Strangely, there are no NFL teams on bye in Week 8. This means that for the last time until Week 12, every healthy tight end has a chance to make the tight end rankings. This week, a rookie continues to climb the rankings based on usage metrics, while the top three is dominated by familiar names.
Read More: Week 8 Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em | Running Back Rankings | Wide Receiver Rankings
[cta id=445 type=cta]
Week 8 Fantasy Football Tight End Rankings
Tier 1: Week Winners
- Travis Kelce
- Mark Andrews
- T.J. Hockensen
After his best performance of the season, Travis Kelce is now averaging over 20 points per game and has reached that threshold in each of his last three games. He retains the number-one spot in this week’s tight end rankings. Mark Andrews also had a great performance, as he gained 63 yards and scored twice. Andrews is still Lamar Jackson’s top target and ranks second even against a Cardinals defense that allows the third-fewest points to tight ends.
T.J. Hockensen has seen 20 targets over the last two games while operating as Kirk Cousins’ number-one option in Justin Jefferson’s absence. He is coming off a 19.6-point performance against one of the best defenses in football and appears poised to have another good game against the Packers.
Tier 2: Solid Starters
- George Kittle
- Darren Waller
- Sam LaPorta
- Dallas Goedert
- Evan Engram
George Kittle has been very boom-or-bust this season. However, the San Francisco tight end has a good matchup against the Bengals this week and will score double-digit points in consecutive weeks for the first time this season. Darren Waller has been heating up in recent weeks and plays a Jets defense that has given up the most fantasy points to tight ends this year. He may be in line for a similar performance to his 22.8-point outburst from week seven.
Rookie Sam LaPorta remains a very consistent starter as Jared Goff’s second look. The Raiders are a slightly below-average matchup, dropping him to the sixth spot in the tight end rankings. Philadelphia Eagles tight end Dallas Goedert is now firmly a solid starter, having overcome his poor start. Aside from his goose-egg week one, he is averaging 12.6 points per game. Evan Engram has continued to be a very high-floor play in 2023, having scored at least 6.8 points in every game this season. However, he has yet to catch a touchdown or score more than 13.7 points in a game.
Tier 3: Back-end TE1s
- Dalton Schultz
- Kyle Pitts
- Dalton Kincaid
- Logan Thomas
Dalton Schultz started his time in Houston slowly but has scored double-digit points in each of his last three games. He will look to extend his touchdown streak to four weeks against the Panthers. Kyle Pitts has had solid production over the last few weeks, but he has also lost route participation since the beginning of the season. He ranks in the top 12 off of talent but has a limited ceiling.
Buffalo rookie Dalton Kincaid broke out in Week 7, catching eight passes for 75 yards. He also had a 63% route percentage, compared to just 43% for Dawson Knox. Obviously, this number will only go up with Knox sidelined to injury. Logan Thomas bounced back from a poor week six, scoring 9.1 points against the Giants. He finds himself in the last spot of this tier of tight end rankings.
Stroud to Shultz for a TD
Dalton Schultz has three straight games with a touchdown 🔥 pic.twitter.com/5WXW4tNXaV
— Apollo Texans (@ApolloTexans) October 15, 2023
Tier 4: Streaming Options
- Jake Ferguson
- Michael Mayer
- Jonnu Smith
- Taysom Hill
- David Njoku
- Luke Musgrave
Jake Ferguson seemed like a breakout tight end early in the season, but he has received just four targets over his last two games. However, the Rams allow the seventh-most fantasy points per game to tight ends. Although he busted last week, the reason that Mayer ranked highly last week remains. He ran routes on 52% of Las Vegas’ plays, his second-highest mark of the season, and the Lions give up the third-most points per game to tight ends.
Jonnu Smith continues to produce while splitting snaps with Kyle Pitts, but his target share in the last three weeks is much lower than his breakout Weeks 2-4. A 15% target share during that timespan ties him with Bijan Robinson for the team’s third/fourth option in the passing game. Taysom Hill had another strong game, as he added a rushing touchdown to his receiving production. He has a low floor, but a high ceiling.
David Njoku has a higher floor than other streaming options, having yet to score less than 4.4 points in a game and having scored at least six points in four of his six games. The downside is his ceiling, as he has capped out at 10.6 points and DeShaun Watson is injured again. Luke Musgrave’s usage still suggests that he can be a potential starting option, but he has yet to produce more than 50 yards in a game, keeping him from a high spot in the tight end rankings.
Tier 5: Dart Throws
- Gerald Everett
- Cole Kmet
Gerald Everett is a touchdown-dependent play, as he has only gained more than 30 yards just once. However, he has scored in his last two games and may be able to run his streak to three weeks against the Bears. Cole Kmet’s fantasy viability depends solely on Justin Fields’ availability. Kmet was a strong start when Fields was healthy, but has scored just 2.9 total points in the two games since Fields’ injury.
Universal Responsible Gambling Disclaimer:
Ages 21+. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER
Main Photo: Brad Rempel – USA Today Sports
