2025 Fantasy Football TE Rankings - Week 5 Start, Sit Tight Ends

2025 fantasy football TE rankings - Week 5 start, sit tight end rankings. Win more with our updated TE fantasy football rankings and tiers for Week 5.

Tight ends are always tricky, and bye weeks make the position even more scarce than usual. Use these Week 5 fantasy football tight end rankings as your guide for starts-sit calls at TE this weekend. In the full set of TE rankings below, you will see where key players on the start 'em, sit 'em bubble like Darren Waller, Brenton Strange, Hunter Henry, Juwan Johnson, Dallas Goedert, David Njoku, and T.J. Hockenson stand, among others.

Our TE fantasy football rankings for Week 5 are put together by Nick Mariano. Below the rankings, you will also find a summary of the important fantasy football news for this week. There are always key injuries and developments to keep track of, so check back throughout the week for updates.

Be sure to bookmark our fantasy football rankings portal and check back regularly for updates. Most importantly, our free mobile app is a must-have - download it and configure your push notifications. We deliver all the top NFL news, injuries, and fantasy analysis 24x7 with our free push notification alerts... all for free!

Editor's Note: Stay on top of your draft prep with RotoBaller’s fantasy football rankings, featuring expert analysis, ADPs, and draft insights for both PPR and non-PPR leagues.

Week 5 Fantasy Football Tight End Rankings

Bookmark our PPR rankings, Half-PPR rankings, and standard (non-PPR) rankings 

Week 5 Fantasy Football Tight End Outlooks

Darren Waller, Miami Dolphins

Miami Dolphins tight end Darren Waller said Wednesday that his snap count is likely to increase in the coming weeks, according to Miami reporter Barry Jackson. The veteran tight had quite a debut for the Dolphins in Week 4, catching three passes for 27 yards and two touchdowns on just four targets and 16 total snaps.

Miami has eased Waller back into action this season, but he figures to keep gaining more time after Monday night. With receiver Tyreek Hill (knee) out for the foreseeable future, Waller could quickly become one of the team's top pass-catching options alongside receiver Jaylen Waddle and running back De'Von Achane.

George Kittle, San Francisco 49ers

San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle (hamstring) is trending toward a Week 6 return from injured reserve. Kittle strained his hamstring in Week 1 after posting four catches for 28 yards and a touchdown, all in the first quarter. His return will be a major boost for San Francisco's offense, both as a pass catcher and as a blocker. Once active, Kittle should immediately reclaim his role as a high-end TE1, though fantasy managers should be more concerned about his health risks and the 49ers' crowded target distribution.

Jake Tonges, San Francisco 49ers

San Francisco 49ers tight end Jake Tonges has emerged as the team's preferred pass-catcher at the position in the absence of George Kittle (hamstring). Through four weeks, Tonges has the edge on Luke Farrell in targets (16 to six) and has run nearly twice as many routes (96 to 52). Quarterback Brock Purdy (toe), who connected with Tonges for both of the tight end's touchdowns this season, will be out in Week 5 and replaced by Mac Jones for the third time in four weeks.

Tonges' target share held steady in Purdy's previous absence, and might even grow with both Ricky Pearsall (knee) and Jauan Jennings (ankle/ribs) also declared out. Tonges projects as a low-end TE2 in Week 5. While his stock may be improving, tight end streamers should look elsewhere rather than gamble on another touchdown coming his way on Thursday night.

Juwan Johnson, New Orleans Saints

New Orleans Saints tight end Juwan Johnson (ankle) did not practice on Wednesday. Johnson is coming off his least productive game of the season in Week 4, catching just three passes for 28 yards. He now appears to be dealing with an ankle injury that he picked up during the loss against the Buffalo Bills, but he managed to play nearly 90% of the snaps.

If Johnson is unable to go in Week 5, Jack Stoll would step in as the Saints' starting tight end. The matchup is not ideal, as the New York Giants have surrendered the 10th-least fantasy points to tight ends this season. If Johnson suits up, he projects as a low-end TE1 option in Week 5, but fantasy managers should keep an eye on his practice participation.

Brock Bowers, Las Vegas Raiders

Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers (knee) was a limited participant during Wednesday's practice. Fantasy managers shouldn't be too concerned at the moment. The Raiders are just being cautious with their superstar tight end. Right now, there is no reason to believe that Bowers will miss the Week 5 matchup against the Indianapolis Colts.

Last week, Bowers hauled in five of his six targets for 46 yards in the loss. The 22-year-old has been held under 50 receiving yards in each of the last three games. Hopefully, Bowers can turn it around this weekend in Indy. Fantasy managers should check back on Thursday and Friday, just in case this knee injury does become an issue.

Dallas Goedert, Philadelphia Eagles

Philadelphia Eagles tight end Dallas Goedert (knee) wasn't able to participate in practice on Wednesday. It's unclear if this is a new knee injury or the same one that kept Goedert sidelined in Week 2. Possibly, Goedert's absence was more rest-related than a true knee injury. Fantasy managers should check back on Thursday and Friday to see if Goedert practices. He's coming off a two-touchdown performance in Week 4 and looked completely fine during that game. If he sits, Grant Calcaterra figures to see increased snaps this weekend against the Denver Broncos.

David Njoku, Cleveland Browns

Cleveland Browns tight end David Njoku (knee) was a limited participant during Wednesday's practice session. This shouldn't be too concerning as Njoku also opened last week's practice as limited as well. Despite that, Njoku still played in Week 4, but was held to two receptions for 11 yards. Possibly, the change at quarterback with Dillon Gabriel taking over will help Njoku's value. Fantasy managers shouldn't be too worried about the knee injury at the moment. They should continue to check back throughout the week for more updates. If Njoku sits, Harold Fannin Jr. would see increased snaps in Week 5.

Hunter Henry, New England Patriots

New England Patriots tight end Hunter Henry is off to a fantastic start this season, catching 15 passes for 204 yards and three touchdowns while ranking as the overall TE3 in fantasy football. He has double-digit fantasy points in three of four games and has found the end zone two weeks in a row. While critics were harsh on Henry during the offseason for sharing a role with Austin Hooper in an uninspiring offense, those opinions have been silenced by the veteran's phenomenal start.

Not only is he playing and producing far more than Hooper, but he has also been one of Drake Maye's absolute favorite targets in the passing game. We mustn't forget that New England targeted its tight ends 31.9 percent of the time in 2024 (fourth-most in the NFL), and they continue to throw to the position at a 26.7 percent clip this year (seventh-most). He should be added off waiver wires in all leagues, as he's a worthwhile starter in most formats.

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