engram	DEN	32	209	2	54	33	7	26	35	14
TE41	Jake Tonges	SF	28	204	2	52	32	9	42	33	-1

 

I’m not sure why I’m so low on Johnson and probably need to bump him up especially with Tyson missing time. Ferguson is getting buzz as a potential 3^rd receiving option on the Rams offense, his depth chart positioning means we should temper our excitement a bit but I’m more than ready to continue bumping him up my rankings. Taylor is the starter, had a productive rookie year all things considered with the Jets offense means I think him and Sadiq could both be useful options. New England could still use receiving options and Raridon is a classic move tight end. Henry is solid as they come but Raridon could add another dynamic element to the Pats offense. Arroyo should continue to expand his receiving repitoire in year 2 and at least have a role as a weapon. Sanders should have chance to become the #1 in Carolina but the addition of Waller muddies the waters unnecessarily. Knox and Kmet will be involved in their respective offenses despite our protestations. If Kittle falls or falters due to injury Tonges is a more than capable backup.

 

Tier 5 (42-55) Lottery Tickets Tier & Tier 6 (56-78) Deep Sleepers Tier
Rank	Player	Tm	Tar	Rec Yds	Rec TDs	FP	Tier	Pos ADP	Diff	1st Rank	1st Pos ADP	1st Vs 2nd
TE42	Jackson Hawes	BUF	19	163	1	38	5	85	-43	73	42	-31
TE43	Josh Oliver	MIN	19	132	2	38	5	46	-3	67	42	-24
TE44	Darnell Washington	PIT	53	415	2	92	5	44	0	52	36	-8
TE45	Brock Wright	DET	20	142	2	43	5	85	-40	39	42	6
TE46	Adam Trautman	DEN	64	450	3	108	5	85	-39	40	42	6
TE47	Eli Stowers	PHI	44	336	3	82	5	35	12	37	28	10
TE48	Noah Gray	KC	48	363	1	77	5	85	-37	38	42	10
TE49	Elijah Higgins	ARI	34	246	1	59	5	85	-36	55	42	-6
TE50	Tommy Tremble	CAR	37	230	2	59	5	85	-35	50	42	0
TE51	Justin Joly	DEN	32	227	2	56	5	85	-34	74	42	-23
TE52	Durham Smythe	BAL	49	374	1	79	5	85	-33	71	42	-19
TE53	Drew Sample	CIN	41	272	1	68	5	85	-32	72	42	-19
TE54	Mitchell Evans	CAR	18	118	1	35	5	85	-31	66	42	-12
TE55	Josh Whyle	GB	26	185	1	46	5	85	-30	57	42	-2
TE56	Erick All Jr	CIN	21	150	0	34	6	45	11	78	42	-22
TE57	Tyler Higbee	LAR	30	218	2	54	6	85	-28	65	42	-8
TE58	John Bates	WAS	22	156	1	37	6	85	-27	68	42	-10
TE59	Austin Hooper	ATL	18	135	1	32	6	85	-26	63	42	-4
TE60	Ben Sims	MIA	2	14	0	3	6	85	-25	104	42	-44
TE61	Brevyn Spann-Ford	DAL	18	124	1	28	6	85	-24	51	42	10
TE62	Eric Saubert	SEA	14	88	1	21	6	85	-23	69	42	-7
TE63	Charlie Kolar	LAC	14	118	1	30	6	37	26	86	42	-23
TE64	Daniel Bellinger	TEN	38	277	1	68	6	85	-21	48	42	16
TE65	Marlin Klein	HOU	14	100	1	26	6	85	-20	56	42	9
TE66	Noah Fant	NO	14	107	1	24	6	47	19	54	42	12
TE67	Foster Moreau	HOU	14	111	1	28	6	85	-18	47	42	20
TE68	Mo Alie-Cox	IND	19	137	1	32	6	85	-17	49	42	19
TE69	Blake Whiteheart	CLE	26	133	1	33	6	85	-16	93	42	-24
TE70	Will Kacmarek	MIA	24	194	1	42	6	85	-15	84	42	-14
TE71	Oscar Delp	NO	9	65	1	17	6	85	-14	88	42	-17
TE72	Ian Thomas	LVR	13	82	0	19	6	85	-13	75	42	-3
TE73	Ben Sinnott	WAS	14	106	1	29	6	85	-12	76	42	-3
TE74	Luke Musgrave	GB	18	139	0	29	6	85	-11	90	42	-16
TE75	Seydou Traore	MIA	12	95	0	18	7	85	-10	79	42	-4
TE76	Matt Hibner	BAL	19	162	1	35	6	85	-9	77	42	-1
TE77	Nate Boerkircher	JAX	20	140	1	36	6	85	-8	91	42	-14
TE78	Tanner Koziol	JAX	14	93	1	25	6	85	-7	116	42	-38