Fantasy Football Rankings - Tight Ends (TE) Week 9 Early Updates

October 28, 2025

Fantasy football rankings - tight ends (TE) Week 9 rankings early edition for 2025. Read the top-accuracy fantasy football TE rankings.

Thankfully, stud TEs Trey McBride, Sam LaPorta, and Brock Bowers are all expected to play in Week 9 after missing last week on a bye, but if you don't have a must-start start, the tight end spot is always difficult. We're here to assist with our Week 9 fantasy football tight end rankings for 2025. Below, find out where TEs on the start-sit bubble like Colston Loveland, Hunter Henry, Theo Johnson, Jake Ferguson, AJ Barner, Juwan Johnson, and Cade Otton stand for the ninth slate of NFL action.

Our tight end fantasy football rankings for Week 9 are put together by Nick Mariano. Below the rankings, you will also find a summary of the important TE 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!

Week 9 Tight End Rankings for Fantasy Football

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Week 9 Tight End Rankings Outlooks

David Njoku, Cleveland Browns

Cleveland Browns tight end David Njoku could be made available for trade with the deadline coming up on November 4th, according to Chris Easterling of the Akron Beacon Journal. Njoku is currently in the final year of the four-year, $54.75 million contract signed back in 2022, and would be among the top tight ends available.

The 29-year-old has caught 27 of his 41 targets for 260 yards and two touchdowns in seven games this season for Cleveland. He has been overshadowed a bit by third-round rookie tight end Harold Fannin Jr., and his emergence would make sense as to why the Browns may move Njoku. In addition, the Browns claimed tight end Brendan Bates off waivers on Monday after their loss to the New England Patriots, perhaps signaling what could happen at the trade deadline with Njoku.

Kyle Pitts, Atlanta Falcons

Atlanta Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts Sr. was the lone bright spot on offense during the team's 34-10 loss to the Dolphins on Sunday, reeling in all nine of his targets from Kirk Cousins, albeit for just 59 scoreless yards. With No. 1 receiver Drake London (hip) out, the 25-year-old was able to gobble up looks, with no other pass-catcher tallying more than three receptions on the day. While the absence of both London and Michael Penix Jr. (knee) led to some unexpected results in this contest, Pitts has at least shown that he has a role in this offense regardless of the personnel around him, and it appears he can be trusted to be in the TE1 conversation most weeks based on volume alone.

He's registered just three red zone targets all season, but that is only two fewer than London, so he's not far down in the pecking order when they get in close. The fifth-year pro has several tight-end-friendly matchups in the coming weeks that should hopefully translate to some touchdowns, and he'll take on the Patriots in Week 9, a defense that allowed 10 catches for 99 yards and two touchdowns this past week to Browns tight ends.

George Kittle, San Francisco 49ers

San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle caught four of his five targets for 43 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 26-15 loss to the Houston Texans. It was a lukewarm observance of National Tight Ends Day for the unofficial holiday's founder, but on a day when the 49ers' offense generated just 223 net yards, Kittle's performance stood out. The production was reassuring for fantasy managers who were left hanging in Week 7, when Kittle posted a goose egg in his first game back from injured reserve.

Kittle's five targets were third-most on the team, after Jauan Jennings (ankle, ribs, shoulder) and Christian McCaffrey. He should remain a priority target even after Ricky Pearsall (knee) returns to action. Next on the docket for the 49ers is a potential rebound game against the Giants, who allowed Eagles tight end Dallas Goedert two touchdowns in their Week 8 meeting.

Theo Johnson, New York Giants

New York Giants tight end Theo Johnson had a quiet game in his team's Week 8 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, recording three catches for 20 yards on four targets. Johnson has been a relatively consistent producer so far this season, recording 23 catches for 212 yards and four touchdowns on 37 targets across eight games. He's shown a nice chemistry with Giants rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart, as all four of Johnson's touchdowns have come since Dart took over as the team's starter in Week 4.

However, Johnson's Week 8 dip in production coincided with the return of Giants wideout Darius Slayton, who had missed the team's previous two games with a hamstring injury. Now that Slayton is back in the lineup, it may prove difficult for Johnson to see consistent target volume. Still, Johnson has proven to be a trusted red zone option in New York. He should be added in all PPR-scoring fantasy leagues with 12 or more teams ahead of a Week 9 matchup against the San Francisco 49ers.

Chig Okonkwo, Tennessee Titans

Tennessee tight end Chig Okonkwo has been named among a list of Titans players that could be made available to trade. Having fired their head coach two weeks ago and recently dealing away cornerbacks Jason Brownlee and Roger McCreary, the team is clearly making moves for the future.

With the emergence of rookie tight end Gunnar Helm, the 26-year-old Okonkwo is apparently no longer viewed as part of that future. A fourth-round draft pick in 2022, Okonkwo has topped 50 receptions in each of the last two seasons and is currently on pace for a career-high 57 catches. Currently playing on the final year of his rookie deal, he's the type of sensible depth piece that could help contribute to a deep playoff run.

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