2023 Fantasy Football TEs to Prioritize in Standard, But Fade in PPR Leagues

Jackson Sparks identifies NFL tight ends that are more valuable in standard leagues than in PPR formats in 2023. Which TEs should fantasy football managers prioritize in standard leagues this season?

In fantasy football, standard and PPR scoring continue to be the most popular league formats. Failure to understand the difference in value between players across scoring systems can prove costly, so figuring out which tight ends hold more value in standard leagues will be the focus of this article.

While the beneficiaries of PPR formats are low ADOT tight ends on potentially bad offenses, the guys who receive value boosts in standard leagues are big-play specimens or mediocre tight ends with lots of touchdown upside in great NFL offenses. It's worth noting even some superstar tight ends like George Kittle are better in standard formats, but he's a great option in all leagues, so he won't be featured here.

Some of the players in this selection are only rosterable in deep leagues, but given the numbers of leagues that come in all shapes and sizes, we'll cover them too. Let's get into it!

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David Njoku, Cleveland Browns

Njoku finished as the TE11 in PPR and TE13 in standard leagues last season, but I expect that to flip in 2023. The Cleveland Browns added Elijah Moore and Cedric Tillman this offseason, so the competition for targets will be more fierce compared to last season. However, the ceiling of the overall offense should be raised, assuming Deshaun Watson can knock off the rust and return to his 2020 form.

Njoku has elite athleticism at the position and could be the primary splash play and red zone threat for an ascending offense in 2023. His 80 targets from 2022 are likely to come down, but if Cleveland sees more scoring opportunities with its upgraded offensive weapons, Njoku should have plenty of touchdown upside and boom weeks. Last season, he saw the second-most red zone targets (20) and eighth-most deep targets (8) among tight ends (PlayerProfiler.com).

Chigoziem Okonkwo, Tennessee Titans

Okonkwo become a popular late-round tight end target this offseason, but the arrival of DeAndre Hopkins hurt his stock. Still, it's worth noting he'll likely have more standard league viability in 2023. As a rookie, Okonkwo posted 3.26 yards per route run (1st among tight ends), 9.8 yards per target (2nd), and 14.1 yards per reception (1st). He also ranked 14th in yards after catch (253), despite placing 29th in receptions (32). He was a timeshare tight end but made the most of his targets and opportunity. Now that Austin Hooper is gone, he's the clear TE1 for Tennessee.

However, the Titans should continue to run its offense through Derrick Henry and deploy a low-volume passing attack, so there might not be enough target volume for Okonkwo to separate himself from the pack in PPR formats. He could be so efficient that it doesn't matter, but he's a safer option in standard scoring.

Irv Smith Jr., Cincinnati Bengals

Smith Jr. has caught just 88 passes for 884 yards and nine touchdowns since being selected in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft. Needless to say, he's been a bust. However, he's set to play in one of the league's best offenses that loves to air it out. In an offense with Tee Higgins, Ja'Marr Chase, and Tyler Boyd, he'll struggle to command targets, but he could be on the receiving end of easy red zone looks.

The tight end position is scarce in fantasy football, so sometimes, simply targeting players in great situations can prove to be beneficial, especially in deeper leagues. Smith won't be a monster producer or even a weekly starter in lineups, but he's a dart throw as a backup TE when the position gets ultra-thin. In his last fully healthy season (2020), he ranked inside the top 16 tight ends in red zone targets (12) and deep targets (7). Hopefully, he can make just enough big plays to be fantasy-relevant.

Dawson Knox, Buffalo Bills

Knox has never been an elite target earner (12.8% target share in 2022) and definitely won't be with the addition of Dalton Kincaid, but he has 28 red zone targets over the last two seasons and will continue to be featured in scoring position in one of the league's best offenses.

His PPR value has been completely diminished by Kincaid joining the offense, but he can still have value as a desperation play in standard formats. It's never fun to have to rely on touchdowns for fantasy production, but after the first few tiers of tight ends, that's all you can do in standard leagues.

Tyler Conklin, New York Jets

Conklin has bounced on and off the fantasy radar over the last two seasons, but with Aaron Rodgers running the Jets' offense, he's an intriguing deep option in 2023 fantasy drafts. With Garrett Wilson, Allen Lazard, Mecole Hardman, Corey Davis, and Breece Hall in the same offense, he's unlikely to command a huge target share. However, if Rodgers is even close to his MVP-caliber self, there will be plenty of touchdown upside for Gang Green this season.

Remember when Robert Tonyan led all tight ends in touchdown grabs in 2020 with 11 despite catching just 52 passes for 586 yards? That's the ceiling outcome for Conklin in the new-look offense. Like Irv Smith, Conklin's perceived value is built on the situation he's in, and touchdown "luck" could be on his side in 2023. Last season Conklin ranked inside the top-20 tight ends in air yards (635), air yards share (12.3%), deep targets (6), and ADOT (7.3). He's not an elite talent at the position, but he's been utilized as more than a short-passing game guy.

Taysom Hill, New Orleans Saints

Hill caught just nine passes for 77 yards and two touchdowns last season but finished as the TE3 in standard leagues thanks to his utility as a passer and rusher. Surely, his days as a QB/RB/WR/TE will come to an end, but until we know it will for sure, he's worth rostering in standard formats. Derek Carr's arrival should mean he won't be in the gimmick passing role, but a few red zone carries and a long run or two are all he needs to produce a TE1 season in this format -- seriously.

Hill's tight-end eligibility feels like a cheat code and loophole that should be dealt with, but if your league allows it, keep drafting him. That's all there is to it.

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