Top 24 Tight End Rankings and Tiers for 2025 Fantasy Football

John Johnson's fantasy football tight end rankings and player outlooks. His top 24 rankings and tiers for TEs. Read the 2025 fantasy football draft analysis.

The tight end position is one of the most frustrating aspects of fantasy football for managers who don't play in tight end premium or TEP leagues. Those leagues award extra points to tight ends for receptions in excess of all other pass-catchers.

Most leagues, especially redraft leagues, aren't TEP, though. The TE position can thus be a source of absolute misery. Hitting on this position in the later rounds can lead to a similar amount of elation. Thus, I'll try my best not to just paste rankings from other websites, and really try to plant my flag on "my guys".

Taking a shot on a high-upside player in the later rounds of drafts, rather than just picking a mediocre veteran that likely isn't winning you anything, is an important thing to do. Of course, that's easier said than done. Either way, let's dive in!

Editor's Note: Stay on top of your draft prep with RotoBaller’s fantasy football rankings, featuring expert analysis, ADPs, and draft insights for both PPR and non-PPR leagues.

Tier 1 - 2025 Tight End Rankings

1. Brock Bowers, Las Vegas Raiders

The one thing I'm not sure about with Bowers is if he'll exceed his target numbers this year. He'll be on a team with a (hopefully for them) much more run-heavy offense, considering that they had the league's worst run game last season, and drafted running back Ashton Jeanty sixth overall in this year's draft to try to address that.

All of Brock Bowers record breaking historic Rookie Season 🤯

Is he the best Tight End in the league? pic.twitter.com/jGXPaeM4j7

— ShifftttyyyQB1🏴‍☠️ (@raiders1022) May 1, 2025

But Bowers was basically the best tight end prospect in the history of the NFL. He also got a big upgrade when the team traded for quarterback Geno Smith. Hopefully, the new offensive coaching staff is better. It will be difficult for him to exceed his rookie year numbers, but he still belongs here.

2. George Kittle, San Francisco 49ers

Kittle had one of the best seasons of his career in 2024. This is likely due to injuries to both running back Christian McCaffrey and wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. Now, Samuel is gone, which should open up more targets for Kittle, who's elite after the catch and over the middle of the field.

This is a valid concern, as RB-TE targets correlate and Kittle has historically seen his efficiency and volume drop with CMC active. Since 2022, Kittle has a 26% TPRR and 2.75 YPRR w/o CMC, but drops down to a 21% TPRR and 2.25 YPRR with him active.

However, I'm thinking (and… https://t.co/1mDsSHADSH

— Dataroma (@ffdataroma) May 19, 2025

I couldn't have explained it better than Dataroma did in the post above, though. It's unclear how the offense will adjust to Samuel's absence, but he makes a compelling argument that it should be good for Kittle. SF doesn't really have a WR who can fill in a Samuel role.

3. Trey McBride, Arizona Cardinals

McBride, not Marvin Harrison Jr., was effectively the Arizona Cardinals' WR1 in 2024. If Harrison doesn't make major strides in his game, it could stay that way. The league's best tight ends are mismatch weapons, and it's incredibly difficult for any one player to effectively cover McBride.

Trey McBride jumping over finely tuned athletic machines

pic.twitter.com/DH78ia3fT0

— Ian Hartitz (@Ihartitz) April 3, 2025

Perhaps his target numbers will dip a bit if Harrison becomes a bigger part of the passing game. Still, his efficiency should remain pretty high, and Harrison's athleticism was disappointing. That's hard to fix. Lock in McBride as a clear top-3 TE for 2025.

Tier 2 - 2025 Tight End Rankings

4. T.J. Hockenson, Minnesota Vikings

A fully healthy Hockenson is an absolute beast of a tight end. I'm entirely sold on J.J. McCarthy, the Vikings' starting quarterback for 2025, being much better than the departed Sam Darnold. There's a reason Minnesota let Darnold go -- he's terrible.

(2022) JJ McCarthy

• 208/322
• 64.6%
• 22 Passing TDs
• 5 INTs
• 306 Rushing Yards
• 4.4 YPC
• 5 Rushing TDs pic.twitter.com/Dg16YOPGzZ

— College Football Report (@CFBRep) August 18, 2023

Hockenson, with another season to recover from the ACL tear he suffered in the playoffs after the 2023-2024 season, should be much improved. He's still easily within the prime years for tight end production, as he'll be just 28 years old to start the season.

5. Sam LaPorta, Detroit Lions

After an elite season in 2024, LaPorta's fantasy production took a big step back in 2024. This wasn't due to his play falling off, but the offense simply getting him fewer looks. This coincided with the (finally) emergence of wide receiver Jameson Williams, who had his breakout season in 2024.

Do we still believe in Sam LaPorta being a Top 3 TE in dynasty?

His dip in opportunities in 2024 was concerning, but I still believe in the talent and he was actually more efficient last season

Hopefully he can build on his strong finish to the season 🚀pic.twitter.com/BXTh5Yhpgu

— Matt FF Dynasty 🏈 (@MattFFDynasty) April 15, 2025

LaPorta is an elite talent who didn't get the ball enough last season. That's thanks to the Lions also having Williams, wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, and running back Jahmyr Gibbs as target competition in a run-heavy scheme. That might not change much, even after the departure of former Lions OC Ben Johnson.

6. Jonnu Smith, Miami Dolphins 

Update - The Dolphins have traded Smith to the Pittsburgh Steelers. As a result, he will likely share opportunities with Pat Freiermuth, which will lower his ceiling for the upcoming season.

We finally got to see how good Smith was in 2024, after he broke free from being on an Arthur Smith-run offense. With the Dolphins, Smith often outshone both wide receivers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, previously considered to be some of the NFL's best pass-catchers.

Throwback Play of the Day: Tua drops a dime to Jonnu Smith for the OT game-winner against the Jets! - Week 14, 2024 🐬✈️pic.twitter.com/13qknxFkFy

— SleeperDolphins (@SleeperMiami) April 15, 2025

Smith was especially impressive as a red zone weapon and after the catch, which boosted his production significantly. Miami's offense featured fewer downfield throws and short passes last season, but that might not change in 2024, so Smith seems like a solid bet.

7. Colston Loveland, Chicago Bears

This is one of my hot takes, but Loveland is an elite tight end prospect—that's not the hot take part. The hot take part is predicting him to finish as a top-10 TE in 2025. Not many agree, but there are several reasons I believe this. For one, new Bears HC Ben Johnson drafted him 10th overall.

A 6'4" WR weighing 210-220 pounds would be praised for this route. Colston Loveland is running it at 6'6" and 245 pounds. Ridiculous pic.twitter.com/un8ozAKPlj

— JohnJohn Analysis (@JohnJohnalytics) March 25, 2025

Another reason is that he runs routes better than Tetairoa McMillan. Another is that Bears QB Caleb Williams is awful passing downfield and should throw more short passes in 2025.

Loveland is 6-foot-6 and has an elite catch radius. Another is that Rome Odunze is disappointing, and DJ Moore's effort is lacking. You get the point.

Tier 3 - 2025 Tight End Rankings

8. Mark Andrews, Baltimore Ravens

Andrews is a player I just can't put in Tier 2 because the chance he does almost nothing is very high. In the early part of the season, when the Ravens were dominating, they leaned as much into their run game as possible. If their defense improves, we could see a much less pass-heavy offense in 2025.

MARK ANDREWS DROPPED THE GAME-TYING PASS 😳

(via @NFL) pic.twitter.com/dGHC30xxun

— ESPN (@espn) January 20, 2025

The Ravens also tried to trade him at one point. He was completely dependent on touchdown catches in 2024, and while he's still a good red zone weapon, that was boosted by quarterback Lamar Jackson's best passing season in his career, featuring 41 pass TDs. The Ravens run an ugly three-tight-end rotation. I'd avoid at his ADP.

9. Evan Engram, Denver Broncos

It's not immediately clear what Engram's role will be with the Broncos, but considering that he was paid over $10 million per year on a two-year contract, it's likely that he serves as the de facto WR2 for at least some time. Courtland Sutton's role is probably safe, but Engram could feast as the second option.

Predict Evan Engram's stats in his first year with the Broncos and Bo Nix: 👇

🔷 Receptions
🔶 Receiving Yards
🔷 Receiving TDspic.twitter.com/Abv5Df0Qnu

— SleeperBroncos (@SleeperBroncos) April 12, 2025

Broncos QB Bo Nix had a nice season last year despite a lack of pass-catching options. He should be more productive as a passer this year, and Engram will benefit from that. I think there's quite a bit of upside, and I imagine he easily finishes in the top 10.

10. Tucker Kraft, Green Bay Packers

The Packers' offense is tough to trust, and we could see another year of extremely streaky production from Kraft. He's a great weapon, but just doesn't get the ball enough. The team also drafted WRs Matthew Golden and Savion Williams and signed Mecole Hardman.

Which Packers WRs are you drafting/fading in 2025? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/7mi5Kqnim8

— FantasyPros (@FantasyPros) May 20, 2025

It's a very crowded room, and it will get worse when Christian Watson returns from his injury. Dontayvion Wicks, Jayden Reed, and Romeo Doubs will all be fighting for targets with the others. It's not fun.

11. Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs 

Kelce has completely fallen off in the past few seasons from the league's best tight end to a shell of his former self. That's because he's getting old and his body has taken a massive beating from decades in football and all the extra playing time in the playoffs.

ESPN Analytics worst receiving ratings of the season:

1. Travis Kelce
2. Tre Tucker
3. Ja'Lynn Polk
4. David Njoku
T-5. Dalton Schultz
T-6. Johnathan Mingo

Kelce was especially horrible at the catch point. He's pretty much completely washed. I'd avoid in fantasy. pic.twitter.com/cpmtMgyMPt

— JohnJohn Analysis (@JohnJohnalytics) May 22, 2025

The only thing he's still good at is finding open holes in zone coverages. When he happens to be able to do so, he can make catches as long as they're not contested. If there's a player in his face trying to swat away the ball, though, he usually can't do anything about it.

Tier 4 - 2025 Tight End Rankings

12. Jake Ferguson, Dallas Cowboys

Ferguson will have more players to contend with for targets. The arrival of wide receiver George Pickens will dilute the receiving game a bit for him. He's now the clear third option for quarterback Dak Prescott. Still, he's one of the few Cowboys players who doesn't give up when things get tough, like in the playoffs.

Fuck it Jake Ferguson’s 2023 season pic.twitter.com/NhlTrlWTzf

— FergSZN (@FergSZN) March 29, 2025

He's entering a contract year, so we might see the highest effort out of him that we've seen yet in his career. He'll likely never have the target share you want, but he could be pretty efficient, and definitely has top-10 upside at TE.

13. Tyler Higbee, Los Angeles Rams 

Despite his age, Higbee looked pretty damn good in the playoff games for the Rams. Despite tearing his ACL in the playoffs of the 2023-2024 season, Higbee appears to have juice left. He'll be in one of the league's best offensive situations for a pass-catcher, though he'll have to contend with elite competition for targets.

You knew it was over on the first drive when Matthew Stafford uncorked this "seam" shot to Tyler Higbee.

Great coverage, but a dime. pic.twitter.com/Gw2gBOX9Ny

— Sosa Kremenjas (@QBsMVP) January 14, 2025

14. Zach Ertz, Washington Commanders 

Ertz is getting up there in age. Luckily for him, he has quarterback Jayden Daniels to get him the ball. He's still a fundamentally sound route-runner and a trustworthy target for Daniels, but he'll move to third in the pecking order, behind wideouts Terry McLaurin and Deebo Samuel.

15. Brenton Strange, Jacksonville Jaguars

Strange is a tough player to rank. I like his upside argument now that Jacksonville has Liam Coen as its head coach, but I don't know how much he'll be worked into the passing game. Obviously, wide receivers Brian Thomas Jr. and Travis Hunter will be the primary targets for quarterback Trevor Lawrence.

16. Tyler Warren, Indianapolis Colts

Warren is a hard player to assess. He had elite draft capital, but as soon as the season starts, you're basically hoping that the current Colts starting QB, Anthony Richardson, gets benched. Richardson is horrifically inaccurate in the short passing game. That's terrible news.

Anthony Richardson was unrivaled for worst short accuracy from a clean pocket in the NFL in 2024 https://t.co/HK6sLFo14T pic.twitter.com/RD7cQBqbjI

— Jacob Gibbs (@jagibbs_23) May 19, 2025

He's the worst starting QB in the league in the short passing game by a mile. What's worse? He's an elite running QB. Why would the Colts give significant rushing volume to Warren, a TE, when they have Richardson and RB Jonathan Taylor, who are easily better on the ground?

If you draft Warren, pray for Daniel Jones to start.

Tier 5 - 2025 Tight End Rankings

17. Dallas Goedert, Philadelphia Eagles

Goedert is a tight end on the decline on the (by far) most run-heavy team in the league with a quarterback that's not super accurate. There's not much upside for him unless one or both of the wide receivers, A.J. Brown or DeVonta Smith, get hurt. So I wouldn't really want to draft him.

It doesn't help that the team tried to trade him away in the offseason, and nobody wanted him.

18. David Njoku, Cleveland Browns

We have to think there's a reason the Browns drafted TE Harold Fannin Jr. in the 2025 NFL Draft. He wasn't selected with bad draft capital, either. Njoku is likely on his way out soon, and the Browns' quarterback situation is also laughable.

Harold Fannin Jr honestly might be WR3 for the Browns. I am so excited for him and Njoku to be on the field at the same time.

I imagine Stefanski will have many uses for him. Potential star for the Browns. ⭐️ pic.twitter.com/t9uUQhdov8

— Minnesota Browns Fan (@mnbrownsfan) May 18, 2025

Njoku does not need more target dilution, nor does his inability to stay healthy, but that might not be going anywhere.

19. Hunter Henry, New England Patriots

I don't know why people want to draft Henry. He started to lose snaps and routes to fellow TE Austin Hooper toward the end of the 2024 season. If he can't even clearly beat out Hooper as the team's TE1, that's not a good sign. He was never special, and he's only aging now.

20. Pat Freiermuth, Pittsburgh Steelers

Another player I don't understand why people like is anyone on an offense run by Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith. Patty Fry is on the Steelers, coincidentally. He'll never get the targets he deserves, because Smith will make sure he gets the TE2 and TE3 involved as much as he can.

That's because in Smith's mind, Smith is a genius, and he can make it work!

21. Kyle Pitts, Atlanta Falcons

Another player I don't get why people like is Pitts. Fantasy managers seem to still be unwilling to accept that his excellent rookie season was the work of former Falcons QB Matt Ryan, who gets no credit for tricking everyone into believing that Pitts was the league's next elite TE.

If it wasn't already, it is officially time to call Kyle Pitts a bust.

They took him over Ja'Marr Chase & Penei Sewell, man.
pic.twitter.com/SwnROzeuqQ

— Marcus Whitman (@TFG_Football) December 22, 2024

Pitts is garbage. He sucks, and yet people will still over-draft him and watch him slowly tank their fantasy teams into the ground before lining up to do it next season. Go for it.

22. Mike Gesicki, Cincinnati Bengals

Gesicki's upside case comes around when WR Tee Higgins misses time due to injury. Then he's pretty good. Otherwise... nah, he's not. So he's a fun player to play waiver wire hot potato with, but not much else. Higgins and fellow Bengals WR Ja'Marr Chase will continue hogging the targets. RB Chase Brown deserves some, too.

Even in an elite offense, that doesn't leave much left over for Gesicki.

23. Cade Otton, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Even when both Bucs top WRs, Chris Godwin and Mike Evans, were injured last season, Otton couldn't consistently capitalize. He's another player who's just not worth drafting in redraft. Too much needs to happen for him to have a big game.

24. Chig Okonkwo, Tennessee Titans

Okonkwo might continue to be a breakout candidate every season from now until the end of his career. He's a great athlete, but doesn't possess the route-running chops to separate consistently from coverage. He's good for one or two boom games per year, and not much else.

The new quarterback in town has plenty of other toys to play with, too.

More Fantasy Football Analysis