August 14, 2025
Cary Edmondson/USA TODAY Sports
49ers TE George Kittle, when healthy, is still an elite fantasy TE.
Tight ends can be an excellent X-factor for fantasy football owners, even as flex options in leagues that don't require a starting tight end. The growth of pass-heavy, spread offenses has led to an uprising of high-volume pass catchers at the tight end position, and of course, because fantasy football doesn't care about blocking, even some situationally used tight ends can be valuable fantasy options in any given week.
However, the drop-off from the elite fantasy tight end to the merely good option is steep and quick, so it's best to target the elites early and then stack some dark horses later in the draft.
There's no reason to draft any tight end in the first round – even the best will struggle to duplicate the point production you'll get from the first dozen receivers and top running backs – but two tight ends who are considered the No. 1 passing option on their respective teams should go in Rounds 3-4.
Raiders tight end Brock Bowers posted unheard-of stats for a rookie last year, with 153 targets, 112 catches, 1,194 yards and five TDs. He's a beast, no question, and he's still the Raiders' top receiving threat. But the additions of quarterback Geno Smith, first-round RB Ashton Jeanty and run-loving coach Pete Carroll have me questioning whether Bowers will see north of 150 targets again, so his second-year production could dip a little.
Second to Bowers is Cardinals tight end Trey McBride, whose 147 targets, 111 receptions and 1,146 yards almost mirrored Bowers' production. The Cardinals' offense is virtually the same this year as last, so no reason to think McBride won't continue to be Kyler Murray's favorite target. Even if second-year WR Marvin Harrison Jr. sees a spike in targets, opportunities for McBride should be ample enough that the fourth-year pro could easily finish as TE1 overall.
49ers veteran George Kittle is ol' reliable. He's not nearly the target monster that Bowers and McBride were but doesn't need to be. He still went over 1,100 yards last year and caught 8 TDs because he averaged 14.2 yards per catch – higher than Mike Evans, Terry McLaurin, Ladd McConkey and even Ja'Marr Chase. The 49ers won't have Brandon Aiyuk for the first few weeks of the season and lack a clear No. 1 receiver, so Kittle's value remains sky high, even at 31.
| RANK | PLAYER | TEAM |
| 1 | Brock Bowers | Raiders |
| 2 | Trey McBride | Cardinals |
| 3 | George Kittle | 49ers |
After the top three, there's really no need to draft a tight end before Round 5. It helps to look for a versatile tight end who can block because they're more likely to be on the field for all three downs (or four, for the teams that like to go for it on fourth-and-short).
Detroit's Sam LaPorta, Baltimore's Mark Andrews, Kansas City's Travis Kelce, Green Bay's Tucker Kraft and Minnesota's T.J. Hockenson are almost always on the field. Kelce's usage has dipped a little, but with a looming Rashee Rice suspension and frequent injuries at wide receiver, Kelce should still see a snap share of 75% or more. Kelce still commanded 133 targets last season – more than LaPorta and Andrews combined.
Again, no need to take any of these guys before the seventh round. LaPorta saw 37 fewer targets last year in his second season, and so his production dropped but he still caught 7 TDs. Kraft broke out for 707 yards and 7 TDs in his second season – up from 355 and 2 as a rookie – which is an upward trajectory worth banking on, but the addition of speedy rookie WR Matthew Golden could change the dynamics of Green Bay's offense and impact Kraft's target share.
| RANK | PLAYER | TEAM |
| 4 | Travis Kelce | Chiefs |
| 5 | Mark Andrews | Ravens |
| 6 | Sam LaPorta | Lions |
| 7 | Tucker Kraft | Packers |
| 8 | T.J. Hockenson | Vikings |
| 9 | David Njoku | Browns |
| 10 | Evan Engram | Broncos |
Mark my words: Colts rookie Tyler Warren won't just be a central figure of the offense; the pass offense will run through him. Expect plenty of targets for the former Penn State star, who has great hands, will be on the field on nearly every down, and can churn out massive YAC yards. By the way, given the Colts' QB issues, don't be shocked if Warren sees some Wildcat snaps, which could add extra rushing – and perhaps – some passing and passing TD points as well. I considered moving Warren into my top 10.
I haven't given up on Bills third-year TE Dalton Kincaid, who looked like a beast his rookie season (73-673) but saw his targets drop by 16 in Year 2. His yards per catch went up, he's still just 25, he plays alongside one of the best QBs in the game, and the Bills don't really have an elite wide receiver. All the ingredients are there for a Kincaid bounce-back.
Other guys to watch: Titans fourth-year pro Chigo Onkonkwo is an excellent athlete who could really benefit from new QB Cam Ward. Jaguars second-year pro Brenton Strange had some big games at the end of last year, including a 12-target game vs. the Jets, and should be No. 1 on the depth chart in new HC Liam Coen's offense with Evan Engram gone to Denver.
Bears rookie Colston Loveland should eventually be an excellent fantasy player, but I've seen him getting drafted ahead of some guys like Hockenson and Njoku, which is a little rich for me. The allure of Loveland in OC Ben Johnson's offense is understandable – especially after LaPorta's rookie season in the same system – but there are still questions about QB Caleb Williams, and Loveland will still battle with veteran Cole Kmet for snaps in certain packages. I like Loveland, just not as high as he's going in some drafts.
Some praiseworthy quotes this summer from Falcons QB Michael Penix Jr. has Kyle Pitts back on some fantasy community radars but Pitts' blocking struggles have made him a part-time player in Atlanta's offense. He hasn't seen more than 64 percent of the snaps in each of the past two seasons. The change to Penix at QB could help some, but I'm not expecting a major breakthrough for the fifth-year pro.
Here's the rest of the top 20:
| RANK | PLAYER | TEAM |
| 11 | Tyler Warren | Colts |
| 12 | Dallas Goedert | Eagles |
| 13 | Dalton Kincaid | Bills |
| 14 | Jake Ferguson | Cowboys |
| 15 | Hunter Henry | Patriots |
| 16 | Colston Loveland | Bears |
| 17 | Kyle Pitts | Falcons |
| 18 | Isaiah Likely | Ravens |
| 19 | Brenton Strange | Jaguars |
| 20 | Chigo Onkonwko | Titans |
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