The tight end landscape is weird. Honestly, if you spent your 2025 season waiting for a 36-year-old Travis Kelce to save your roster, you probably finished in the basement. The "Big Three" era is officially dead. We’re living in a world where Trey McBride and a bunch of kids born after the year 2002 are the ones actually deciding league championships.
Fantasy football used to be simple. You’d draft a superstar tight end early or you’d wait until the 12th round and pray for a random touchdown. That middle-class "dead zone" for tight ends? It’s gone. Now, the middle of the draft is exactly where the gold is buried. If you aren't looking at NFL tight end fantasy rankings through the lens of target share and "yards after catch" (YAC) potential, you’re just guessing.
The New Guard: Why Trey McBride and Brock Bowers Own the Top
Trey McBride didn't just have a good year; he basically broke the position. Finishing the 2025 season with over 315 fantasy points in PPR formats, he lapped the field. He averaged a ridiculous 18.6 points per game. To put that in perspective, the TE2 (Kyle Pitts, finally!) was nearly 100 points behind him. McBride is the alpha in Arizona. He’s the first read for Kyler Murray, and until that changes, he’s the undisputed 1.01 in any 2026 rankings.
Then there’s Brock Bowers. He’s the only human being on the planet who could actually catch McBride. 2025 was a bit of a rollercoaster for him in Las Vegas—bad quarterback play and a nagging knee injury kept him at TE11 overall—but the talent is terrifying. He’s basically a wide receiver who happens to be 240 pounds.
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The Rookie Revolution of 2025
We saw something last year we haven't seen in decades: three rookies finishing in the top 12. Usually, rookie tight ends are a total waste of a roster spot. Not anymore.
- Tyler Warren (Colts): He finished as the TE4. Let that sink in. Before Daniel Jones went down with an injury, Warren was the focal point of that offense. He’s big, he’s fast, and Shane Steichen knows how to use him.
- Colston Loveland (Bears): Chicago took him 10th overall for a reason. By the end of the year, he was averaging 14.25 fantasy points per game. If Caleb Williams takes the expected leap in year two, Loveland might be a top-three lock.
- Harold Fannin Jr. (Browns): The ultimate sleeper who isn't a sleeper anymore. Even with the disaster that was the Browns' QB room, Fannin was a target monster.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Veterans
Everyone is still drafting George Kittle and Mark Andrews based on what they did in 2021. Stop doing that. Kittle is 32. He’s still a beast, but he’s also a phenomenal blocker, which means the 49ers often use him to help the offensive line rather than sending him on routes. That's great for Brock Purdy; it sucks for your fantasy team.
Travis Kelce is the hardest one to rank. He finished as the TE3 in total points but he’s clearly a different player now. He’s a "safety valve" rather than a vertical threat. In 2026, he’s likely a Tier 4 option—someone you draft for the floor, not the ceiling.
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Why Target Share is the Only Stat That Matters
In the past, we chased touchdowns. Now, we chase volume. Look at Evan Engram in Denver. He doesn't score many touchdowns—never has. But in Sean Payton's offense, he’s a PPR machine because he gets seven to nine short-area targets every single week.
If a tight end isn't seeing at least a 15% target share, they shouldn't be on your roster. Period. Players like Cade Otton or Dalton Schultz have "low ceilings" because they are the 3rd or 4th options on their own teams. You want the guys who are the 1st or 2nd options.
2026 Strategy: The "Elite or Late" Pivot
When looking at your draft board, you have two real choices. You either pay the "McBride Tax" and take him in the late 1st or early 2nd round, or you wait.
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If you miss out on the top three (McBride, Bowers, Warren), there is almost no point in drafting a tight end in rounds 4 through 7. The production you get from Sam LaPorta or T.J. Hockenson in those rounds is often identical to what you can find in round 10 with a guy like Brenton Strange or Hunter Henry.
Hunter Henry is actually a great example of a value play. He had six top-15 finishes in his final seven games. People forget about him because he plays for the Patriots, but his rapport with Drake Maye is legitimate.
The Injury Factor
You can't talk about tight ends without talking about the medical tent. Tucker Kraft was looking like a top-5 lock before his ACL tear. T.J. Hockenson is still trying to get back to 100%. When you're building your 2026 NFL tight end fantasy rankings, you have to discount these guys until we see them run a full-speed route in August.
Actionable Next Steps for Your Draft
Don't just look at a list of names and draft the one you recognize from a Pro Bowl three years ago. The position has shifted toward youth and athleticism.
- Prioritize the "Second-Year Leap": Target Loveland and Fannin Jr. heavily. History shows tight ends make their biggest statistical jump in year two.
- Ignore the Name, Watch the Targets: If a veteran's target share dropped below 12% last season (looking at you, Mark Andrews), let someone else draft him.
- Identify the "Schemed" TEs: Look for coaches like Sean Payton or Kevin O'Connell who historically funnel passes to the tight end regardless of who is playing quarterback.
- Draft for Ceiling in PPR: In leagues where you get a full point per catch, a guy like Dalton Kincaid is worth a reach because his role is strictly as a pass-catcher, almost never as a blocker.
The 2026 season belongs to the athletes. If your tight end can't outrun a linebacker, he probably shouldn't be on your fantasy team. Focus on the young guys in high-volume offenses, and let your league-mates overpay for the aging legends of the past.