Fantasy football veterans know that a reliable tight end is hard to find. There are few tight ends who consistently score double-digit points each week and even fewer elite pass catchers at the position. Fantasy football is seeing a changing of the guard at every position, including the tight end. Fantasy football owners are likely to see new names in the top tier and some unexpected performances throughout the league.
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Tiers and Rankings for Fantasy Football Tight End 2022-2023
Top Tier Tight Ends
There is a clearly defined top tier at the position. Players in this tier include pass catchers that will finish far ahead of the next group of players at the position, guys like Travis Kelce, George Kittle, Darren Waller, Mark Andrews, and newest arrival Kyle Pitts.
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Travis Kelce has been the perennial tight end king for the past several seasons. Fantasy owners were disappointed last season after he finished 40 points behind Mark Andrews. Owners fully expected Kelce to get into the double-digit touchdown numbers and lead the position handily. Unfortunately, Kelce did not return on his first-round ADP in the 2021-2022 season but was still a valuable piece on fantasy football teams
ESPN has Mark Andrews projected as the top tight end this upcoming season projected 234.21 points with eight touchdowns and 1,015 yards. Andrews is projected to catch 82 passes on 122 targets from Lamar Jackson. The former Oklahoma Sooner should see an uptick in targets thanks to the Baltimore Ravens trading Marquise Brown to the Arizona Cardinals. Jackson is one year further along in his career and will look to his big redzone target to secure his spot at the top tight end in fantasy.
Newcomer to the Top Tier
Kyle Pitts is another guy who should finish inside the top five. The second-year Atlanta Falcon is coming fresh off a 1,026-yard season with 68 catches on 110 targets. Pitts is a phenomenal talent at the position and should have the entire offense at his disposal. With Calvin Ridley out for the year, Pitts is the top target in this offense. He should also see a bump in points with some positive regression in the touchdown department. Pitts only found the endzone one time. If he finds the endzone on par with others at his position, Pitts could lead all tight ends in fantasy football.
Only four tight ends had 500+ Air Yards in 2021 ⤵️
Mark Andrews – 903
Kyle Pitts – 713
Travis Kelce – 561
Mike Gesicki – 559 pic.twitter.com/4nsBFhYaoo— FantasyPros (@FantasyPros) September 1, 2022
The other two names in the top tier include Waller and Kittle. Both guys are supreme talents who have had difficult seasons as of late. Waller struggled mightily last season with 133.5 ppr points and 665 yards. He only found the endzone twice last season and had a meager 55 catches. Kittle had 910 yards on 71 catches and six touchdowns. He continues to finish in the top-five despite missing multiple games with injury, in addition to his boom-or-bust style of fantasy production. Both guys missed multiple games due to injury and are looking to bounce back this season.
Second-Tier Tight Ends
The second tier of tight ends includes players like Dalton Schultz, T.J. Hockenson, Dallas Goedert, and Zach Ertz. Schultz is just coming off a breakout season with 808 yards and eight touchdowns on 78 catches. Schultz is second to Goedert on this list with 830 yards, but only four touchdowns. This tier is full of serviceable players that can consistently approach double digits points every week.
Hockenson and Ertz are two interesting names in this tier. Hockenson struggled last year missing time with a thumb injury. The big pass catcher also caught the short end of the stick when Matthew Stafford was traded for Jared Goff. Goff is a huge downgrade from Stafford and the Detroit Lions pass catchers, including Hockenson, are sure to suffer from passing inefficiency.
Ertz had a great end to last season after the Philadelphia Eagles traded him to Arizona. Ertz found an immediate connection with Kyler Murray with 7.5 targets per game. With Hopkins starting the season suspended, Ertz is a great candidate for a top-10 tight end finish.
No one wants to admit it but the real beneficiary of DeAndre Hopkins' suspension is Zach Ertz and not Marquise Brown. pic.twitter.com/vVIPuzEWYh
— Moody (@EricNMoody) May 2, 2022
Third-Tier Tight Ends
This tier includes notable players like Dawson Knox, Irv Smith Jr., and Austin Hooper. All three players have the potential to finish in the top 10 at the position. Knox and Smith Jr. are in great offenses that love throwing the football. Both are also massive redzone targets for their respective quarterbacks. Knox led all tight ends with nine touchdowns and should continue his success in his pass-heavy offense. Smith Jr. is another name benefiting from a pass-heavy offense. The young tight end was a breakout player at the end of 2020 and a favorite for a top-10 finish in 2021 before suffering a season-ending knee injury in the preseason of 2021. Smith Jr. is in line for a big redzone target share as both Tyler Conklin and Kyle Rudolph are off the roster.
Austin Hooper is a great third-tier option. He had a disappointing campaign last year with Baker Mayfield and the Cleveland Browns. The Cleveland tight end room was very crowded last season with David Njoku and Harrison Bryant. Hooper is the top tight end for the Tennessee Titans and has a top-10 finish in his range of outcomes.
Late Round Targets: Isaiah Likely, Robert Tonyan, Albert Okwuegbunam
Late-round targets for tight ends are very scarce. This late in the draft, fantasy owners will be looking for production anywhere they can find it. The first name in this tier is Isaiah Likely. Likely is an impressive rookie with a 59-912-12 stat line in 2021. He has the potential to be the number three receiving option behind fellow tight end Andrews and wide receiver Rashod Bateman. Likely is a very risky pick given he will only be on the field in two tight-end sets. However, the number three option is a great offense that has the potential to contribute to fantasy rosters.
Robert Tonyan is coming off a season-ending ACL injury. In 2020 he broke out in 2020 with a great season behind Aaron Rodgers. Tonyan’s production took a sharp dip before his injury with only 204 yards and two touchdowns. His most significant criticism was his touchdown dependence and everyone predicted his regression. Now, Devante Adams is in Las Vegas vacating a ton of targets. Tonyan will have an opportunity to return to fantasy relevance and revitalize his career.
Albert Okwuegbunam got a massive quarterback upgrade after the Denver Broncos traded to acquire Russel Wilson. Okwuegbunam could be the third passing option behind Courtland Sutton and Jerry Jeudy. If the big tight end can develop chemistry with Wilson, this late-round flier could pay off big time for patient owners.
