The tight end position continues evolving throughout the NFL season, presenting challenges and opportunities for fantasy football managers. With the league entering Week 4, several established players deal with setbacks while unexpected contributors emerge from the depth chart.
The streaming landscape at tight end remains remarkably fluid, as matchup-dependent options can provide weekly value for those willing to work the waiver wire. Whether seeking consistent production or boom-or-bust upside, the tight end position demands careful evaluation of target share, red-zone usage, and quarterback chemistry in an ever-changing fantasy football environment.
Brenton Strange | JAX
Brenton Strange looks the part.
He’s a hard-nosed runner with the ball in his hands and came through on a downfield route last week (16-yard gain). Those spike plays aren’t going to be something you can count on (of 35 qualified quarterbacks since the beginning of last season, Trevor Lawrence ranks 31st in deep ball passer rating). Still, with this passing game in disarray right now, he’s something of a stabilizing skill set.
He’s a part of the tier of tight ends fighting for TE12 honors this week and is an entirely viable option for those navigating injuries or tight ends positioned to be labeled a bust when all is said and done this year.
Brock Bowers | LV
Brock Bowers is the same player he was in 2022 and the same player he was in Week 1, and that is much about which I feel good.
The combination of athleticism, route savvy, and feel for the game is second to none at the position, but fantasy football, like it or not, is a team game, and Bowers’ team isn’t helping him.
The offensive line is getting thrown under the bus in the Ashton Jeanty conversations, and that’s right, but it’s also subtracting from Bowers’ bottom line. They simply can’t keep Geno Smith comfortable, and if that’s going to continue (at this point, why would we expect it to change?), the range of outcomes is wide.
Scroll across the internet, and you’ll see memes about C.J. Stroud in his rookie season compared to the rest of his time in the NFL. You don’t have to look hard for Spencer Rattler slander, and while we all like the potential of Cam Ward, he’s not there yet.
Those QBs have a better non-blitzed passer rating than Smith this season. Teams are not motivated to blitz because they can generate pressure with their front four, and that means dud games for Bowers are inevitable (76 yards in the two games following the 103-yard 2022 debut).
That doesn’t rule out the big games from an elite player, and that’s why you play Bowers weekly, but I’d be comfortable selling him after his next big game for a Tucker Kraft or Jake Ferguson package.
Cade Otton | TB
Cade Otton remains on the field plenty (102 routes) and remains incapable of earning opportunities (three receptions). The Mike Evans injury could open the door for more looks, but with talk trending that Godwin is coming back, I actually think the type of look that Otton earns will be more difficult with Godwin and Evans than without them.
I’ll be watching this week because any change is worth monitoring, but I’m not ranking Otton as a streamer this week and don’t anticipate doing so as we welcome byes into our lives next week.
Chig Okonkwo | TEN
I want to look at this profile for a tight end as injuries pile up and bye weeks approach.
Chig Okonkwo’s slot usage is up nearly 50% from a season ago, and while his target rate is in line with 2021, he’s getting the ball in his hands earlier and thus picking up more yardage after the catch this year than last.
In a struggling offense with an inconsistent rookie calling the shots, a big body like this that can do the heavy lifting once fed the ball stands to hold a reasonable weekly floor with some progressive upside as Cam Wards develops.
By no means am I saying that Okonkwo has to be rostered, but I will say that he needs to be on your radar when it comes to streaming the position. The Texans allowed Brenton Strange to lead the Jaguars with 61 receiving yards last weekend, and I don’t think it’s crazy that Okonkwo could build on a solid Week 3.
He’s on the outside looking in this week at my top 12 tight ends, but he’s taken the Uber to the front door and is ready to enter should the position across the league continue to struggle.
Cole Kmet | CHI
No law says the tight end position needs to be used, and the Bears are reinforcing that, an odd strategy given the draft capital they spent this April.
Cole Kmet has played north of 89% of their offensive snaps in all three weeks this season (Colston Loveland has yet to reach 60%), and while he scored last week, 70 yards on 85 routes isn’t going to cut it.
The veteran was a spotty contributor at best a season ago. While the rookie isn’t putting much pressure on his role right now, that threat still looms, not to mention two standout receivers — one with potential — and a versatile running back, all earning looks from Caleb Williams.
I don’t mind betting on the Bears to improve as the season wears on, but I’m not interested in doing it at the tight end position.
Colston Loveland | CHI
The idea of Colston Loveland seems to be crystallizing.
- Week 1: 58.3% of his snaps were routes
- Week 2: 60% of his snaps were routes
- Week 3: 83.3% of his snaps were routes
That chart looks better than it is. I like the idea of that chart moving forward, but the rookie was on the field for just six snaps during Sunday’s convincing win over the Cowboys.
The route-oriented job description is exactly what we want, and I think it’ll hold value in deeper TE premium leagues this season. It’ll be rare that Chicago controls games the way it did in Week 3.
That said, even after a 31-yard grab early, Loveland was slotted well behind Cole Kmet in the hierarchy of this tight end room. It’s hard enough for a Chig Okonkwo type to emerge, a singular TE with a young QB responsible for getting him looks, so when we are talking about the back-end of a TE committee, I lose faith.
Loveland versus Tyler Warren was a popular discussion point in August, and Warren may double up Loveland in rookie production. The Bears got that wrong, and you may have too, but I’m leaving the light on.
I’m not holding him, but I’m not giving up. Let’s see how the snap distribution looks in November when Chicago’s fate for the season is pretty straightforward and growth becomes a priority over current production.
Dallas Goedert | PHI
The one-week absence caused by a knee injury seemed to worry fantasy managers (Dallas Goedert was a recurring name mentioned in our Start/Sit Optimizer this past week) more than the Eagles.
And both were right.
Philadelphia asked him to be on the field for 90.5% of their offensive snaps in their comeback win over the Rams on Sunday, but they didn’t throw him the ball once in the first half.
His longest touchdown since 2021 saved the day in the third quarter, but that was his only reception of the afternoon, a bit of a concern considering that this was the rare instance where the Eagles had to open up their offense.
This should be a competitive game; those are the only instances in which I am interested in Goedert. He’s ranked just outside of my top 12 position this week, but the margins from TE8-TE18 are thin, and if you roster him as your only tight end, I’d stick with him this week.
After this week, the Eagles get the Broncos, the Vikings, and the Giants twice before their Week 9 bye. Suppose you told me that Goedert found the end zone this weekend and his value is as high as it’ll get all season. In that case, I’d believe you: I’m starting him this week and hoping to get out of the Goedert business in this low-volume passing game after consecutive viable performances.
Dalton Kincaid | BUF
Dalton Kincaid has caught at least four passes in three straight games to open 2025, a streak that tops anything he did last season, and has earned a red zone target in each of those contests for good measure.
The yardage upside isn’t there (he doesn’t have a 70-yard game since his rookie season), but if the valuable looks are going to be his to earn in this pass catcher committee situation, Kincaid is going to be a top 10 option at the position the rest of the way.
I’d be careful in assuming that you have your answer at the TE position for the remainder of the season locked in (his two touchdowns already are a career high). For right now, though, Kincaid profiles as an involved piece of an elite offense, and that’s good enough for me.
Dalton Schultz | HOU
We are approaching 10 months since the last time Dalton Schultz cleared 45 receiving yards in a game, and with just two scores over his past 25 games, there really is no reason to be looking this deep down the TE board, even if you think the Titans are the worst team in the AFC.
Christian Kirk made his season debut over the weekend and walked right into an eight-target role that Schultz couldn’t grab a hold of during his absence. Houston has one of the worst offensive lines in the sport, and two receivers capable of earning targets in bulk. Nothing about this situation suggests that Schultz is going to offer consistent value anytime soon.
David Njoku | CLE
After deciding to watch a Fast and Furious movie, can you be disappointed that it isn’t a cinematic masterpiece?
I vote no. You knew exactly what to expect, and it delivered on as much.
That’s what the Browns are. Their offense is more rock fight than fast and furious, but you get the idea. You know what you’re signing up for, and if that’s what you want, go for it.
David Njoku has gained 37-40 receiving yards on 5-7 targets in all three games this season, and that’s going to be roughly my projection for him as long as Joe Flacco is under center.
He led the Browns in targets (seven), catches (five), and receiving yards (40) in the upset win over the Packers in a game in which they were held scoreless for the first three quarters. The range of outcomes for him has more downward mobility than anything due to Harold Landry’s involvement. Still, the target count is something I view as reasonably stable for a team that I expect to throw as many passes week-to-week as anyone.
Njoku is flirting with my top 10 at the position this week for a game that has more potential to get going up-and-down than most Cleveland contests.
Evan Engram | DEN
A calf injury was ailing Evan Engram entering Week 2, and while he seemed to heal up OK from that, an achy back cost him Week 3.
We talk all the time about Father Time and his impact, but this man has been 31 years old for less than a month, and the injuries have piled up. Engram missed eight games last season after consecutive full campaigns, and while it’s too early to call this a lost season, things are certainly trending away from one of my favorite mid-range tight ends this summer.
You hate to see it.
You’re going to make ranking errors. Everybody does. This is a crazy game that involves 100+ car crashes weekly. Successful fantasy managers don’t avoid errors; they are the ones who react best around the landmines.
I’m keeping Engram in my IR slot as long as I can. I’ll be stubborn in thinking that there could be something here in an offense I expect to look better with time, but at this point, that would be a “nice to have.” At this point, I’m considering Engram a stash and counting on someone else as my weekly option at the position until we get evidence suggesting otherwise.
George Kittle | SF
George Kittle was doing George Kittle things until he decided to do less fun George Kittle things in the Week 1 win over the Seahawks.
Early on, he caught all four of his targets and scored on an extension play to the pylon, where he flexed his athleticism and awareness. When he’s right, he’s as good as it gets at the position.
The problem is that we almost always have to navigate injuries, and that is already the case in 2024.
Kittle has played the full slate of games just once in his eight-year career and is now nursing a hamstring injury that landed him on IR ahead of Week 2, ruling him out through Week 5 at the very least.
What causes Kittle to miss time is the same mindset that makes him an elite option when active. I’m banking on him returning to take on the Buccaneers in Week 6 (for those keeping track at home, this would give him two weeks to work his way into form before National Tight End Day) and offer the type of strong production we’ve come to know and love.
Hunter Henry | NE
Hunter Henry looked great last week. After catching just five passes through two weeks, the 30-year-old hauled in 8-of-11 targets against the Steelers for 90 yards and a score, likely deciding your matchup if he was involved.
The score was an encouraging one: a five-yard strike from Drake Maye in the face of a heavy blitz. Throughout the game, I was impressed. There was a chunk play late in the first half that started with Henry in the backfield and running something of a modified wheel route.
The creativity was great to see, and the connection with Maye seems to be growing. The matchup this week with the Panthers is hardly one to fear, and that is why Henry is sitting just inside of my top 10 at the position for Week 4.
But be careful.
Last season, we saw as many Henry performances as a top 10 tight end as we did weeks outside of the top 35 (five). The Maye can taketh away just as fast as he can giveth, so tread lightly. I like this spot, but it wouldn’t surprise me if this were a conservative approach that resulted in a low-pass attempt game.
I like Henry more this week than I do for the rest of the season. New England’s target hierarchy feels like a Russian Roulette situation, and while I think Henry is on the right side of things now, I’m not committing to the idea that he’s a lineup lock for the next three months.
Isaiah Likely | BAL
Isaiah Likely is nearing his return (foot), but time will only tell what his return to action will look like.
The hope is that he can continue his subtle breakout and grace the top 10 at the position when it matters most this winter, though it’s safe to say that we need to see it before assuming it.
READ MORE: Soppe’s Week 4 Fantasy Football Start ‘Em Sit ‘Em: Analysis for Every Player in Every Game
For me, stashing Likely is more of a long-term bet against Mark Andrews than anything. There is a three-week window (Weeks 13-15: two Bengals games and the home Steelers game) during which the fantasy regular and postseasons merge that is likely to project very well for this offense, potentially giving them two pass catchers that rank as starters for a critical stretch.
Zay Flowers seems like a good bet to be half of that equation, but who will be second? Likely could be, and that fact alone makes him worth holding in formats with average-to-deep benches.
Ja’Tavion Sanders | CAR
The physical profile of Ja’Tavion Sanders makes sense on paper. While our game is technically played in spreadsheets, none of that matters if the Panthers are interested in getting their second-year TD involved.
Sanders was fantasy’s sixth-best tight end in Week 2 against the Cardinals, but he doesn’t have a 20-yard grab this season and wasn’t a top 25 performer at the position in the games on either side of that spike performance.
Sanders is a DFS punt play right now, and it wouldn’t surprise me if his value increases as this season wears on, but he’s not the type that needs to be rostered in redraft leagues at the moment.
Jake Ferguson | DAL
After the early CeeDee Lamb departure on Sunday, it was the Jake Ferguson show, something we saw for the bulk of Week 2 and could continue moving forward, given the tight end’s frame.
Pickens is being utilized in several ways, but he remains a versatile field stretcher, and Lamb can win at all three levels. It appears that Ferguson has distanced himself from the other tertiary options in the chain-moving role in Dallas, a valuable one given the pass-happy nature of this offense.
The recent volume surge is unlikely to stick, but 5-6 catches every week as a part of an offense that can generate scoring situations is more than enough to land you in my top 10 at the position, even in a tough spot against the Packers.
Jonnu Smith | PIT
Jonnu Smith has caught 92.3% of his targets, and that sounds great as he is coming off a league-winning type of season.
That crazy efficiency has netted 65 yards, and the only reason there is a touchdown on the board is because Aaron Rodgers called one of those near-forward-handoff jet-sweep type of plays inside the 10-yard line back in Week 1.
Smith was great last season.
Smith is not worth consideration this season.
Both things can be, and are, in my opinion, true. He and Pat Freiermuth have six cumulative games played this season and one finish better than TE25 through three weeks. If you told me that one of them took over the role full-time, I’m still not positive we are looking at a locked-in starter, which is why I’m fine with both being on waiver wires.
Juwan Johnson | NO
Juwan Johnson has nothing but top 10 finishes on his 2025 resume, and that’s pretty hard to overstate.
Not only is he the only player at the position who can claim this feat through three weeks this season, but it’s also a mark that Brock Bowers didn’t surpass during his historic 2024 campaign.
The term “regression” is going to be thrown around plenty, and I get it. None of us wants to be THIS wrong on a player, and the fact that the Saints as a team have managed just 47 points this season is reason enough to fear the future.
But what looks off?
Johnson’s 67.9% catch rate isn’t unreasonable, and 9.3 yards per catch is below what we’d expect. The argument would be against the sheer volume of targets, but why?
Do you expect the game script ever to favor the Saints? Forget this week. This team claims to be the worst in the NFL and will be in catch-up mode for most of the season, making the sky-high pass rate likely to hang around.
Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed combined to receive 57 passes over three weeks, so it’s not as if Johnson is benefiting from the other options not getting opportunities through the air.
His current 108 catches are optimistic, though I don’t think 90+ is the least bit out of the question, and that role puts you in the must-start tier at the TE position in the year 2025.
“League winner” might be a bit strong, but if you built a strong roster and were quick to add Johnson to a TE-needy roster, you could be looking back in three months at a Wednesday in early September as the day you won your fantasy football title!
Kyle Pitts Sr. | ATL
This guy.
Kyle Pitts posts a monster rookie season, and we all fall for it, only to get burned for three years.
Kyle Pitts is the seventh-highest scoring TE after Week 1 this season. We all fall for it.
Kyle Pitts sees the first target of Week 3 in a plus-matchup against the Panthers.
OK, so maybe that last micro example is a little small, but you get the idea. After that TE7- finish against the Buccaneers in the opener, Pitts doesn’t have a finish better than 17th at the position, failing to reach 40 receiving yards on both occasions.
The shortened depth of target (4.8 yards, down from 8.7 last season) should give us a reasonable floor to bank on from this prospect that we once viewed as having access to an elite ceiling, but it really hasn’t.
These 5-7 target games are going to keep piling up. Still, unless Penix takes a massive step forward, we are looking at another disappointing season from Pitts that sees him finish outside of starting lineups with far more consistency than he punishes you for ignoring him.
Robinson’s versatility and Mooney’s health make Pitts far from a priority in the pass game.
He’s a streamer and has fallen behind two AFC East tight ends and is my TE2 in this game.
Mark Andrews | BAL
With Isaiah Likely’s return nearing, we finally got the explosive Mark Andrews game we had been waiting for.
Only time will tell about the usage of these two, not to mention the dynamic player in Zay Flowers — quiet on Monday night after a strong start to the season — but I think Andrews is exactly who we thought he was.
A tight end who needs touchdowns to drive his value and is in a better position to score consistently than most.
The volume on Monday was great to see (five catches before any of his teammates had even four targets), but that’s not where you’re hanging your hat.
He scored 11 times a season ago thanks to earning a target on 28.3% of his red zone routes, and he’s at 27.3% through three weeks this season. I’d recommend selling high after the strong performance against the Lions, but my hunch is that the first two weeks did too much damage to allow for that.
But if he scores again in this spot and your league is back to labeling him as a top-five player at the position, that’s when you cash in the chips.
Mike Gesicki | CIN
The lone leg that Mike Gesicki truthers had to lean on in the past was the sheer volume of routes, and that’s now gone with Noah Fant running north of 12 routes per game while accounting for the only TE score in Cincinnati this season.
The quality of targets is very much in question for this offense sans Joe Burrow, and with Gesicki playing 39.2% of offensive snaps through three weeks, not to mention earning less than a target per five routes, there’s just no real path to consistent viability.
And yes, if you want to change your team name, which was stacked with Burrow and Tee Higgins this summer, to “no real path to consistent viability,” I’ll co-sign it.
Pat Freiermuth | PIT
Pat Freiermuth has never been a volume target earner, but with under five targets in all three games with Aaron Rodgers, he’s taking “little involvement” to a new level.
Fantasy managers were hopeful that Rodgers would allow Freiermuth to access his nose for the end zone (seven scores in both 2021 and 2022), but it would appear that ship has sailed.
Through three weeks, Freiermuth doesn’t yet have a top 25 finish at the position, and if I had to bet, he’ll finish outside of that mark more often than inside it the rest of the way.
I prefer Smith over Freiermuth on this team, but if either is in the conversation for your lineup, can I convince you to study up on fantasy basketball?
Sam LaPorta | DET
I think we are on some thin ice with Sam LaPorta.
We know that the running game is how Detroit prefers to move the ball, and that will emphasize per-target upside for their pass catchers.
St. Brown and Williams don’t have a problem on that front, but LaPorta? After seeing 18.1% of his targets a season ago come 15+ yards downfield, he’s yet to see such a look in 2023.
I could overlook the shrinking aDOT (5.2 yards this season, 7.8 in 2024) if the TD equity were there, but it’s not and has been trending in the wrong direction since his stellar rookie campaign.
Red zone route rate:
- 2023: 23.1%
- 2024: 21.5%
- 2023: 13.3%
If he’s going to lack volume as a result of the running game, downfield shots due to the strengths of his teammates, and red zone volume in this new system, what is left to bet on?
I don’t doubt that he’ll continue to be efficient, but I think we see a lot more TE15 finishes than TE5 ones moving forward, and that’s not going to cut it given what you were looking for when you drafted him this summer.
T.J. Hockenson | MIN
All plays count the same, but Hockenson managers have to feel awfully fortunate with the way that Sunday ran out.
With the Vikings up by 38 points, Hock came up clutch with a five-yard TD to remove all doubt.
Without that catch, he’s not a top-15 performer for the week, but with it, top-5. That’s the nature of the position and exactly why I’d be looking to sell Hockenson today if at all possible.
The blowout on Sunday means we really have no idea what this pass game looks like in terms of target distribution. J.J. McCarthy’s recovery timetable remains fluid, and Jordan Addison is eligible to return this week.
In essence, you got lucky to get the production you did over the weekend, and that inflated stat line, along with name value, puts you in a position to cash in a chip if you want to.
Is Hockenson a weekly starter?
Probably.
Is he much better than Hunter Henry or Brent Strange?
For my money, no. Hockenson isn’t a bad option, but if you can deal with him in the name of improving the depth of your team elsewhere and bank on piecing together the TE position, I think I would.
Travis Kelce | KC
I don’t have a “miscommunications” tab in any of my spreadsheets. But it certainly looks like the Patrick Mahomes/Travis Kelce tandem is already flirting with a season high in terms of easy button completions that have been missed.
The future Hall of Fame tight end, you could argue, cost the Chiefs a chance at victory in Week 2 in the Super Bowl rematch and very possibly cost you your matchup in Week 3 by turning seven targets into just 26 scoreless yards.
These struggles are exacerbated by Worthy’s absence and Rice’s suspension. Maybe the value of every target increases in the second half of this season due to overall offensive stability. But the juice doesn’t seem to be there, and the Chiefs have shown us in the past that they will do what they can to save the peak version of Kelce for January.
Kelce is my TE11 this week against a Ravens team on short rest, and I’m more worried about being too high on him than too low.
Trey McBride | ARI
Trey McBride has been a top 12 tight end in all three weeks this season and now has the second-longest active streak of 5+ reception games with five in a row (Puka Nacua is playing a different sport with 11 straight).
The volume is as safe as it gets. While the TD equity is traditionally low, it was nice to see a Kyler Murray rollout touchdown pass to McBride on the sideline over the weekend (his first career touchdown coming before late October).
Marvin Harrison Jr. hasn’t lived up to the hype, and that puts McBride in a position to challenge Brock Bowers for the throne at the position. In fact, he’s overtaken him in my rest-of-season rankings, with the thought being that he has the better quarterback and, at this point, less target competition.
Tucker Kraft | GB
After scoring in each of the first two weeks this season, Tucker Kraft fell well short of expectations in Cleveland over the weekend, catching three of four targets for an underwhelming 29 yards.
I could not be less worried. Kraft remains a top 5 tight end for me moving forward, and if a buy-low opportunity presents itself, I’m in.
Despite being quiet all game, where was Jordan Love looking with the game on the line?
Kraft hauled in a short pass and picked up 18 yards on a reception with under three minutes left in a tied game, putting the Packers in position to try a go-ahead field goal.
The game obviously didn’t end the way Cheeseheads wanted it to, but Kraft making the big play is telling for a team that lacks a true go-to option. John FitzPatrick caught both of his targets on Sunday for 12 yards and a score while Love was in scramble mode. Give that production to Kraft, the spot most TE production in Green Bay goes, and he’s flirting with the top 5 at the position for the week.
Trey McBride and Brock Bowers are a cut above. After that, it’s a toss-up. Whether you want to put Kraft, Tyler Warren, Jake Ferguson, Sam LaPorta, or someone else in the next spot, the idea is that it’s a conversation, and that means you’re profiting long-term with your August investment.
Tyler Warren | IND
The George Kittle comparison seemed premature a few weeks ago, but it feels increasingly accurate with each passing game.
The YAC potential is advanced beyond his years and is something the Colts are leaning into (5.2-yard aDOT this season, 1.4 in Week 3). That will make him a fantasy asset far more often than not, so I’m not worried about the iffy stat line (3-38-0) in a 21-point win over the Titans.
Part of that blowout win came on the heels of a 46-yard Jonathan Taylor run, a splash play made possible thanks to Warren lining up as a fullback and delivering the bone-crunching block.
I don’t play in any points-per-block leagues, but I’m encouraged by his ability to physically impose his will and trust it to translate in a big way when he has the ball in his hands.
Warren is my TE3 for the week and for the next three months.
Zach Ertz | WAS
You mean a blowout game script where your backup QB is playing is bad for business for a volume-dependent tight end?
Zach Ertz has been held to under 40 receiving yards this season, and his efficiency-based game is a roll of the dice when Jayden Daniels is healthy, never mind when he’s not. I’m operating under the assumption that QB1 will be back under center this weekend, thus putting Ertz in a better spot to give us the 8-10 PPR points that we’ve come to expect.
It’s not exciting, but that projection is enough to slide into my top 15 at the position this week, a threshold he’ll fall out of if this Daniels injury lingers.