Fantasy analysts, myself included, have fallen into the trap of saying "this is the year of the tight end" when we get a quality group of players at the position. Well, if you said it in 2025, you were right. And it could get even better this season.
Last year, 15 tight ends averaged at least 8.0 half-PPR points per game. That was up from 10 in 2024, and we had 15 tight ends combined average at least 8.0 half-PPR points in 2022 and 2023. There was also 10 tight ends who hit that average in 2021.
Part of the increased production in 2025 was a standout rookie class, which included Harold Fannin Jr., Tyler Warren and Colston Loveland. The old guard of George Kittle, Travis Kelce, Dallas Goedert and Hunter Henry were still successful. And we saw Trey McBride dominate the position, while Tucker Kraft, Brock Bowers and Kyle Pitts all had quality campaigns.
Most of those tight ends should be productive again in 2026, and we have high expectations for others like Sam LaPorta, Isaiah Likely and Chigoziem Okonkwo. Fantasy managers should have fun drafting tight ends this season, but you should have a plan to attack the position. And that's where tiers come into play.
These are tight end tiers you can follow on Draft Day, and they are a better guide than just going down a rank list. I'll tell you the round range for these tight ends, as well as some stats of note, and this blueprint should help you dominate your league.
Tier 1
Rounds 2 and 3
Brock Bowers
Trey McBride
Even though McBride was the No. 1 Fantasy tight end last season, I like Bowers in the top spot this year. I expect him to lead the position in targets, and he should finish as the best Fantasy tight end in 2026. He is worth drafting as early as the middle of Round 2. Bowers had an amazing rookie campaign in 2024 with 112 catches for 1,194 yards and five touchdowns on 153 targets. But injuries -- he suffered a knee injury in Week 1 that lingered all season -- poor quarterback play and a struggling offense limited his production in 2025 to 64 catches for 680 yards and seven touchdowns on 86 targets in 12 games. If Bowers stays healthy he could be a candidate for Fantasy MVP this year.
McBride averaged 14.4 half-PPR points per game last season, and the next closest tight end was Kraft at 12.1. McBride led the position in targets (169), catches (126) and yards (1,239), and he tied Goedert for the touchdown lead with 11. It was a magical season, but I'm expecting some regression this year. The Cardinals' run game should improve dramatically with the addition of Jeremiyah Love and Tyler Allgeier, along with James Conner being healthy. And Marvin Harrison Jr. will hopefully stay healthy all season, along with an improved Michael Wilson. McBride should still be awesome, but I would draft him after Bowers in early Round 3.
Tier 2
Rounds 3-7
Colston Loveland
Tyler Warren
Sam LaPorta
Tucker Kraft
Kyle Pitts
Harold Fannin Jr.
This is the tier most Fantasy managers want to be in, and it starts with Loveland as early as Round 3. I would prefer to draft him in Round 4, but that might not be realistic given his upside. Loveland got off to a slow start as a rookie due to injury and inconsistent play. But from Week 12 on, including the playoffs, he scored at least 10 half-PPR points in five of his final nine games. And in his final four outings, Loveland averaged 16.0 half-PPR points per game. It helped that he was the featured act in the passing game over that span with at least 10 targets per game in all four contests, and he averaged seven catches and 94.5 yards per game, with two touchdowns. Loveland should be a star this season.
Warren was spectacular when Daniel Jones (Achilles) was healthy through the first 10 weeks of the season. He scored at least 10.5 half-PPR points in six of 10 games, and we hope he can pick up from that point in 2026 now that it appears Jones will be ready for Week 1. Warren should also benefit with Michael Pittman being gone (he had 111 targets in 2025) and no significant replacement added, and I would draft Warren as early as Round 4.
LaPorta was a star in 2023 when he averaged 11.0 half-PPR points per game as a rookie. He struggled in 2024 at 8.6 half-PPR points per game, and he dealt with a back injury in 2025 when he finished with 9.1 half-PPR points per game in just nine contests. We hope he's healthy for Week 1, and LaPorta has top-five upside with Drew Petzing as the new offensive coordinator in Detroit. Petzing loves using his tight ends, and he was just the coordinator in Arizona for the past four seasons with McBride. LaPorta is worth drafting as early as Round 5.
Kraft was on his way toward having a massive season in 2025 before he suffered a torn ACL in Week 9. Through his first seven games of the year, Kraft scored at least 11 half-PPR points four times, and he could see a boost in production if healthy since Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks are no longer in Green Bay. We expect Kraft to play in Week 1, and he's worth drafting no later than Round 7.
Pitts rebounded in 2025 after three down seasons in a row when he averaged a career-best 9.2 half-PPR points per game. He should continue to play at a high level with Kevin Stefanski as the new head coach in Atlanta, and Stefanski has a great track record with tight ends (see David Njoku and Fannin as examples). The Falcons should have concentrated targets for Drake London, Pitts and Bijan Robinson, and Pitts had 118 targets in 2025, which was second among all tight ends. That number could improve this season thanks to Stefanski, and Pitts is worth drafting as early as Round 6.
Fannin was awesome in his rookie campaign in 2025 when he had 72 catches for 731 yards and six touchdowns on 107 targets, which led the Browns. I hope he can lead Cleveland in targets again this year, but that could be an issue after the Browns drafted K.C. Concepcion in Round 1 of the NFL Draft and Denzel Boston in Round 2. It's a much improved receiving corps, and we'll see if Fannin can develop a rapport with Deshaun Watson (Achilles), who hasn't played since 2024. I like Fannin this season, but the earliest I would draft him is Round 7.
Tier 3
Rounds 8-10
George Kittle
Travis Kelce
Isaiah Likely
Kittle, 32, is coming off an Achilles injury that he suffered in the wild-card round of the NFL playoffs, but he's tracking to be ready for Week 1. It's risky to draft Kittle as a top-five Fantasy tight end, but he is still worth the risk as a top-10 option in Round 8 or later. Kittle has averaged at least 10.1 half-PPR points per game for eight years in a row, and hopefully the new additions in San Francisco (Mike Evans, Christian Kirk and De'Zhaun Stribling) don't take away too much from Kittle remaining a focal point for Brock Purdy.
Kelce, 36, was having a solid campaign in 2025 when Patrick Mahomes (knee) was healthy, and Kelce averaged 9.9 half-PPR points per game in the first 14 games of the year. To put that in perspective, the only tight ends with a better average for the season in 2025 were McBride, Kraft, Kittle and Bowers. Mahomes is on track to play in Week 1, and Kelce could have one more quality season before he likely retires. He's a good fallback option in Round 8 or later.
We've been waiting for the chance to see Likely in a featured role, and he finally gets that this season after leaving Baltimore for the Giants. In his four-year career with the Ravens, Likely has nine games with at least six targets. He scored at least 9.5 half-PPR points in eight of them and averaged 13.4 half-PPR points over that span. We'll see what happens with Malik Nabers (knee) early in the season, but Likely should be second on the Giants in targets this year. He's worth drafting in Round 9.
Tier 4
Rounds 10-14
Chigoziem Okonkwo
Dallas Goedert
If Washington doesn't add another pass catcher of significance, Okonkwo should be second on the team in targets behind Terry McLaurin. The Commanders lost Deebo Samuel (99 targets) and Zach Ertz (72) from last year's roster, so there are plenty of available chances for Okonkwo. He's a sneaky low-end starter you can draft in Round 10 or later.
Goedert has played four games without A.J. Brown over the past two seasons, and Goedert scored at least 9.5 half-PPR points in three of them. It's a small sample size, but we know Jalen Hurts will lean on Goedert, who could be second on the team in targets behind DeVonta Smith. Even if Makai Lemon or another receiver along with Smith gets more targets than Goedert, he could still be a standout weapon, especially in the end zone. He scored 11 touchdowns in 2025, which tied McBride for No. 1 at the position.
There's bounce-back potential here for Andrews after he had a miserable season in 2025 at 5.8 half-PPR points per game, which was his lowest total since his rookie campaign in 2018. New Ravens offensive coordinator Declan Doyle should involve Andrews heavily in the game plan, and Andrews should be second on the team in targets behind Zay Flowers. Andrews averaged at least 9.1 half-PPR points per game from 2019-24, and he's a quality tight end to settle for in Round 10 or later.
Kincaid has struggled with knee injuries in each of the past two years, missing nine games over that span and parts of others, but he expects to be fine for Week 1. He had a quality season in 2025 at 8.4 half-PPR points per game, and he had seven outings with at least 9.5 half-PPR points, including the playoffs, in the 14 appearances that he made. Kincaid should be second on the team in targets behind D.J. Moore, and Kincaid is a good tight end to settle for in Round 10 or later.
Tier 5
Late-round fliers
Ferguson will have his moments as a low-end starter, but he's now third on the Cowboys in targets at best behind CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens. He had 102 targets in 2025 and set career-highs with 82 receptions and eight touchdowns, but he managed just 600 yards. Still, if he can find the end zone in almost half of his games, that will help, but it will be hard to trust him while Lamb and Pickens are healthy.
We had high hopes for Dulcich early in his career in Denver, but he never proved to be a reliable Fantasy option. That might not change in 2026 with Miami, but the Dolphins have no proven receiver of note. Unless someone is signed prior to Week 1, that gives Dulcich the chance to lead Miami in targets. He's worth a late-round flier if you want to chase upside.
The addition of David Njoku for the Chargers lowers the upside for Gadsden. Even if he remains the No. 1 tight end, it's hard to expect a breakout campaign in 2026. And I was hopeful after what he did as a rookie in 2025 with 49 catches for 664 yards and three touchdowns on 69 targets. He can still perform at a high level, but Gadsden should not be drafted as a starter.
Strange had 10 games last season with at least five targets, and he scored at least 9.0 half-PPR points in four of them. It will be hard for Strange to get five targets consistently if all the receivers in Jacksonville remain healthy, especially if Travis Hunter remains in the mix offensively. But Strange could be useful in deeper leagues, and if any of Brian Thomas Jr., Parker Washington, Jakobi Meyers or Hunter gets hurt, then Strange could have top-12 upside in all formats.
With Okonkwo now in Washington, I'm hoping Helm steps up and becomes a viable target for Cam Ward. The Titans added two prominent receivers in Carnell Tate and Wan'Dale Robinson, and Daniel Bellinger did follow offensive coordinator Brian Daboll from New York to Tennessee. Still, Helm has plenty of upside, and he's worth stashing on your bench with a late-round pick.
I might be undervaluing Schultz this season after his 2025 campaign with 82 catches for 777 yards and three touchdowns on 106 targets, which was good for 7.5 half-PPR points per game. But if Nico Collins, Jayden Higgins and Tank Dell all stay healthy, then Schultz should see his targets decline. In his two previous years in Houston, Schultz averaged 86.5 targets per season, and that's probably what you should expect in 2026. He'll still be good, but Schultz doesn't offer much upside heading into the year.
Johnson had a career year in 2025 in targets (102), receptions (77) and yards (889), and he also scored three touchdowns. He averaged 7.8 half-PPR points per game, but it should be hard for him to replicate that level of production this season. The Saints added two rookie pass catchers in first-round receiver Jordyn Tyson and third-round tight end Oscar Delp. Along with Chris Olave, the target competition is much tougher now for Johnson. He'll remain a big part of the Saints offense, but I expect his production to decline in 2026.
Long-term, Sadiq has the chance to be a star, and hopefully he'll end up as the next Bowers, Loveland, Warren or Fannin to make an instant Fantasy impact in his rookie campaign. But I'm skeptical of his production in 2026 with the Jets, who also added Omar Cooper Jr. in the NFL Draft and still have Garrett Wilson, Adonai Mitchell and Mason Taylor on the roster. I wouldn't be shocked if Sadiq is second on the team in targets behind Wilson, but that would be a stretch, especially early in the year. For now, take a late-round flier on Sadiq if you have enough roster spots, and maybe he'll be another surprise Fantasy rookie in 2026.
Tier 6
Streaming options during the season
Hunter Henry
David Njoku
A.J. Barner
Pat Friermuth
