2025 Fantasy Football TE Best Ball Rankings: Tight End Player Outlooks and Draft Strategy

Early 2025 best ball tight end (TE) rankings with expert analysis, top draft targets, and key strategies to gain an edge in your fantasy football leagues.

While redraft fantasy football leagues are the most popular, best ball is quickly catching up. Casual players have come to love playing in best ball leagues, giving them a chance to scratch the offseason fantasy football itch.

Much will change between today and the start of the regular season in six months. However, now is the time to get started with your best ball drafts. Let’s examine some of my early favorite tight ends to draft in best ball leagues.

The ADP used for this article is courtesy of Underdog Fantasy.

Early Round Fantasy Football Tight End Draft Targets

Brock Bowers, TE, Las Vegas Raiders – ADP: 17.1 | TE1

Fantasy players had low expectations for Bowers as a rookie. While everyone loved him as a college prospect, many had concerns about his situation. The Raiders had a below-average quarterback room and a crowded wide receiver unit. However, Davante Adams got traded early in the year, while Gardner Minshew II and Aidan O'Connell were productive enough.

After totaling 8.8 or fewer half-point PPR fantasy points per game in three of his first four games, Bowers became a fantasy superstar. He finished the season as the TE1, averaging 12.2 fantasy points per game. Furthermore, Bowers had six games with over 90 receiving yards as a rookie.

George Kittle, TE, San Francisco 49ers – ADP: 51.9 | TE3

Some won’t draft Kittle next year because he is one of the older starting tight ends in the NFL. However, the superstar has shown no signs of slowing down. Kittle was the TE2 in 2024, averaging 13.2 half-point PPR fantasy points per game. The veteran has finished as a top-5 tight end in five consecutive seasons.

More importantly, Kittle has averaged at least 11.4 fantasy points per game in six of the seven years since his rookie season, including the second-highest average of his career in 2024. The veteran has 25 receiving touchdowns over the past three years, including eight last season. His role should only expand with Deebo Samuel Sr. likely heading out of town.

Sam LaPorta, TE, Detroit Lions – ADP: 62.4 | TE4

LaPorta had an excellent rookie season, ending the year as the TE1 in half-point PPR scoring. However, he struggled to start his sophomore season, averaging 3.5 targets and 5.2 fantasy points per game before the Lions’ Week 5 bye. Thankfully, the young tight end finished the year playing well.

The former Iowa star ended the season as the TE7, averaging nine fantasy points per game. Furthermore, LaPorta was a superstar during the fantasy playoffs, averaging 5.7 receptions on 8.3 targets for 72.7 receiving yards and 14.1 fantasy points per game, totaling 12.3 or more in every contest.

Mid-Round Fantasy Football Tight End Draft Targets

Mark Andrews, TE, Baltimore Ravens – ADP: 88.1 | TE6

While he had a horrible drop in the Ravens’ playoff loss to the Buffalo Bills, Andrews played well in 2024. The veteran was awful to start last season, averaging 2.8 targets and 3.4 half-point PPR fantasy points per game over the first five weeks, totaling zero twice. However, he ended the year on fire.

After scoring zero touchdowns over the first five weeks, Andrews had 11 over the final 12 games, scoring at least once in all but two contests. More importantly, he found his connection with Lamar Jackson. Andrews was the TE5 over the final 13 weeks of the regular season, averaging 12 fantasy points per game.

Tyler Warren, TE, Penn State – ADP: 100.6 | TE8

Tight ends typically struggle to have fantasy value as rookies. However, that has changed over the past few years. A rookie has finished as the TE1 in half-point PPR scoring in back-to-back seasons. While it is a long shot, don’t be surprised if Warren pushes the streak to three consecutive years.

Last season, the former Penn State star was the best tight end in college football. Warren had 104 receptions for 1,233 receiving yards and eight touchdowns. Furthermore, he has Taysom Hill-like run game qualities, totaling 26 rushing attempts for 218 yards and four touchdowns in 2024.

Double pass TD for @PennStateFball to start the second half! 🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/54lph5ddUw

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) October 12, 2024

David Njoku, TE, Cleveland Browns – ADP: 105.8 | TE9

Fantasy players should hope Jameis Winston returns to Cleveland this offseason. Njoku struggled with Deshaun Watson under center, averaging five targets and 4.6 half-point PPR fantasy points per game with the former superstar quarterback. However, he was productive once Winston took over under center for an injured Watson.

The veteran tight end averaged 6.6 receptions on 10.3 targets for 50 receiving yards and 13.1 fantasy points per game in the seven contests he played, with Winston having over two pass attempts. Njoku finished last year as the TE11, averaging 10.6 fantasy points per game despite missing time with injuries and playing with multiple quarterbacks.

Late-Round Fantasy Football Tight End Draft Targets

Jake Ferguson, TE, Dallas Cowboys – ADP: 145.1 | TE17

Ferguson was a popular mid-to-late-round tight-end pick last year after a breakout 2023 season. Unfortunately, the Cowboys passing attack never got in gear, especially with Dak Prescott suffering a season-ending injury in Week 9. More importantly, Ferguson missed three games last year with multiple injuries.

Unfortunately, the veteran ended the 2024 season as the TE30, averaging 5.4 half-point PPR fantasy points per game, down from 8.3 the year before. Ferguson scored seven or fewer fantasy points in 71.4 percent of the games. However, he was productive with Prescott healthy, totaling double-digit fantasy points in nearly half of those matchups.

Cole Kmet, TE, Chicago Bears – ADP: 166.1 | TE21

While the Bears passing attack had high expectations with Caleb Williams under center, Chicago’s offense struggled in 2024. Kmet was productive the year before, ending the season as the TE7, averaging 8.5 half-point PPR fantasy points per game. Unfortunately, he finished as the TE18, averaging 5.7 fantasy points per game last season.

However, fantasy players should expect Kmet to have a bounce-back year in 2025. New head coach Ben Johnson helped make Sam LaPorta a top-7 tight end each of the past two seasons. More importantly, Williams trusts Kmet. The veteran tight end had four receiving touchdowns last year, the third most on the team.

.@CALEBcsw with the double fake and finds @ColeKmet for the touchdown in London ‼️

📺: #JAXvsCHI on NFL Network
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/9Vky68cIuB

— NFL (@NFL) October 13, 2024

Harold Fannin Jr., TE, Bowling Green – ADP: 185.3 | TE24

Fantasy players might not be familiar with Fannin’s game. The Bowling Green star is one of the younger prospects in the upcoming NFL Draft class. He had a quiet first two years in college, totaling 63 receptions for 841 receiving yards and seven touchdowns in 23 games.

Yet, Fannin became one of the top tight ends in college football last season. He had 117 receptions for 1,555 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns, leading the country in receptions and receiving yards. The star tight end had more games with at least 125 receiving yards (eight) than contests with under 100 (five) last year.

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