Fantasy football is a game of managing headaches, and the tight end position is usually the biggest migraine of the bunch. One week you’re riding high because your guy fell into the end zone; the next, he’s putting up a literal zero while some random backup for the Panthers catches two touchdowns on your bench. Honestly, it's exhausting.
We just wrapped up the 2025 season, and if it taught us anything, it’s that the "old guard" is officially handing over the keys. If you’re still drafting based on name recognition from three years ago, you’re basically donating your league entry fee.
The landscape has shifted. We've moved away from the "Kelce and everyone else" era into a weird, exciting, and occasionally frustrating reality where youth is dominating the tight end rankings for fantasy football.
The New Hierarchy: Who Actually Deserves a First-Round Look?
Let’s be real about Brock Bowers. The kid is a freak. Even with a knee injury that landed him on IR late in the 2025 season, he was averaging 14.7 fantasy points per game. That’s not just "good for a tight end." That’s elite production that rivals high-end WR2s. He finished his 2024 rookie year with 1,194 yards—shattering records—and followed it up by being the focal point of the Raiders' passing attack in 2025 before the injury. If he's healthy, he is the undisputed TE1 for 2026.
Then you’ve got Trey McBride.
People kept waiting for the 2023 breakout to be a fluke. It wasn't. In 2024, he caught 111 passes. 111! The only reason he wasn't the overall TE1 that year was a bizarre lack of touchdowns (only two). In 2025, that "positive regression" we analysts love to talk about finally hit. McBride is the engine of that Arizona offense. He’s essentially a jumbo wide receiver who happens to have a "TE" next to his name on your roster.
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- Brock Bowers (LV): The ceiling is the roof. Even with Geno Smith now under center in Vegas, Bowers is the first read.
- Trey McBride (ARI): Target monster. If you're in a PPR league, he’s arguably safer than Bowers.
- Sam LaPorta (DET): He took a slight step back in 2025 in terms of target share (dropping to around 17%), but his red-zone efficiency remains disgusting.
- Tyler Warren (IND): The 2025 breakout was real. Since landing in Indy, he’s become Anthony Richardson's favorite safety valve.
Why the "Big Names" are Traps
I love Travis Kelce. We all do. But he’s 36.
In 2024, he failed to hit 1,000 yards for the second straight year. By 2025, he was finishing as the TE8 or lower most weeks. The Chiefs are smart; they’re saving him for the real NFL playoffs, not your fantasy semifinals. Drafting him in the second or third round is a nostalgia play, and nostalgia doesn't win trophies.
Mark Andrews is in a similar boat. Between Isaiah Likely’s emergence in Baltimore and Andrews’ own mounting injury history, he’s no longer the "set it and forget it" locked-in top-three option. He’s still a starter, sure, but the gap between him and a waiver wire streamer is closing fast.
The Sleeper Tier: Finding 2026's Breakout
If you miss out on the top four or five guys, don't panic. The middle rounds of tight end rankings for fantasy football are where the value actually lives.
Take a look at Harold Fannin Jr. in Cleveland. Most people ignored him because he was a rookie out of Bowling Green, but he finished 2025 as the PPR TE4. That's insane value for a guy who was likely sitting on your waiver wire in September. He’s got the receiving metrics that suggest he’s the next big thing.
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Then there’s Colston Loveland.
The Bears' offense is crowded, but Loveland emerged late in 2025 with three straight games of 90+ yards. With Caleb Williams entering his third year in 2026, the chemistry is finally clicking. Loveland is the type of player you snag in the 9th round who ends up finishing as a top-five guy.
- Dalton Kincaid (BUF): 2025 was a bit of a "lost year" due to nagging injuries, but the talent hasn't left. He's a post-hype sleeper for 2026.
- Tucker Kraft (GB): He’s officially jumped Luke Musgrave in the Packers' pecking order. His YAC (yards after catch) ability is top-tier.
- Kyle Pitts Sr. (ATL): Look, I know. We've been hurt before. But he actually finished as a top-five TE in the final month of 2025. Is the dream finally alive? Maybe. Sorta.
Strategy: Wait or Weight?
There are basically two ways to play this.
You either pay the "tax" and grab Bowers or McBride in the early rounds, or you wait until the very end of the draft. Taking a tight end in the 5th or 6th round is usually the worst move you can make. You’re passing on high-upside wide receivers for a guy like George Kittle—who is amazing but incredibly volatile—or Evan Engram.
If you don't get a "difference maker," just wait.
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The difference between the TE7 and the TE15 is usually about two fantasy points per week. Why waste a mid-round pick on that? Instead, take two "dart throws" late. Grab a guy like Brenton Strange (who took over the lead role in Jacksonville) and maybe a rookie. One of them will likely hit, and you didn't sacrifice your roster depth to get them.
Actionable Next Steps for Your Draft
Stop looking at total points from last year. It's a lie. It doesn't account for games missed or "boom/bust" weeks that actually hurt your team.
Look at Target Share and Routes Run per Dropback. If a tight end isn't on the field for at least 70% of the team's passing plays, he's a touchdown-dependent prayer.
Specifically:
- Target the "Big 4": If Bowers, McBride, LaPorta, or Warren fall past their ADP, pounce.
- Fade the Age: Let someone else deal with the decline of Kelce or the inconsistency of Andrews.
- Monitor the Browns: Harold Fannin Jr. is the real deal; make sure he's on your radar before your league-mates catch on.
- Check Health: Keep a close eye on Brock Bowers' knee recovery throughout the 2026 preseason. If he’s 100%, he’s the gold standard.
The tight end position doesn't have to be a black hole on your roster. It just requires you to stop drafting like it's 2022. Embrace the youth movement, watch the target shares, and stop chasing last year's touchdowns.
Data Sources & References:
- Pro Football Focus (PFF) 2025 Season Breakout Reports
- FantasyPros 2025 Accuracy Standings (Nathan Jahnke)
- NFL.com Fantasy Tiers (Eric Edholm)
- PlayerProfiler Advanced Metrics for Brock Bowers & Trey McBride