2024 Fantasy Rankings: Top 10 TEs

 

By Chip Bayless (click Howie for more Chip)

 

 

 

1) Sam LaPorta

The Lions suddenly being good at football is like my sister’s “six foot tall” boyfriend being the same height as me (I’m five foot nine), it’s flat-out shocking to some, but not so much to others who’ve seen this coming.

Detroit and their coach who is willing to put his mouth on players’ lower bodies to win (technically true) have been slowly building this elite roster on both sides of the ball for a few years, and now the time is here where we can say the Lions are one of the most feared teams in the NFL.

A critical cog in the Lions’ 2023 offensive success was the emergence of the their young, athletic, huge tight end, Sam LaPorta.

LaPorta barely edges Kelce for the top slot on this year’s list, in large part due to his youth and lack of recent injury concerns compared to Kelce. Kelce also has world-renown genius Matt Nagy as his offensive coordinator, who I have a significant personal bias against considering I drafted both Mahomes and Kelce at cost last season, so bear in mind this ranking is far from untainted.

For his part, LaPorta is a speed/size mismatch on seemingly every defender, and he’s a strong runner with rock in his hands who gets up-field quickly, and has a knack for catching the ball away from his body using his natural hands.

Here’s how LaPorta’s numbers stacked up in comparison to the rest of 2023’s tight ends:

  • 3rd in fantasy PPG and 1st in total fantasy points
  • 1st in receiving TDs with 10 (no other TE had more than 6, per ESPN)
  • 3rd in share of his team’s air yards (per Next Gen Stats)
  • 4th in receptions (per ESPN)
  • 5th in targets
  • 5th in receiving yards (per ESPN)
  • 8th in passer rating when targeted (per Pro Football Reference).
  • 12th in catch % (per Next Gen Stats)

Last season, LaPorta also accounted for around 20% of all of the Lions air yards, a figure that ranked 3rd-highest in the league among all tight ends according to Next Gen Stats.


With Amon-Ra St. Brown dealing with numerous injuries last season, you have to think that LaPorta will be as (and possibly more) involved in the offense in 2024 as the Lions look to spread the ball around more and reduce the injury risk of their top offensive star.

As a strong, natural runner with great vision and deceptive speed, there’s a reason Detroit peppers the youngster with targets as he usually creates additional value over the expected play design with knack for YAC, as evidenced by the fact that LaPorta finished with the 6th-most yards after catch (YAC) of all 2023 TEs (according to ESPN).

He also ranked 8th in YAC over expected (per Next Gen Stats), and was 3rd in broken tackles on receptions among last season’s tight ends (reports Pro Football Reference).

Check out this insane touchdown from last season where LaPorta throws a defender aside with ease before bullying his way straight through a few more on his way to the endzone:

Sam LaPorta is also maybe the most critical piece of the Lions’ passing offense and is a key chain-mover for the team as a whole. He had the 3rd-most receptions resulting in first downs among TEs last season, according to ESPN.

Additionally, an obviously key factor to any player’s fantasy success is snap share and being on the field to begin with, and LaPorta finished 2nd among all tight ends in total snaps last season (per FantasyPros).

Furthermore, although much of LaPorta’s value did come from the fact that he led TEs in touchdowns with 10 while no other tight end even had seven, those TDs weren’t a result of pure luck and he probably isn’t destined for that much of a TD regression if any at all, considering LaPorta had the 3rd-highest red zone target percentage of any 2023 tight end, accounting for 23% of all Detroit red zone looks (as reported by Pro Football Reference).

 

It doesn’t hurt LaPorta either that he plays in maybe the best offense on this list outside of Travis Kelce and George Kittle, which means LaPorta will have plenty of snaps and scoring opportunities.

Last year the Lions were 2nd in total scrimmage plays, 3rd in scoring, 3rd in passes for 20+ yards, 4th in passing yards, 5th in passing TDs, 6th in yards per pass attempt, 7th in completions, 9th in passing attempts, and they threw the ball on first down the 3rd-most of any team according to NFL.com.

 

 

2) Travis Kelce

While Kelce had a down year by his standards in 2023, so did the entire Chiefs offense in respect to their usual performance in the Patrick Mahomes era, and Kelce was still elite as far as fantasy tight ends go.

Kelce might not be as quick as once was, but he’s not far off and he still is clearly Patrick Mahomes’ favorite and most-trusted receiver, which is a role that in itself makes Kelce a top-3 fantasy TE regardless of your evaluation of his current talent level.

Despite many (including myself) griping about how much Kansas City underperformed offensively even more than the NFL’s Taylor Swift coverage, they did finish 2nd in passing attempts, 3rd in completions, 7th in passing yards, 8th in passing TDs, and their pass blocking was underrated and allowed more than enough time for Mahomes to find Kelce as the Chiefs also allowed the 2nd fewest sacks in 2023 (per NFL.com).

Kelce is still a mismatch against basically any defender who isn’t a starting cornerback, he hasn’t lost his crisp route-running, and his ability to find the soft spot in zone coverage is a skill that he has continuously honed every year of his career.

Among 2023 TEs, Travis Kelce ranked:

  • 1st in fantasy PPG and 3rd in PRK (per ESPN)
  • 1st in receptions resulting in 1st downs (per ESPN)
  • 2nd in targets (per ESPN)
  • 2nd in receiving yards (per ESPN)
  • 2nd in receiving TDs (per ESPN)
  • 3rd in receptions (per ESPN)
  • 3rd in receptions for 20+ yards (per ESPN)

Much like LaPorta, Kelce gets force-fed targets in large part because he creates so much extra value per catch in comparison to your average tight end. Last season Kelce recorded the 4th-most yards after the catch (YAC) of all tight ends, and his YAC yardage ranked 23rd among all NFL players regardless of position, as reported by ESPN.

Kelce is also efficient with his targets and doesn’t waste his looks, as he ranked 6th in yards per target among tight ends last season, 5th in receiving success rate (11th among all players), and 7th among TEs in catch percentage while finishing 11th in passer rating when targeted (via Pro Football Reference).

Kelce also finished with the 9th-most snaps of any 2023 (according to FantasyPros), and virtually every snap has scoring potential with Patrick Mahomes’ arm.

That scoring potential is heightened when you are one of the top red zone targets in the entire league, and Kelce accounted for a little over 20% of all Chiefs’ 2023 red zone looks, a figure that ranked 6th among TEs (per Pro Football Reference).

 

 

3) Mark Andrews

A former Mackey Award winner in college, Andrews has been a universal top-3 TE for a few seasons now due to his role as Baltimore’s top pass-catcher, and due to his skills as an athletic freak who can make insanely spectacular catches. Add in his powerful running style, and you’ve got an undisputed elite tight end.,

Moreover, due to the Ravens’ offensive scheme, the tight end position is uniquely positioned for free releases for big gains due to defenders having their eyes in the backfield.

Andrews is capable of leaping up to snatch the ball at its highest point, is a natural hands catcher for the tight end position, and he is a size/speed mismatch for basically any defender who isn’t Kam Chancellor or Antonio Cromartie reincarnated.


When healthy, Andrews probably has the most intimidating and feared combination of size and speed at the TE position (RIP Darren Waller).

Among last season’s tight ends, Andrews achieved these figures despite hitting the IR in Week 11:

  • 5th in fantasy PPG and 15th in PRK
  • Tied for 2nd in receiving TDs (per ESPN)
  • 6th in YPG (per ESPN)
  • 7th in average targeted air yards (per Next Gen Stats)
  • 9th in catch % (per Next Gen Stats)
  • 12th in YAC per reception (per Next Gen Stats)
  • 17th in receiving yards

With MAndrews though, you have to dig a little deeper considering he missed basically half the season. When you look at his single game splits, its obvious he’s still a lock-it-in TE1.

Andrews scored at least 10 fantasy points in 70% of his weeks, caught four or more passes in 80% of his weeks, went for 40+ receiving yards in 80% of his weeks as well. Excluding the game that put him on IR which he did not finish, he had at least two catches and 30+ receiving yards in every healthy game.

When healthy, Andrews is a touchdown machine and is productive as any TE the league has seen in recent years.

He ranked second among 2023 TEs in passer rating when targeted, third in yards per target, third in passing success rate, fourth in receiving yards per catch, sixth in receiving yards per game, and eighth in receptions per game according to Pro Football Reference.

Much like the rest of the top-3 TEs, Andrews’ fantasy stock is bolstered by the fact that he plays in one of the most efficient offenses in the league as Baltimore ranked top-5 in QB rating, passing yards per attempt, and total scoring. Plus, the Ravens threw the ball on 1st down the fifth-most of any team, and finished 10th in completion percentage (per NFL.com).

 

 

4) Evan Engram

Evan Engram becoming an elite fantasy TE the past two seasons after years of mediocrity in New York seems as improbable as your CEO emailing you to come up to their office to smoke a joint; however, Engram is now finally readily displaying the skills that the Giants saw in him on draft day.

Now in Jacksonville with a newly-minted 200 million-dollar franchise quarterback who is not Daniel Jones, Engram is snaring passes left and right in Jacksonville’s pass-heavy offense – which features Engram regularly as a slot or wide receiver, in the backfield, and as a tight end.

It’s obvious that regardless of the personnel, game-plan, or situation, the Jaguars view Evan Engram as one of their top-3 pass catchers based on how often he stays in the game and how often he splits out wide away from the offensive line.

Engram has the acceleration and agility to get open on most defenders he lines up against, and his top-end speed and burst off the line of scrimmage has yielded impressive results over the last two seasons.

Specifically in regards to last season, Engram’s TE rankings were:

  • 4th in fantasy PPG and 2nd in PRK (per ESPN)
  • 1st in receptions and targets (per ESPN)
  • 2nd in YAC (per ESPN)
  • 3rd in receiving yards (per ESPN)
  • 3rd in catch % (per Next Gen Stats)
  • 4th in receptions resulting in first downs (per ESPN)
  • 11th in share of his team’s air yards (per Next Gen Stats)
  • 15th in average separation (per Next Gen Stats)

Once again, if you watch Jaguars games its clear they view Engram as a dynamic playmaker who needs to be on the field at almost all times, and they can creatively scheme ways to get him the football.

It’s no surprise then that Engram ranked 4th among last season’s crop of tight ends in snap share (according to FantasyPros) and led the position group in both catches and targets last season.

Furthermore, the Jaguars don’t just believe Evan Engram is a dynamic playmaker: he is one.

Engram’s blazing speed, constantly improving hands, and catch radius are undoubtedly top-5 at the TE position now, and Engram led all TEs in average scrimmage yards per touch (reports Pro Football Reference) and was tied for 8th in broken tackles on receptions among TEs (per Pro Football Reference).

Last season, Engram also demonstrated an impressive fantasy floor and remarkable consistency for a fantasy tight end. He never scored fewer than five points in a game, scored at least nine fantasy points in 76% of his games, and he caught at least four balls in every single game.

The story of his season was similar to 2022, as Engram turned it on down the stretch of the season and during the fantasy playoffs. Many fantasy managers likely won championships and playoff games as a result as Engram scored 17+ fantasy points in four of his final six weeks, including scoring 23+ fantasy points in three of those final six weeks.

Engram also benefits from the fact that the Jaguars are also frequently playing from behind and use a pass-heavy offense.

While the Jags offense wasn’t elite in 2023, they weren’t terrible either, and its within that playing-from-behind mediocrity that Engram usually thrives.

Although Jacksonville didn’t finish inside the top-10 in total yards per game or points per game, they didn’t finish outside of the top-15 in either category, and they did rank 9th in passing yards per game which is a stat that effects Engram’s fantasy stock much more.

 

 

5) Dalton Kincaid

Much like LBJ after the military industrial complex Lee Harvey Oswald took out JFK, once Dawson Knox went down and Diggs was blanketed, it was Dalton Kincaid’s time to shine in the Buffalo Bills’ notoriously pass-heavy offense in 2023.

The 1st-rounder used his elite route-running and impressive explosiveness to rattle off some impressive rankings among TEs despite not receiving more than six targets in a game until Week 7, namely:

Kincaid’s explosion out of his breaks, agility, sure hands, and ability to beat press coverage are especially useful skills for Josh Allen’s arm in the Bill’s high-octane offense, and were skills that were key to his fantasy success last season.

Among last year’s tight ends, Kincaid ranked 5th in average separation, and 8th among all players (according Next Gen Stats).

Kincaid’s unique talent translated into fantasy success once he finally got the starting nod, scoring double-digit fantasy weeks in seven of his final 11 weeks of the season, and he accrued double-digit targets in nine of those 11 games.

Kincaid’s high target share is especially valuable in Buffalo, considering he gets to catch passes from Josh Allen and the Bills scored the 6th-most TDs last season, had the 5th-most total scrimmage plays, threw the 7th-most passing TDs, had the 10th-most passing yards, and ranked within the top half of the league when it came to the percentage they threw on first downs last year (per NFL.com).

 

 

6) T.J. Hockenson

The only reason a top-3 TE lock from the past few seasons comes in just outside the top-5 this year boils down to the fact that he no longer has Kirk Cousins feeding him targets and it will likely be Sam Darnold behind center, which is like going from putting whole milk in your cereal to using soymilk. It will be an adjustment at the very least.

Although, despite the uncertainty that is T.J. Hockenson’s target share (and the uncertainty regarding the percentage of those targets that will be catchable), it’s difficult to rank Hockenson lower than here considering his dominance over the past few seasons in addition to his clearly elite receiving skills.

Here’s how Hockenson’s numbers compared to the rest of 2023’s TE class (despite missing the final two games of the year):

  • 2nd in fantasy PPG to only Kelce & 4th in PRK (per ESPN)
  • 2nd in receptions & targets to only Evan Engram (per ESPN)
  • 2nd to only Kittle in catches for 20+ yards (per ESPN)
  • 4th in receiving yards (per ESPN)
  • Tied for 7th in receiving TDs (per ESPN)
  • 8th in snap % (per FantasyPros)
  • 9th in YAC (per ESPN)

Hockenson has a phenomenal combination of size, strength, and speed for the tight end position.

He’s also insanely adept at leaping up to snag footballs at their highest catchable point, and he consistently makes tough, contested catches in traffic despite taking significant contact.

Check out this play from last season where he jumped up to reel in this touchdown despite being immediately hit by a Bears defender:

Hock’s ability to find the soft spots in coverage and snare passes like a wide receiver is right up there with Travis Kelce, as evidenced by his 7th-highest catch % in 2023 among tight ends, per Next Gen Stats.

If Hockenson’s target share comes close to last season, when he accounted for 19% of all of the Vikings’ air yards (a figure that ranked fifth among all TEs according to Next Gen Stats), he will have a phenomenal year by tight end standards regardless of who is slinging him the rock or how competent that passer is.

Hockenson also accounted for 12% of all of Minnesota’s red zone targets, as reported by Pro Football Reference.

It’s noteworthy too that Hockenson isn’t simply an aging target hog as a TE like many detractors might argue. He’s efficient with his looks, as evidenced the fact that he had the 9th-highest yards per target of any 2023 TE. He was also 12th among last season’s tight ends in passer rating when targeted (per Pro Football Reference).

Finally, defenses are still unable to double one of the best tight ends in the NFL due to Justin Jefferson, possibly the best pass catcher in the entire league, burning defenses on the outside.

As long as whoever Minnesota starts at QB for the majority of the season is even remotely competent or as long as Hockenson’s target share is close to his 2023 target share, he will likely outperform his 2024 ADP with another top-3 season in terms of fantasy PPG.

 

 

7) George Kittle

The reason Kittle ranks outside the top-5 TEs on this year’s list is his targets can at times be so frustratingly inconsistent that despite the fact that he’s one of the most talented players in the entire league, you will probably consider benching or at least trading him at some point during the fantasy season if you end up drafting him.

That’s unfortunately the nature of the 49ers offense due to Deebo Samuel, CMC, and Brandon Aiyuk stealing targets and touches like they are the actual Deebo from Friday from Kittle almost every play.

However, the fact remains that Kittle actually led the position group in receiving yards last season, which arguably alone prevents him from falling out of TE1 stats.

Moreover, one of the most significant factors in any fantasy players’ success is availability and snap share, and because Kittle is such a nightmare mismatch as a receiver and such a dominant force of a run-blocker he barely leaves the field.

Last year his snap share ranked second in the NFL amongst tight ends, and he ended the season with the 5th-most total snaps (per FantasyPros).

In addition to leading all TEs in receiving yards last season, Kittle ranked:

  • 6th in fantasy PPG and 5th in total points (per ESPN)
  • 1st in yards per catch (per ESPN)
  • 1st in catches for 20+ yards (per ESPN)
  • 3rd in YAC (per ESPN)
  • 5th in receptions resulting in 1st downs (per ESPN)
  • Tied for 2nd in receiving TDs (per ESPN)
  • 9th in targets (per ESPN)
  • 10th in receptions (per ESPN)
  • 11th in catch % (per Next Gen Stats)

As evidenced by his league-leading YAC figure when it came to TEs in 2023, George Kittle is probably the most talented ball-carrier at the TE position in the entire league, and he can be a fun player to own as every catch feels like a potential lottery ticket to a successful fantasy day.

Kittle is the strongest, most natural runner of any tight end in the NFL, as evidenced by the fact that he had the most YAC per reception of any TE in 2023 and had the 3rd-most YAC per catch of any player regardless of position (trailing only Rashee Rice and Deebo Samuel, as reported by Next Gen Stats).

Kittle also led 2023 tight ends in YAC above expectation, and came in 5th among all NFL players according to Next Gen Stats.

He’s a creative runner and can bully his way through defenders as well as he can dance around them, and his strong stiff arms are seriously right up there with the likes of Derrick Henry.

He also might be the most explosive tight end in the league when you consider his deep speed and his ability to break tackles like a running back, and the 49ers know it and pepper him (although sometimes inconsistently) with targets.

It probably comes as no surprise then that Kittle ranked 2nd among all TEs in both average targeted air yards and his share of his teams’ air yards last season, trailing only Kyle Pitts in both categories and accounting for over 22% of all San Francisco air yards (according to Next Gen Stats).

Those targets easily translate into fantasy points due to Kittle’s status as YAC maven, and due to the fact that the 49ers might have the best offense in the league as evidenced by the fact that they led the NFL in yards per play last year and ranked 2nd in scoring percentage, second passing touchdowns, fourth in passing yards, and ranked in the bottom half of the league in percentage of drives ending in an offensive turnover, as reported by Pro Football Reference.

 

 

 

8) Trey McBride

After some seasons marred by injury and the reemergence of Zach Ertz, McBride finally became the stud TE Arizona believed he was when they drafted him a few seasons ago. Now with Ertz and Hollywood Brown gone, McBride might actually be the de-facto #1 pass-catcher on the Cardinals, and his steady dose of targets from last season should only increase.



That’s great news for McBride investors, as he was already 6th among 2023 TEs in his share of his teams’ air yards and accounted for 16% of all of the Cardinals’ air yards last season, reports Next Gen Stats.

McBride is a classic hulking tight end who holds onto contested catches in traffic, and he has underrated speed.

Much like Kittle, he’s a solid blocker and a trustworthy receiver (as evidenced by the fact that he came in sixth in TE catch % last year according to Next Gen Stats), increasing both his snap and target share.

Here’s how McBride’s key stats compared to other TEs from last season:

  • 8th in fantasy PPG and 7th in PRK (per ESPN)
  • 5th in YAC (per ESPN)
  • 6th in receptions (per ESPN)
  • 6th in targets (ESPN)
  • 6th in receptions resulting in first downs (per ESPN)
  • 7th in receiving yards (per ESPN)

A key factor in McBride’s fantasy success is his ability as a route-runner, as his acceleration and deceleration in and out of his breaks is elite. Among last year’s tight ends he finished with the 11th-highest average separation, according to Next Gen Stats.

@sportsline

Trey McBride gets the TD after the first one was called back 💰 #nflweek13 #steelers #cardinals #kylermurray #treymcbride #nflbetting #sportsbetting

♬ original sound – sportsline

His targets usually contain additional value other than just his yards before the catch, as he runs like Mark Andrews and frequently bullies his way right through defenders, throwing in the occasional but effective hurdle or juke when he needs to.

After all, McBride did finish eighth in YAC per catch when it came to 2023 TES, and he came in sixth in YAC above expected (per Next Gen Stats).

McBride’s ADP will also likely be bolstered by the fact that he’s coming into this year fully health, and in 2024 so is his quarterback.

And despite being an annoying midget, Kyler Murray is still an elite passer when healthy.

 

 

9) David Njoku

There’s likely an argument to be made for Njoku being higher on the list, as some of his statistics from last season are extremely impressive. It looks like the 2017 first-rounder has finally found his niche in the NFL, refined his craft, and is now in the prime of his career with a role as one of the top pass-catchers and playmakers on his team.

His breakaway speed might be the very best in the NFL at the position, and he showed out towards the end of last season and the playoffs with Joe Flacco slinging him the rock that he is a straight up baller:

Much like Evan Engram, Njoku’s skills as a receiver keep him on the field regardless of the situation, as the Browns will frequently line him up outside or in the slot if they are operating out of an offensive set with three WRs or more.

That often pays dividends as Njoku had the 3rd-highest average YAC above expectation among last year’s tight ends, according to Next Gen Stats.

Njoku also led the position in YAC per reception (per Pro Football Reference).

He has also improved on the once inconsistent hands that were highlighted on HBO’s Hard Knocks back in 2018, and he is now one of the most trustworthy pass-catchers on the Browns, and an undisputed top-1o pass-catcher at the TE position.

In terms of 2023 TEs, here’s how some of Njoku’s noteworthy stats shook out:

  • 7th in fantasy PPG and 6th in total points (per ESPN)
  • 1st in YAC (per ESPN)
  • Tied for 2nd in receiving TDs (per ESPN)
  • 3rd in total snaps (per FantasyPros)
  • 3rd in targets (per ESPN)
  • 4th in catches for 20+ yards (ESPN)
  • 5th in receptions (per ESPN)
  • 6th in receiving yards (per ESPN)
  • 10th in receptions (per ESPN)

Additionally, his route-running has improved markedly since his rookie season, and he ranked 10th among all tight ends in average separation in 2023, reports Next Gen Stats.

Once he has the ball in his hands, Njoku is a strong, dynamic playmaker who can run through defenders as well as he can juke or spin them out of their shoes.

Among 2023 TEs, it was Njoku who led the NFL in broken tackles on receptions, per Pro Football Reference. He also had the sixth-most yards per reception among last year’s tight ends (according to Pro Football Reference).

Njoku’s receiving TDs were no fluke last season either, as he ranked 2nd among all TEs in his share of his team’s red zone targets, accounting for over 26% of all the Browns’ 2023 red zone looks. That 26% figure was also good for 15th best among all players regardless of position, as reported by Pro Football Reference.

A potential risk in drafting Njoku is the Cleveland QB situation, as Joe Flacco is on the Colts and Deshaun Watson is more interested in hiring dozens of amateur massage therapists than playing quarterback; however, Njoku seemed to prove last season that it doesn’t matter.

He just needs to get the ball in his hands and let his league-leading YAC numbers do the rest, so as long as the Browns can continue to get Njoku even four targets a game he’ll likely be fantasy relevant.

 

 

10) Cole Kmet

If Kmet has managed to stay fantasy relevant the past few seasons with Justin Fields as his QB, it stands to reason that his numbers can only improve with Caleb Williams, who many believe is one of the greatest quarterback prospects of all time.

Kmet has some sneaky athleticism for his size, but his ball skills, his size, and the crispness with which he runs his routes are the hallmark traits that helped him achieve some impressive statistics among tight ends last year despite being in proverbial pass-catcher hell, and Kmet looks to be in the prime of his career.

In 2023, Kmet led all tight ends in catch percentage, and his 81% catch rate ranked second in the NFL among all players regardless of position, as reported by Next Gen Stats.

Among 2023 TEs, Kmet finished:

Kmet used to be just a big, semi-fast occasional target at the start of his career, but he’s honed his route-running skills and is now a clear key cog (7th among 2023 TEs in total snaps, per FantasyPros) in the Bears offense. Among all 2023 TEs, it was Cole Kmet who has the 2nd-highest average separation, according to Next Gen Stats.

That paid dividends for the Bears passing game, as Kmet recorded the seventh-highest quarterback rating when targeted of all 2023 TEs (per Pro Football Reference) while also notching the seventh-most yards per target (according to Pro Football Reference).

He also had the 9th-highest share of his team’s air yards in terms of tight ends, compiling 15% of all Chicago’s air yards in 2023, reports Next Gen Stats.

Looking for one final Kmet stat to blindly convince you to draft him like you’re George Bush convinced there are weapons of mass destruction in Iraq? Kmet led all tight ends last season in red zone target share, accounting for a wild 26% of all Bears’ red zone targets (per Pro Football Reference).

 

Leave a comment