Happy New Year! We're kicking 2025 off with a brand new set of Dynasty Fantasy Football rankings. These rankings are based on full PPR leagues where touchdown passes are worth six points. The most important thing to note is that these rankings are about how a player should be ranked in a vacuum. If you're a true contender in 2025, then the vets should be bumped up a few spots. If you're a rebuilder, then the young guys get a boost. These rankings power my Dynasty trade charts, which you can find over Sportsline for both one-QB and Superflex leagues.
At the tight end position, there was no bigger riser into the top 20 than Jonnu Smith. Through 16 weeks, Smith has set career-highs in targets (99), catches (79), and yards (828). It may seem strange that he only ranks at TE19 in the rankings below. That's because he is a 29-year-old who didn't have a 60-catch or 600-yard season coming into this year. I have a pretty strict rule of not buying career years from 29-year-olds. It doesn't always pay off, but it does more often than not.
One argument against me is that this is Smith's first season in Miami, so prior years shouldn't be held against him. I would be more sympathetic to that argument if Mike McDaniel's offense had ever looked like this before. The truth is that they threw the ball to their running backs and tight ends more than they ever had, at the expense of Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. My uneducated Fantasy Football brain says that is a bad plan. Also, they've scored nine points per game fewer than they did last year. Even in the games Tua has played, they're down five points per game. I am not sure this philosophical change will stick, and I am pretty sure it was a bad choice.
The true story of this position is one of the haves and the have-nots. If you have Brock Bowers or Trey McBride, you're part of the 1%. Congratulations. If you have Sam LaPorta, you're upper middle class, and it feels good. Mark Andrews, George Kittle, and T.J. Hockenson are old money that will run out sooner rather than later. And everyone else is living on a prayer. Maybe Dalton Kincaid or Kyle Pitts will finally reach their potential in 2025. Maybe Travis Kelce will come back. Maybe you should try to trade for Bowers or McBride.
Here are my updated Dynasty Tight End Rankings:
