X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Projections
Articles & Tools
Weekly Planner
24x7 News and Alerts

Dynasty Tight Ends - Football Rankings Analysis

The tight end position has always been one that can be a true difference-maker for a fantasy football team. It wasn’t too long ago that Rob Gronkowski and Jimmy Graham were first round picks in redraft leagues, and nobody thought twice about it. While the rest of your team is streaming tight ends week in and week out, you’ve got one of the best pass-catchers in the game, giving your team a serious edge over your opponent every week. There is a reason that Gronk still gets drafted in the first round at times, although in recent years, this hasn’t quite been the case any more.

In recent years, there have been a couple of new names to the tight end scene, and they are Travis Kelce and Zach Ertz. Kelce gave Gronk a run for his money this year, and Ertz put up excellent numbers that weren’t far off from Gronk either.

Recently, over at RotoBaller, we put together our dynasty rankings, and some of the results have been pretty eye-opening. Dynasty owners know all about tiers and the edge that you can get on your league by using them in your rankings. I’ve been using tiers during my drafts for a few years now, and they can be a very nice tool and help you out immensely. Let's see how we valued tight ends in our early dynasty rankings for 2018.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:

 

Dynasty Tight End Tiered Rankings

Tier Rank Player Name Pos Aaron Pierre Kyle Steve
1 23 Rob Gronkowski TE 32 26 21 22
1 32 Travis Kelce TE 34 31 30 29
1 46 Zach Ertz TE 62 42 40 46
2 49 Evan Engram TE 57 43 43 77
2 56 Hunter Henry TE 61 60 57 72
3 79 Greg Olsen TE 76 88 66 92
3 90 David Njoku TE 87 63 60 153
3 92 Kyle Rudolph TE 96 106 75 89
3 101 Jimmy Graham TE 75 108 84 136
3 103 O.J. Howard TE 82 65 101 145
3 117 Jordan Reed TE 122 105 #N/A #N/A
3 128 Adam Shaheen TE 105 146 98 #N/A
3 131 Jack Doyle TE 116 127 151 127
4 137 Delanie Walker TE 108 144 135 131
4 140 Eric Ebron TE 114 131 144 154
4 147 Gerald Everett TE 113 166 #N/A 157
4 148 Tyler Eifert TE 127 138 #N/A 173
4 150 Austin Hooper TE 120 143 136 190
4 163 Cameron Brate TE 129 153 #N/A 192
5 170 George Kittle TE #N/A 139 163 181
5 182 Charles Clay TE 174 258 105 161
5 184 Austin Seferian-Jenkins TE #N/A 152 150 223
5 196 Ricky Seals-Jones TE 158 199 #N/A 203

 
 
Tier One

Rob Gronkowski, Travis Kelce, Zach Ertz

Tiers essentially are a ranking system that you can use during your drafts as well as when valuing players for trades. Tier one at the tight end position is the best of the best. Personally, I have never been a huge advocate for going out and grabbing Gronkowski in the first round of drafts, and the tiers for our dynasty rankings represent that. If I’m in a dynasty draft, and I want a stud tight end, I’ll do whatever I can to wait on drafting one and taking Ertz or Kelce, whoever ends up falling to me.

Gronkowski still has the slight edge on Kelce and Ertz, but it is very close. Despite the talks about a possible retirement, as of now, we move forward with understanding that he will be returning. Having said that, there is more of a chance that I’d wait longer than normal to draft a tight end. Wait an extra few rounds and take the value that comes to you with Kelce or Ertz. They have both proven to us that they are extremely important weapons and pieces of their perspective offenses and have years of fantasy production ahead of them.

 

Tier 2

Evan Engram, Hunter Henry

Tier two includes a couple of young, talented tight ends who have a bright future ahead of them. Evan Engram had an excellent rookie season, as he turned into the main weapon in that Giants offense, largely due to the injuries to the receiving corps. I wouldn’t expect the same production in 2018, but Engram has shown us he is a big time playmaker, and a nice red zone weapon. Don’t be upset when he doesn’t repeat this production next year, but he is going to a nice option for years to come.

Hunter Henry was a very popular breakout candidate a year ago. Many dynasty owners were buying in and it made perfect sense. The idea that Antonio Gates is basically done, and Henry produced despite the continuous production out of the seasoned vet. 2018 could be the year that Henry breaks out, or it could take another year. Regardless, he has shown us that he can produce and will be a nice red zone option for Philip Rivers and that Chargers offense. I would be very happy grabbing either Engram or Henry on my dynasty teams and reaping the benefits for their careers.

 

Tier 3

Greg Olsen, David Njoku, Kyle Rudolph, Jimmy Graham, Jordan Reed, Jack Doyle, O.J. Howard

Tier three is where these rankings begin to get interesting for me. Keep in mind, these are our consensus rankings, so there are definitely going to be some that I am not on board with. Greg Olsen and Jordan Reed are the two that I’m going to ask you to disregard. They are more towards the fourth or fifth tier for me due to their age.

David Njoku, Kyle Rudolph, Jimmy Graham, OJ Howard, and Jack Doyle would be my tier three candidates at the tight end position. First and foremost, the uber-talented, raw, and just plain athletic Browns rookie, Njoku. His rookie year numbers weren’t exactly mind-blowing, but he showed us a lot this year. Despite the brutal Browns offense, Njoku made several very athletic plays in the red zone, and ended the season with 386 yards and four touchdowns. To produce in such an awful offense and with so much room to grow, I love the investment in Njoku going forward.

Kyle Rudolph and Jimmy Graham are very close for me, but the slight edge goes to Rudolph thanks to his age and the uncertainty of Graham’s future. Whether he ends up in Houston, returns to Seattle, or a reunion with Drew Brees in New Orleans, there is some uncertainty here. Regardless, his talent cannot be ignored, and I’d be happy having him for a few more years.

OJ Howard is right on par with Rudolph and Graham, but the underrated tight end, Cameron Brate, makes this situation a little more questionable. If Brate heads out of Tampa Bay this off-season, Howard will move up in this tier, and possibly up towards tier two. If Andrew Luck finally comes back healthy, Doyle should be even better than he was in 2017. He was a very nice surprise for owners, and even with a backup QB, they still utilized him a lot.

 

Tier 4

Delanie Walker, Eric Ebron, Adam Shaheen, Gerald Everett, Tyler Eifert, Austin Hooper, Cameron Brate

Delanie Walker has been a very undervalued tight end over the past few years, and he definitely was again in 2017. He leads tier four for me as I expect him to produce once again in that Titans offense that loves to utilize him. Eric Ebron has been given up on by many, but I wouldn’t be too surprised if he ended up breaking out in 2018, if he can stay healthy that is.

Personally, the next of this tier for me would be Cameron Brate. As mentioned previously, he is extremely underrated, and many owners counted him out last year after the Buccaneers used their first round pick on the talented tight end, who fell in the draft to them. Assuming Brate is back in Tampa Bay in 2018, I expect him to be a big part of that pass attack once again. If he ends up leaving, he could still end up producing, depending on where he goes.

Gerald Everett and Adam Shaheen are very close in this tier following Brate, and they are both good candidates to go out and buy low in your dynasty leagues if you can. Both of their perspective offenses want to utilize their big and talented weapons, and I expect them both to take a nice step forward in 2018.

Austin Hooper and Tyler Eifert I am fine with at the end of this tier, but Eifert is definitely the last one here. Multiple back injuries and other issues have riddled his career, despite starting off with a ridiculous amount of touchdowns in his first few seasons. I can’t count on someone with injuries like this to be reliable. Hooper was a very popular breakout candidate a year ago, but that entire offense just wasn’t the same without Kyle Shanahan. There is a chance that Hooper and that offense bounces back, but my hopes aren’t very high in that regard.

 

Tier 5

George Kittle, Charles Clay, Austin Seferian-Jenkins

This is the final tier that I feel comfortable drafting players I hope to start on a weekly basis. Many of the players in these lower tiers are streaming options in redraft leagues, and are worth holding onto and owning a few of them in your dynasty leagues.

George Kittle could see a boost with Jimmy Garoppolo, as they had a nice connection in 2017 that should continue to grow. Charles Clay and Austin Seferian-Jenkins both had very surprising seasons in 2017, but they aren’t long-term options for me. Clay has a series of injuries in his past that he can’t seem to shake, and Seferian-Jenkins has off-field issues that are very concerning. They both should produce at times, but neither are players I want to rely on a regular basis.

 

The Rest

The last of these players aren’t even worth putting into tiers at this point. The tight end position is one that falls off pretty quick and isn’t very deep. Once you get past tier four, you’re really getting into options that are matchup-dependent and very hit or miss. Unless you have a stud tight end, this is where the weekly ‘Start or Sit’ articles come in handy.

This should be taken into account when you’re drafting your dynasty teams as well as redraft. Do you want to pay up for a stud tight end and never have to worry about who to start? Or do you sit back and stockpile WRs and RBs, and stream a guy like Charles Clay or Eric Ebron? Personally I tend to take what comes to me in drafts. If I’m not crazy about who is available in rounds three or four, I’ll consider grabbing Ertz and rolling with him every week. If I like what’s on the board, I can live with streaming tight ends. Dynasty owners don’t have the luxury of streaming tight ends, but having several of these lower tiered players can be a nice solution.

 

More Dynasty Rankings and Analysis


Check out all of RotoBaller's fantasy football rankings. Staff rankings are updated regularly for all positions and include standard formats, PPR scoring, tiered rankings and dynasty leagues.




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Projections
Articles & Tools
Weekly Planner
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen

Dealing With a "Tweak"
NHL

Alexandar Georgiev Joins Sabres on One-Year Deal
Corey Perry

Injured During Pre-Camp Skate
Kyle Larson

Can Kyle Larson Dominate at Bristol Again?
Denny Hamlin

One of the Best at Bristol
Ryan Blaney

All Eyes on Ryan Blaney at Bristol
Chase Briscoe

Whiffs in Qualifying, Will Start 31st in Bristol Night Race
Ty Gibbs

Could Contend at Bristol
AJ Allmendinger

on the Pole for Bristol Night Race
Tanner Bibee

Fans 10 in Two-Hit Shutout
Zach Neto

Dealing With Wrist Soreness
Masyn Winn

Shut Down for Rest of Season
Tarik Skubal

to Undergo Imaging on Saturday
Jacory Croskey-Merritt

RapSheet: Jacory Croskey-Merritt Expected to Be Lead Back Moving Forward
Tyler Soderstrom

Scratched on Friday With Groin Tightness
Tarik Skubal

Exits with Side Tightness
CFB

Antonio Williams Out Against Georgia Tech
Ketel Marte

Scratched From Friday's Lineup
Brock Purdy

Officially Ruled Out Against Saints
Jauan Jennings

Given Questionable Tag for Week 2
CFB

CJ Bailey Flashes Again in Win Over Wake Forest
CFB

Jaxson Moi a Game-Time Decision for Tennessee on Saturday
Dallas Goedert

Officially Ruled Out for Week 2
Xavier Worthy

Listed as Doubtful to Play in Week 2
Jayden Reed

Hopes to Return in November Following Surgery
Jean Silva

A Favorite At Noche UFC 3
Kyle Tucker

"Unlikely" to Return When Eligible on Tuesday
Diego Lopes

Set For Noche UFC 3 Main Event
Ketel Marte

Expected to Return on Friday
Rob Font

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
David Martinez

Set For Noche UFC 3 Co-Main Event
Quinshon Judkins

Questionable to Make NFL Debut in Week 2
Rafa Garcia

An Underdog At Noche UFC 3
Jared Gordon

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Dustin Stoltzfus

Looks To Return To The Win Column
Kelvin Gastelum

In Dire Need Of Victory
Diego Ferreira

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Alexander Hernandez

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Quang Le

Set For Noche UFC 3 Main Card Opener
Santiago Luna

Set For His Debut At Noche UFC 3
Malcolm Brogdon

Heading to Knicks on One-Year Deal
CFB

David Sanders Jr. Won't Play Against Georgia
Landry Shamet

Staying with the Knicks
CFB

Dylan Edwards Slated to Return on Friday
Jacory Croskey-Merritt

Sees Little Usage in Week 2, Outlook Still Trending Upwards?
Deebo Samuel Sr.

Leads Commanders in Catches, Scores Touchdown Again
Tucker Kraft

Posts Huge Performance on Thursday
Joe Mixon

Lack of Joe Mixon Injury Updates Sparking Concern for Fantasy Managers?
Jayden Reed

Fractures Collarbone, Headed for Injured Reserve
Austin Ekeler

Commanders Fear Austin Ekeler Tore his Achilles
Jesús Luzardo

Jesus Luzardo Strikes Out 10 in Win
Aaron Judge

Matches Yankees Legend with Two-Homer Game
Austin Ekeler

Injured, Carried Off Field with Non-Contact Injury
Jayden Reed

Ruled Out with Shoulder Injury
Quinshon Judkins

Browns Insider Expects NFL to "Come Down Heavy" on a Quinshon Judkins Suspension
Jayden Reed

Questionable to Return on TNF With Shoulder Injury
Anthony Volpe

Playing Through Partially Torn Labrum in his Shoulder
Adam Lowry

Aims for Early-Season Return
Charles Oliveira

Not Eyeing Retirement
Tyreek Hill

Chiefs, Steelers Eyeing a Trade for Tyreek Hill?
CFB

Ryan Williams Expected to Play Against Wisconsin
CFB

Billy Edwards Jr. Unlikely to Play on Saturday
P.J. Washington

Officially Signs Contract Extension
CFB

David Sanders Jr. Questionable to Make Debut Against Georgia
Chris Godwin

to Be Limited in His Return Thursday
Brock Purdy

Out 2-5 Weeks With Turf Toe
Lauri Markkanen

Big at Both Ends as Finland Books Place in EuroBasket Semis
Luka Dončić

Luka Doncic Notches 39 Points in Losing Effort
NBA

Cam Reddish Expected to Move to Europe
NBA

Trey Lyles Joins Real Madrid
Kyle Monangai

to See More Carries Going Forward?
Charles Bassey

Signs Exhibit 10 Deal With Hawks
Sacramento Kings

Terence Davis Waived by Kings
Will Smith

Scratched With Hand Soreness on Wednesday
Ketel Marte

has Foot Contusion, Expected to Play Friday
Shohei Ohtani

Won't Pitch This Weekend
MacKenzie Gore

to Start on Thursday
Ketel Marte

Exits Early on Wednesday
Matthew Knies

Ready for Bigger Role With Maple Leafs
Jack Eichel

Unbothered by Lack of Extension
Sidney Crosby

Not Thinking About Leaving Pittsburgh
SJ

Michael Misa Signs Entry-Level Contract With Sharks
Rutger McGroarty

Nursing an Injury
Anthony Rizzo

Retires
Cameron Champ

the Ultimate Wild Card at Procore
Cameron Young

Looks to Extend Momentum in Napa
Davis Thompson

Searching for a Spark at Procore
Sahith Theegala

Looking to Reignite Form at Procore
Mackenzie Hughes

Aims for Another Strong Showing at Procore
Luke Clanton

Brings Ball-Striking Upside to Napa
Seamus Power

Looking to Overcome Poor Course History at Procore
Joe Highsmith

Hoping to Find Form in Napa
Masyn Winn

Will Require Offseason Knee Surgery
Kristaps Porzingis

Reportedly Still Not Completely Healthy
Kelly Oubre Jr.

Reportedly on the Trade Block
Andre Drummond

Future in Philadelphia in Doubt
Giannis Antetokounmpo

Helps Greece Reach Semis at EuroBasket
Alperen Sengün

Alperen Sengun Posts Historic Triple-Double
Joel Dahmen

Finishes Tied For 15 at Wyndham Championship
Bud Cauley

Finishes Tied for 33rd at BMW Championship
Justin Thomas

Finishes Tied for Seventh at Tour Championship
J.J. Spaun

Finishes Tied for 25th at Tour Championship
Collin Morikawa

Finishes Tied for 19th at Tour Championship
Keith Mitchell

Misses Cut at Wyndham Championship
Ben Griffin

Finishes Tied for 10th at Tour Championship
Patrick Cantlay

Finishes Tied for Second at Tour Championship
Gary Woodland

Could Hang Around at Procore Championship
Ranger Suárez

Ranger Suarez Strikes Out 12, Earns 12th Win on Tuesday
Karl Vilips

Ready for Napa Valley This Weekend
Taylor Montgomery

Heating Up at the Right Time
Jackson Koivun

May Be a Little Rusty at Procore Championship
Doug Ghim

Looking to Rise Up at Napa Valley
Josh Giddey

Re-Signs With Bulls for Four Years
Shakir Mukhamadullin

Joins Informal Skate
William Eklund

Skates With Sharks
Owen Power

Back at 100 Percent
Tyler Seguin

Cleared for Action
Mathew Barzal

Good to Go for Season Opener
Will Smith

Returns to Dodgers Lineup on Tuesday
Dustin Wolf

Signs Seven-Year Extension
NBA

Mason Jones Takes His Talents to Australia
NBA

Talen Horton-Tucker Joins Reigning EuroLeague Champions
Malcolm Brogdon

on Knicks' Radar
Andrew Wiggins

Attracting Interest From Lakers
Miami Heat

Heat Interested in Reunion With Precious Achiuwa
New York Knicks

Ben Simmons Reportedly Declined Knicks' Contract Offer
Elias Pettersson

Feeling "Good" Ahead of Season
NHL

Alex Formenton Rejoins Swiss Team
NHL

Grigori Denisenko Heads Back Home
CAR

Kevin Labanc Joins Hurricanes for Tryout
Ross Colton

Healthy for Start of Season
Caio Borralho

Suffers His First UFC Loss
Nassourdine Imavov

Extends Win Streak
Mauricio Ruffy

Gets Submitted
Benoît Saint Denis

Benoit Saint Denis Taps Out Mauricio Ruffy
Paul Craig

Retires After UFC Paris Loss
Denny Hamlin

Earns his First Cup Victory at Gateway
Kyle Larson

Damage Ruins Kyle Larson's Chance At a Top Finish at Gateway
Christopher Bell

Scores his Third Top-10 Finish at Gateway
Joey Logano

Maintains his Perfect Top-Five Streak at Gateway
Ryan Blaney

Struggles and Recovers for a Top-Five Finish at Gateway
Modestas Bukauskas

Scores First-Round Knockout
Bolaji Oki

Suffers Second-Round TKO Loss
Mason Jones

Scores Comeback Win
Chase Elliott

Gets Lucky but Still Has Best Run at Gateway
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace Wins Stage 2, but Was Let Down by Strategy
Tyler Reddick

Despite Bad Luck, Tyler Reddick Does What he Needed to Do
Chase Briscoe

Recovers from Incident with Daniel Suarez to Finish Second
William Byron

Late Caution Foils William Byron's Shot at Gateway Victory
Ryan Blaney

Should Contend at Gateway
Denny Hamlin

Fastest in Qualifying, the Favorite to Win at Gateway
Christopher Bell

Looking for Redemption at Gateway
Joey Logano

Has Been Elite at Gateway
Austin Cindric

Should Be On Your Radar at Gateway

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP