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RotoBallers, fantasy football championship week, is finally here! Congratulations to all the fantasy managers who made it this far. The tight end position is already thin as it is, and the loss of T.J. Hockenson further weakens the tight end pool. For fantasy managers searching for a replacement for Hockenson or a streamer for championship week, we've got you covered. We are here to guide you to a league title with our NFL team's Week 17 PPR tight end rankings for the 2023 fantasy football season.
San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle has hauled in 12 catches for 256 yards and a touchdown over his last three games. Kittle should continue to build on his success in a smash spot against a Commander's defense that ranks 20th in DVOA against opposing tight ends. Kansas City Chiefs superstar tight end Travis Kelce should bounce back against the Bengals in Week 17. The 34-year-old has been held to just 72 receiving yards over his last two games. Kelce should deliver against a Bengals defense that is 31st in DVOA versus opposing tight ends. Find out where Kelce, Kittle, and other vital tight ends such as Tucker Kraft, Chigoziem Okonkwo, Gerald Everett, Tucker Kraft, and Josh Oliver rank this week.
Our PPR fantasy football tight end rankings for Week 17 are assembled by Nick Mariano, Scott Engel, Andersen Pickard, and Brandon Murchinson. In addition to our staff rankings, below you will find a summary of this week's important fantasy football injury news. There are always critical injuries to track, so check back until kickoff.
Editor's Note: Our incredible team of writers won two writing awards and received 12 award nominations by the Fantasy Sports Writers Association. A big congrats to our very own Byron Lindeque (Golf) and Jordan McAbee (NASCAR) for both winning Writer Of The Year awards! Be sure to follow RotoBaller's analysis and advice all year long, and win more. Win More With RotoBaller!
Week 17 Tight End Fantasy Football News and Injuries
- Greg Dulcich Won't Play In Week 17
- Cole Kmet Officially Active For Week 17
- Michael Mayer Won't Play In Week 17
- Hunter Henry Inactive For Week 17
- Luke Musgrave Doubtful To Come Off IR In Week 17
- Drew Ogletree Placed On Commissioner Exempt List
Week 17 Tight End Rankings Analysis
A new feature has been added to our weekly fantasy football rankings article. Below, you will find our fantasy football outlooks for key options in Week 17, which gives readers a matchup preview of that player and advice on whether to start or avoid for the upcoming week. We provide outlooks for all 32 NFL teams, which can be found on our player profile pages and our fantasy football news desk.
George Kittle, TE, San Francisco 49ers
Week 17 Overall PPR Rankings: 43
Week 17 Tight End PPR Rankings: 2
San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle was heavily involved in the team's losing effort to the Baltimore Ravens last week on Christmas night. He caught seven passes for 126 yards on 10 targets. In a Week 17 matchup, Kittle will face the lowly Washington Commanders defense who have been -- surprisingly -- sixth-best at keeping tight ends off the fantasy scoreboard. Kittle has spent much of 2023 in mid-TE1 territory, but since Week 11, he's been the No. 1 tight end in half-PPR formats (14 PPG).
It may be fair to point out that Kittle's ascendance in the rankings is just as much a product of Travis Kelce's struggles and the absence of TJ Hockenson (knee), but the recent production is undeniable. However it's sliced, fantasy managers starting Kittle in championship week probably have the advantage at tight end. He's a must-start in Week 17 and maybe the overall top play.
Chigoziem Okonkwo, TE, Tennessee Titans
Week 17 Overall PPR Rankings: 118
Week 17 Tight End PPR Rankings: 17
Tennessee Titans tight end Chigoziem Okonkwo had his best performance of the season last week against the Seattle Seahawks, hauling in six of his seven targets for 63 yards and a touchdown. He has now seen at least five targets in four of his last five games. In Week 17, he'll face a Houston Texans defense that has allowed the fifth-most fantasy points per game to the position this year. Okonkwo is a solid fantasy option for tight ends, at least in deep leagues. Don't start him over obvious studs, but he's a top streaming option in the final week of the fantasy football season.
Trey McBride, TE, Arizona Cardinals
Week 17 Overall PPR Rankings: 47
Week 17 Tight End PPR Rankings: 4
As we gear up for the pivotal Week 17 of the fantasy season, Arizona Cardinals tight end Trey McBride emerges as a must-start option against the Philadelphia Eagles. Despite a quieter showing in the recent loss to the Bears, McBride has been on fire since quarterback Kyler Murray's return. Over the last five contests, he boasts an impressive 38-425-1 line on 45 targets, cementing his role as a crucial target in the Cardinals' passing game. With Murray leading the charge, McBride has been nothing short of exceptional, leading all tight ends with a remarkable 25.6% target share.
He also ranks second in yards per route run (YPRR) at 2.36, first in first-read share (31.2%), and first in fantasy points per game at 15.9. Facing an Eagles defense that has allowed the eighth-highest catch rate (75.3 percent) to opposing tight ends, McBride is poised for a resounding rebound in Week 17. Fantasy managers heading into championship week are strongly advised to start McBride, as he remains a set-it-and-forget-it TE1.
Week 17 Fantasy Football Tight End PPR Rankings
Rankings are updated until kick-off. Be sure to bookmark our weekly PPR rankings, Half-PPR rankings, Standard rankings.
| TE Tier |
TE Rank |
Player Name |
Pos. | Overall Rank |
| 1 | 1 | Travis Kelce | TE | 29 |
| 2 | 2 | George Kittle | TE | 41 |
| 3 | 3 | Sam LaPorta | TE | 44 |
| 3 | 4 | Trey McBride | TE | 47 |
| 3 | 5 | David Njoku | TE | 65 |
| 3 | 6 | Evan Engram | TE | 68 |
| 4 | 7 | Jake Ferguson | TE | 69 |
| 5 | 8 | Isaiah Likely | TE | 76 |
| 5 | 9 | Dalton Schultz | TE | 83 |
| 5 | 10 | Dallas Goedert | TE | 84 |
| 5 | 11 | Darren Waller | TE | 86 |
| 5 | 12 | Tucker Kraft | TE | 92 |
| 5 | 13 | Cole Kmet | TE | 94 |
| 5 | 14 | Kyle Pitts | TE | 98 |
| 6 | 15 | Gerald Everett | TE | 101 |
| 6 | 16 | Dalton Kincaid | TE | 109 |
| 6 | 17 | Chigoziem Okonkwo | TE | 117 |
| 6 | 18 | Tyler Conklin | TE | 122 |
| 6 | 19 | Juwan Johnson | TE | 124 |
| 6 | 20 | Taysom Hill | TE | 129 |
| 6 | 21 | Cade Otton | TE | 130 |
| 6 | 22 | Logan Thomas | TE | 133 |
| 6 | 23 | Pat Freiermuth | TE | 134 |
| 7 | 24 | Tyler Higbee | TE | 135 |
| 7 | 25 | Tanner Hudson | TE | 140 |
| 7 | 26 | Mike Gesicki | TE | 145 |
| 7 | 27 | Jonnu Smith | TE | 147 |
| 7 | 28 | Josh Oliver | TE | 150 |
| 7 | 29 | Kylen Granson | TE | 157 |
| 7 | 30 | Noah Fant | TE | 166 |
| 7 | 31 | Durham Smythe | TE | 167 |
| 7 | 32 | Dawson Knox | TE | 173 |
| 7 | 33 | Noah Gray | TE | 178 |
| 8 | 34 | Austin Hooper | TE | 179 |
| 8 | 35 | Tommy Tremble | TE | 187 |
| 8 | 36 | Harrison Bryant | TE | 196 |
| 8 | 37 | Lucas Krull | TE | 200 |
| 8 | 38 | Daniel Bellinger | TE | 215 |
| 9 | 39 | Robert Tonyan | TE | 216 |
| 9 | 40 | Will Mallory | TE | 218 |
| 9 | 41 | Jimmy Graham | TE | 219 |
| 9 | 42 | Johnny Mundt | TE | 220 |
| 9 | 43 | Colby Parkinson | TE | 223 |
| 9 | 44 | Brevin Jordan | TE | 224 |
| 9 | 45 | Drew Sample | TE | 228 |
| 9 | 46 | Adam Trautman | TE | 230 |
| 9 | 47 | Donald Parham Jr. | TE | 232 |
| 10 | 48 | Pharaoh Brown | TE | 241 |
| 10 | 49 | Foster Moreau | TE | 243 |
| 10 | 50 | Davis Allen | TE | 245 |
| 10 | 51 | Will Dissly | TE | 247 |
| 10 | 52 | Jordan Akins | TE | 249 |
| 10 | 53 | Stephen Sullivan | TE | 250 |
| 10 | 54 | John Bates | TE | 256 |
| 10 | 55 | Mo Alie-Cox | TE | 257 |
| 10 | 56 | Luke Farrell | TE | 260 |
| 10 | 57 | Charlie Kolar | TE | 292 |
| 10 | 58 | Stone Smartt | TE | 294 |
| 10 | 59 | Peyton Hendershot | TE | 297 |
| 10 | 60 | Connor Heyward | TE | 321 |
| 10 | 61 | Mitchell Wilcox | TE | 329 |
| 10 | 62 | Blake Bell | TE | 334 |
| 10 | 63 | Luke Schoonmaker | TE | 336 |
| 10 | 64 | Andrew Beck | TE | 339 |
| 10 | 65 | Kenny Yeboah | TE | 340 |
| 10 | 66 | Payne Durham | TE | 345 |
| 10 | 67 | James Mitchell | TE | 349 |
| 10 | 68 | MyCole Pruitt | TE | 351 |
| 11 | 69 | Marcedes Lewis | TE | 353 |
| 11 | 70 | Ian Thomas | TE | 357 |
| 11 | 71 | Jack Stoll | TE | 359 |
| 11 | 72 | Cole Fotheringham | TE | 367 |
| 11 | 73 | Julian Hill | TE | 370 |
| 11 | 74 | Reggie Gilliam | RB/TE | 382 |
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