{"id":253136,"date":"2025-11-01T09:30:19","date_gmt":"2025-11-01T13:30:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/?p=253136"},"modified":"2025-11-27T18:31:05","modified_gmt":"2025-11-27T23:31:05","slug":"fantasy-football-rankings-top-10-tight-ends-week-9","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2025\/11\/01\/fantasy-football-rankings-top-10-tight-ends-week-9\/","title":{"rendered":"Fantasy Football Rankings: Top 10 Tight Ends For Week 9"},"content":{"rendered":"

National Tight End Day was a huge success, with 12 different tight ends reaching the end zone, and most of them being players we typically see toward the top of the tight end rankings. Sure, Charlie Kolar and Jake Tonges scored twice, but the rest of the list reads like a who’s who of tight end royalty. George Kittle and Travis Kelce were obvious choices to score, as co-founders of Tight End University. Dallas Goedert and Tucker Kraft each had two touchdowns, and four rookies\u2014Mason Taylor, Harold Fannin, Orande Gadsden, and Gunnar Helm\u2014made their mark by reaching the painted paradise this past weekend. Tyler Warren missed out on scoring but was still relevant in fantasy, with over 50 yards receiving on five targets. While it was a down week compared to his high standards in his rookie season, we can accept him if TE14 overall is what we get during a poor week.<\/p>\n

Now that we\u2019re at the season’s halfway point, we have a good sense of each team\u2019s identity and how they plan to use their pass catchers from week to week. Moving forward, it will be interesting to watch this crop of rookies continue to develop, as there\u2019s plenty more to come from the mentioned newcomers, as well as other rookies like Colston Loveland, Elijah Arroyo, and Terrence Ferguson, just to name a few. The Jets, Browns, Eagles, and Bucs are all off this week, so we won’t see Taylor, Fannin, Otton, or Goedert. Let’s take a look at this week’s top-10 tight end rankings and see who made the grade for the upcoming week.<\/p>\n

Week 9 Tight End Rankings<\/h2>\n

1) Trey McBride vs. Cowboys<\/h3>\n
\"Trey
Photo Credit: Michael Chow-Arizona Republic<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

McBride and the Cardinals<\/a> were off last week, so he wasn’t able to celebrate the “holiday” with his tight end teammates. McBride thrived in his two games with Jacoby Brissett at QB, posting his best two games of the season with 18 receptions on 24 targets and 3 touchdowns combined. In the first 5 games of the season with Kyler Murray, he had just one score. Hopefully, Kyler learned a thing or two from watching a couple of games from the sideline, and he can find his top target in the end zone this week as he’s scheduled to return against a Dallas<\/a> defense ranked near the bottom across the league. This game should feature a lot of scoring, so start any Cardinals players you might have, including Marvin Harrison and Bam Knight. McBride remains one of the safest options at an otherwise uncertain position.<\/p>\n

2) Tyler Warren vs. Steelers<\/h3>\n

\"tyler<\/p>\n

As we mentioned earlier, Week 8 was a bit of a disappointment for Warren as he failed to find the end zone for the first time in five weeks. This week, he faces a great matchup against a Steelers<\/a> defense ranked at the bottom of the league against the pass and 30th in the league, DVOA, against the tight end position. Look for Jones to get the big rookie going early and for the Colts<\/a> to spread the wealth around a little more. It’s not like Jonathan Taylor is going to score three touchdowns every week, right? While it may happen again, it most likely won’t come against the Steelers this week since the easiest way to beat them is through the air. I actually suspect that Pittsburgh will come ready to play and will game plan specifically to stop Taylor, forcing Jones and the Colts’ offense to move the ball through the air. Look for Warren to flirt with his first 100-yard game of the year and make it back into the end zone.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

3) Brock Bowers vs. Jaguars<\/h3>\n
\"Brock
Photo Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Bowers and the Raiders<\/a> were also off last week, in a stroke of NFL scheduling genius that had the top two tight ends drafted in fantasy with scheduled byes on National Tight End Day. Regarding Bowers, the off week was a welcome sight since he missed the previous three games due to a knee injury sustained on opening weekend. Bowers tried to muscle through the injury for three games, but it was clear he wasn’t nearly as explosive as during his rookie season. He has been practicing in full all week, and barring any setbacks, he will take the field at home this weekend against a Jaguars<\/a> defense ranked 27th in the league against the pass. If Geno Smith can stay upright and get the ball downfield, look for both Bowers and Jakobi Meyers to be heavily involved in the Raiders’ passing attack. Bowers should start to produce big games weekly and work his way back to the top of this list as the season goes on.<\/p>\n

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For more help with your fantasy football lineups, check out our Week 9 Buy\/Sell\/Hold<\/a>!<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n

4) Tucker Kraft vs Panthers<\/h3>\n
\"Week
Photo Credit: Wm. Glasheen USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Kraft was on this list last week because of his role in the passing game in the red zone this season. Last week, he exploded for 143 receiving yards and 2 scores, dominating every zone on the field. Jordan Love looked his way 9 times during the game, and it was good to see that Christian Watson’s return had little to no impact on Kraft’s involvement in the offense. The Packers<\/a>‘ receiving group may get even more crowded with Jayden Reed working his way back from the IR, but that won’t happen this week. Kraft will remain Love’s primary red zone target and should have plenty of opportunities to score, as Green Bay might rely more on its passing game with Josh Jacobs recovering from a calf injury.<\/p>\n

5) George Kittle vs. Giants<\/h3>\n
\"Kittle\"
Photo Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

He’s just so much fun, isn’t he? This guy loves to play football and really enjoys being a tight end. It was no surprise that he was able to bounce back from a goose egg in week 7 to catch 4 passes for 43 yards and a score on a “holiday’ he helped create back in 2018. This week, he faces a Giants<\/a> team that struggles to cover the tight end, ranking #31 DVOA against the position and #24 overall in the league against the pass. San Francisco might get Brock Purdy back under center, but it’s more likely we’ll see Mac Jones for at least another week. It probably won’t matter who plays, as the 49ers<\/a> will be looking for revenge after last week’s embarrassing loss in Houston. I expect San Francisco to heavily rely on Christian McCaffrey but also to use Kittle in the passing game, much like Philadelphia did with Dallas Goedert near the goal line. I see Kittle getting into the end zone again this week; he’s a must-start.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

6) Jake Ferguson vs. Cardinals<\/h3>\n
\"dallas
Photo Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Fergy had a tough week on N.T.E.D., ending with a goose egg for his owners. It’s never fun when you realize you could have started yourself on your fantasy team and scored the same as the guy leading in targets and receptions going into the week. We knew that CeeDee Lamb’s return would affect Ferguson’s numbers, and Denver<\/a>‘s seventh-ranked defense against tight ends did pose a challenge. Still, ending the day with zero catches on just one target left most of us scratching our heads. His snap percentage did decrease from the previous two weeks, but he has played fewer than 59% of snaps in prior weeks against Denver with solid results. Interestingly, his 30 routes run were his highest since Week 4, so we know he was healthy enough to be active. The point is, he’s healthy and on the field, so we should view last week as a one-week anomaly for now. Expect Dak to make it up to him this week in a game likely to have a high score. Arizona has historically struggled against tight ends, ranking 24th in DVOA at the position and 25th overall against the pass this season. Look for Fergy to bounce back with a big game on Monday night.<\/p>\n

7) Travis Kelce vs. Bills<\/h3>\n
\"\"
Photo Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Kelce had a great game last week, and while I dislike the idea of chasing points, it seems like this is the offense the Chiefs<\/a> want to run. Mahomes will distribute the ball, with Rashee Rice and Travis Kelce as his top two targets for short and intermediate routes, while Xavier Worthy, Tyquon Thornton, and Hollywood Brown will serve as deep threats downfield. This game against Buffalo<\/a> will be competitive, and Mahomes will need all his weapons to keep Kansas City in the game. Expect a playoff-like atmosphere, with Kelce heavily involved in the Chiefs’ passing attack. He will be fluctuating throughout the season as the Chiefs aim to keep him fresh for the playoffs, but this is a game they must win, as it could very well determine where these two teams might meet in the postseason.<\/p>\n

8) Oronde Gadsden vs. Titans<\/h3>\n
\"Oronde
Photo Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

We had this kid ranked at #4 overall last week, and he rewarded us with a big night last Thursday. The matchup was ideal, and Gadsden capitalized on his rare blend of size and speed, catching all 5 of his targets for 77 yards and a touchdown against the Vikings<\/a>. He will remain a key part of the Chargers<\/a> passing attack for the rest of the season and should be a weekly starter for your fantasy team. This week, the Chargers might not need to rely heavily on their pass game to handle a Titans team that struggles to get out of its own way. Kimani Vidal is expected to be busy carrying the ball, while Justin Herbert will throw as much as necessary to keep drives alive. Keenan Allen and Ladd McConkey are likely to stay the top two targets, but Gadsden will also see involvement. His breakout probably pushes Quenten Johnston to a bye-week emergency option for most fantasy teams. Fire up Gadsden if you have him, but keep expectations in check\u2014he probably won’t see more than the five targets he had last week.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

9) Sam LaPorta vs. Vikings<\/h3>\n

\"Tight<\/p>\n

The Lions<\/a> enter this game against Minnesota after having a week off for their bye. LaPorta is involved, along with Jameson Williams, as the secondary pass-catching options from week to week for Jared Goff after Amon-Ra St. Brown. The targets may be inconsistent, but I believe he should bounce back to around 6 targets like he had in weeks 5 and 6, before dropping to just 3 in week 7. In those weeks, his 6 targets were enough to give him 5 receptions and a touchdown in each game, placing him easily within the top ten at the position. Unless you have another option listed above, LaPorta is about as reliable a tight end option as you can find.<\/p>\n

10) Kyle Pitts Sr. vs. Patriots<\/h3>\n
\"\"
Photo Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Pitts was heavily involved last week with Kirk Cousins under center, but that likely had more to do with Drake London’s absence than the change at quarterback. Hopefully, Michael Penix will return this week, but that remains uncertain as he has been limited in practice while working his way back from a knee injury. Drake London has also been limited due to the hip injury that caused him to miss Week 8 for the Falcons and will be a game-time decision this weekend as Atlanta faces the first-place Patriots<\/a>. Pitts is set up for a solid matchup against a New England defense ranked 29th DVOA against the tight end position, in a game script that should have the Falcons<\/a> throwing throughout all four quarters. Pitts has always had the talent to be an elite fantasy option, and he may actually be working his way back into the conversation this season. Start him this week unless you have other options above.<\/p>\n

For more great fantasy football analysis, check out DrRoto.com<\/a>!<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

National Tight End Day was a huge success, with 12 different tight ends reaching the end zone, and most of them being players we typically see toward the top of the tight end rankings. Sure, Charlie Kolar and Jake Tonges scored twice, but the rest of the list reads like a who’s who of tight […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5637,"featured_media":251853,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[59,33912],"tags":[349,2320,32617],"class_list":["post-253136","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-fantasy","category-fantasy-rankings","tag-fantasy-football-rankings","tag-nfl-schedule","tag-tight-end-rankings"],"modified_by":"Michael Kovacs, ADMIN","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/253136","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5637"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=253136"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/253136\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":253138,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/253136\/revisions\/253138"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/251853"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=253136"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=253136"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=253136"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}