Tight End Dynasty Rankings - Tiers and Analysis

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This article will take a look at the dynasty rankings and tiers for the tight end position. All references to dynasty leagues assume you are playing in a 12-team, PPR dynasty league that starts one tight end. As always, dynasty rankings are fluid and can change often. Let's get to the rankings!

Tight End Dynasty Rankings

Tier 1

Travis Kelce, Rob Gronkowski, Zach Ertz, Evan Engram

The gradual shift of Travis Kelce being elevated to the top of tight end dynasty rankings was cemented by Rob Gronkowski's offseason threats to retire. Kelce put together an excellent season in 2017, catching 83 passes for 1,038 yards and eight touchdowns. He will be catching passes from a different quarterback this season as Alex Smith is in Washington. Second-year signal-caller Patrick Mahomes will now be the man targeting Kelce in the passing game. Kelce might see a downtick in efficiency with Mahomes but he will make up for it with more downfield plays.

Rob Gronkowski resided as the No. 1 dynasty tight end for several years but all good things must come to an end. Gronk frightened many a dynasty owner this offseason when retirement rumors popped up, but it appears those were just negotiation tactics in order to attempt to get the star tight end a better contract. Gronk is every bit as dangerous as Kelce on the field and actually has a higher ceiling this season if all goes smoothly.

Zach Ertz has turned into one of the most reliable fantasy tight ends in the game. The veteran has now caught at least 75 balls and reached 816 receiving yards in three straight seasons. In previous years, the only knock on Ertz was his lack of touchdowns but he went out and caught a career-high eight in 2017. Despite the new high-water mark for Ertz in the scoring department, his touchdown ceiling is lower than that of Kelce and Gronkowski, which is why he is third in our rankings.

Evan Engram finishes up the first tier of our dynasty rankings. Engram is fresh off one of the most prolific seasons ever posted by a rookie tight end. The second-year tight end finished with 64 catches for 722 yards and six touchdowns. He may see his target share cut into a bit in his sophomore campaign with Odell Beckham fully healthy and prized rookie Saquon Barkley in the backfield, but Engram has proven that he belongs at the end of the top tier of dynasty tight ends.

Tier 2

David Njoku, Kyle Rudolph, Trey Burton, Greg Olsen, O.J. Howard

Cleveland Browns tight end David Njoku has loads of potential and is a monster after the catch, as evidenced by him averaging 11.2 YAC in college. At age 21, he is still extremely young at a position that traditionally takes a while to break out but there are few tight ends in the NFL that boast the upside he brings to the table. He may be another year away from a breakout but when it happens Njoku could be the No.1 overall dynasty tight end.

Kyle Rudolph continues to go overlooked in fantasy formats despite catching 15 touchdowns over the past two seasons. Rudolph isn't likely to post the gaudy yardage numbers that the elite options do but he is in a great position with new quarterback Kirk Cousins under center. Cousins loved leaning on his tight ends in Washington and should continue that trend with Rudolph.

No one's dynasty stock rose more than Burton's this offseason. Hand-selected by new coach Matt Nagy, there have been whispers that Nagy plans on using Burton the way he used Travis Kelce in Kansas City. As is evidenced by our dynasty rankings, we are rather high on Burton here at RotoBaller.

Greg Olsen is not a long-term piece at age 33 but he has been one of the best "discount" tight ends in dynasty the past few seasons. He can be considered the Larry Fitzgerald version of tight ends, a super-productive veteran who can be acquired by a contender at a reasonable cost. The veteran had a string of three consecutive 1,000-yard seasons ended by a foot injury in 2017. When healthy, he remains one of Cam Newton's favorite targets.

O.J. Howard split work with teammate Cameron Brate in 2017 but he flashed his immense upside by catching six touchdowns on just 26 receptions. Howard is similar to David Njoku in that his ranking is based just as much on his potential as it is on his projected 2018 production. Howard won't have to split reps with Brate for his entire career and once he is the clear-cut No. 1 tight end on his team, he will be a tier 1 option at the position.

Tier 3

Jimmy Graham, Jack Doyle, George Kittle, Jordan Reed, Delanie Walker

Jimmy Graham continues his streak of playing with elite quarterbacks, having caught passes from Drew Brees, Russell Wilson, and now Aaron Rodgers. His 9.1 yards per reception in 2017 was a career-low but he still managed to catch 10 touchdowns. He has just as much touchdown upside as any tight end in football but he might not have many more seasons left in the tank.

Jack Doyle isn't a marquee name at the position but quarterback Andrew Luck loves him and he has been clearly ahead of Eric Ebron as the first-team tight end this summer. Doyle offers one of the safest floors in the league at his position and his cost isn't overly prohibitive in dynasty.

George Kittle appears to have avoided any serious structural damage to his shoulder after going down in the first preseason game. The second-year tight end is a popular pick as a breakout candidate but he sure seems to get dinged up often. He could very easily jump up another tier or fall several tiers by this time next season, depending on whether he proves he can stay healthy or not.

Washington tight end Jordan Reed enters the 2018 season as healthy as he has been in a while. Not that the bar has been set all that high as he has appeared in just 18 of 36 games over the past two seasons. He still has plenty of talent and will be playing with tight end-friendly quarterback Alex Smith. Just make sure to roster Vernon Davis if you opt to have Reed on your dynasty squads.

Delanie Walker is similar to Greg Olsen in that he is an extremely productive veteran who shouldn't cost too much to acquire in dynasty. Walker has caught at least 60 passes in each of his five seasons with the Titans while also posting four straight 800-yard years. Win-now dynasty teams should be getting a price check on Walker in their leagues.

Tier 4

Charles Clay, Jared Cook, Cameron Brate, Gerald Everett, Ricky Seals-Jones, Hayden Hurst, Austin Hooper, Dallas Goedert, Tyler Eifert, Mike Gesicki

There's a pretty big dropoff in talent between Tier 3 and Tier 4. While the Tier 3 tight ends can be considered weekly locks for the starting lineup, Tier 4 contains many guys who would be nothing more than streamers in redraft leagues. Charles Clay, Jared Cook, and Cameron Brate are all high-floor, low-upside veterans who are safe, if unexciting, options at the position. Clay doesn't have much competition for targets in Buffalo, while Cook quietly finished as the TE12 in PPR leagues.

Gerald Everett, Ricky Seals-Jones, Hayden Hurst, and Mike Gesicki are all young and mostly unproven fantasy commodities at this point of their respective careers. They aren't quite to the point where they can be used as starters on a weekly basis, although one or more could emerge as the season goes on. Tyler Eifert has Tier 1 talent and Tier 9 injury luck. That averages out to about Tier 4 for him. If he's healthy, he will approach double-digit touchdowns.

Dallas Goedert was the top rookie tight end for many dynasty enthusiasts until he wound up in one of the worst possible landing spots, stuck behind All-Pro Zach Ertz in Philadelphia. In the near-term, Goedert will need an injury to make an impact. Long-term, he's a great stash.

Tier 5

Eric Ebron, Austin Seferian-Jenkins, Adam Shaheen, Jake Butt, Jordan Akins, Mark Andrews, Coby Fleener

Eric Ebron never lived up to his first-round draft pedigree and now has to split targets with Jack Doyle. Ebron appears to be clearly behind Doyle in the target pecking order in Indy. Austin Seferian-Jenkins could surprise this season with the Jaguars. He played well for the Jets in 2017 and could emerge as the favorite red zone target for Blake Bortles. Shaheen's stock took a hit when the Bears signed Trey Burton but he is still a massive target, standing 6'6", and should be one of the top options when the team opts to pass around the goal line.

Jake Butt missed his rookie season and has yet to separate himself from the other Denver tight ends. The Texans have a huge hole at tight end, one that Jordan Akins could seize if he shows well early on. Andrews appears to be well behind fellow rookie Hayden Hurst at this point. Fleener had some productive games in Indy and New Orleans, but may never play again after his late-season concussion last year. The last we heard from Fleener he still hadn't been cleared to play and should be avoided until further notice.

Tier 6

Vance McDonald, Vernon Davis, Jaylen Samuels, Jesse James, Tyler Kroft, Ian Thomas

The Steelers want McDonald to be their TE1 but he has struggled with injuries throughout camp. This is nothing new for the athletic tight end who has struggled to remain on the field during his career. Jesse James has been Pittsburgh's starter at the position since Heath Miller retired but hasn't done much with the opportunities. Vernon Davis and Tyler Kroft both back up two of the most injury-prone players in the league. They are both in the high-end TE2 conversation if something happens to either Jordan Reed or Tyler Eifert. Ian Thomas is a great end of roster stash as 33-year-old Greg Olsen can't have too many years left. Just be patient with the rookie.

Tier 7

Tyler Higbee, Durham Smythe, Dalton Schultz, Troy Fumagalli, Stephen Anderson, Maxx Williams, Tyler Conklin, Ben Watson

Most of these tight ends either are either end of roster fillers or could even be on waiver wires. Ben Watson is in his second tour of duty with New Orleans and is an interesting name. He will be the Saints' starting tight end and scored six touchdowns back in 2015, the last time he played with Drew Brees. He should be rostered by contenders in dynasty.

Tier 8

Antonio Gates, Josh Hill, Demetrius Harris, Jermaine Gresham, Rhett Ellison

Gates is still without a team and could be at the end of a storied career. Harris could be next year's Trey Burton as he's an impressive prospect who will be a free agent after the 2018 season.

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