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
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

Tight End Rankings Analysis - Standard Scoring

Travis Kelce - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Rishi Patel breaks down RotoBaller's expert rankings for tight ends in standard (non-PPR) scoring leagues by tier.

Tight end is one of the most difficult positions to draft for in fantasy due to the lack of elite talent at the position. Once the top-five guys have been drafted, it becomes much trickier for managers to pick a potential TE1 just because of things like small roles, unproven NFL talent, etc.

Luckily, there are always going to be a few sleepers each year who have unexpectedly good seasons, but the hard part is always going to be predicting who, especially during drafts.

Well, lucky for you RotoBaller is here to give you some excellent TE rankings that will give clarity on who you should consider in standard leagues. Let's break it down:

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.

 

Tight End Rankings (non-PPR)

Pos. Rank Pos. Tier Player Name Overall Rank Overall Tier
1 1 Travis Kelce 11 2
2 1 Darren Waller 22 3
3 1 George Kittle 28 3
4 2 Mark Andrews 53 5
5 2 T.J. Hockenson 54 5
6 2 Kyle Pitts 56 5
7 3 Dallas Goedert 83 6
8 3 Noah Fant 95 7
9 3 Logan Thomas 100 7
10 3 Robert Tonyan 103 7
11 3 Mike Gesicki 113 8
12 3 Tyler Higbee 114 8
13 4 Gerald Everett 120 8
14 4 Rob Gronkowski 127 8
15 5 Jonnu Smith 129 8
16 5 Evan Engram 135 9
17 5 Adam Trautman 138 9
18 5 Hunter Henry 144 9
19 5 Austin Hooper 151 9
20 5 Zach Ertz 154 10
21 5 Anthony Firkser 159 10
22 5 Cole Kmet 161 10
23 5 Jared Cook 168 10
24 6 Blake Jarwin 177 11
25 6 Eric Ebron 185 11
26 6 Irv Smith Jr. 216 12
27 6 Dan Arnold 223 13
28 6 Hayden Hurst 224 13
29 6 Jack Doyle 226 13
30 6 Donald Parham Jr. 248 13
31 6 Dawson Knox 249 14
32 7 Pat Freiermuth 262 14
33 7 C.J. Uzomah 271 15
34 7 Jimmy Graham 279 15
35 7 Tyler Kroft 280 15
36 7 Dalton Schultz 286 15
37 7 Chris Herndon IV 287 15
38 7 O.J. Howard 288 15
39 7 Jacob Harris 301 15
40 7 Mo Alie-Cox 303 15
41 7 Tyler Conklin 309 15
42 8 Pharaoh Brown 315 16
43 8 Jordan Akins 324 16
44 8 Jacob Hollister 325 16
45 8 Kyle Rudolph 329 16
46 8 Hunter Long 345 16
47 8 Harrison Bryant 353 17
48 8 Cameron Brate 354 17
49 8 Brevin Jordan 360 17
50 8 David Njoku 361 17
51 8 Albert Okwuegbunam 364 17
52 8 Adam Shaheen 368 17
53 9 Will Dissly 373 17
54 9 James O'Shaughnessy 375 17
55 9 Drew Sample 377 17
56 9 Geoff Swaim 378 17
57 9 Ian Thomas 386 18
58 9 Tyler Eifert 389 18
59 9 Hunter Bryant 398 18
60 9 Jace Sternberger 422 18
61 9 Foster Moreau 424 18
62 9 Ryan Griffin 425 18

 

Tier 1

Kelce, Kittle, and Waller are the cream of the crop when it comes to reliable, point-amassing fantasy TEs. Kelce is arguably on the best offense in football, and his role is quite large to the point where he now has an incredible five consecutive seasons with at least 83 receptions, 117 targets, and 1,000 receiving yards. He's as reliable as you'll ever find in terms of fantasy TEs today.

Kittle was set back by several injuries last season, but when healthy, has produced two straight seasons with at least 85 receptions, 100+ targets, and 1,000+ yards receiving back in 2018 and 2019. He remains a focal point of the 49ers offense and is primed for another excellent season.

Like Kittle, Darren Waller has recently broken out as a fantasy star, but the difference is that Waller is a veteran who started his NFL career in 2015. Nevertheless, he is the top receiving target for the Raiders entering 2021 and is coming off two straight seasons with at least 90 receptions, 117 targets, and 1,145 yards.

 

Tier 2

Kyle Pitts has been one hyped prospect and it's incredible that's he ranked as a top fantasy TE without even playing one snap. But that's what happens with a generational talent like Pitts. With Julio Jones now out of Atlanta, the rookie will have a lot of chances to soak up targets and he should be considered the second-best receiving option on the team behind new WR1 Calvin Ridley.

Andrews has now been a solid fantasy TE for two seasons while also seeing at least 88 targets the past two seasons, which is quite decent for a Ravens offense that's primarily about the run. Baltimore has yet to show it has a true WR1, so Andrews remains the top passing option for Lamar Jackson heading into 2021.

While Jared Goff will now be running the show in Detroit, there shouldn't be too much concern for T.J. Hockenson entering 2021 considering he's coming off a breakout year in 2020 in which he finished top-five among fantasy TEs and the team doesn't have a true WR1, just journeyman WRs like Tyrell Williams and Breshad Perriman sitting atop the depth chart. Hockenson is the best receiving option for Detroit.

 

Tier 3

Dallas Goedert should now be considered the top TE in Philly with Zach Ertz having a muddied situation with the team. The 26-year-old is primed to have a great season with Jalen Hurts at the helm. In addition, Goedert should be a top-three overall receiving option on the team, alongside DeVonta Smith and Jalen Reagor.

Fant is coming off an excellent sophomore season where he finished first among the team in receptions, second in targets, and third in receiving yards. Alongside Courtland Sutton and Jerry Jeudy, Fant is a top-three receiving option on the team and hopefully with Teddy Bridgewater running the show instead of the rather inconsistent Drew Lock, the offense is elevated up a notch and more consistent.

The good news for Tonyan and the entire Packers offense is the return of Aaron Rodgers, but Tonyan's 2020 was one for the books and something that likely nobody saw coming as he was a top-three fantasy TE among the likes of Travis Kelce and Darren Waller. 11 touchdowns will be hard to replicate but Tonyan essentially proved himself as the TE1 and a reliable pass-catching option last year. There is no reason to believe Tonyan can't be the second-best receiver on the team behind Davante Adams.

Gesicki and Thomas are both coming off excellent years and are expected to have integral roles with their respective offenses once again. Gesicki posted a career-high 53 receptions, 703 yards, and six touchdowns in 2020. Meanwhile, Thomas, a career journeyman TE, came out of nowhere to post a career-high 72 receptions for 670 yards and six touchdowns on 110 targets for Washington. Aside from Terry McLaurin, Washington is lacking elite talent when it comes to pass-catchers, so Thomas should be in for some decent numbers even with the streaky Ryan Fitzpatrick manning the helm.

 

Tier 4

Though coming off a modest rookie season, the reasoning behind the surge in Trautman's value is due to the lack of receiving options New Orleans has. With no proven and reliable TEs and WRs and Michael Thomas sidelined due to an ankle surgery, new guys will need to step up for starter Jameis Winston. Trautman sustained an ankle/foot injury in the second week of the preseason, but there is hope he won't miss much time in the regular season, if at all.

After competing with Tyler Higbee for targets for the past several years, Everett now ends up as the TE1 in Seattle for Russell Wilson and is slated to be a factor in the offense alongside D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett. Though modest numbers, Everett is coming off his best NFL season last year in which he racked up 41 receptions for 417 yards and a score on 62 targets.

 

Tier 5

Engram is coming off a decent 2020 and will once again be the top TE for Daniel Jones. With the addition of guys like Kenny Golladay and Kadarius Toney, targets will be more challenging to come by. Cook is now the TE1 for the Chargers, but it's fair to wonder how much of an impact he can make at age 34.

Jonnu Smith and Hunter Henry are both solid tight ends that add more dimensions to New England's offense, but it will likely be difficult for one to achieve great fantasy numbers without affecting the other's in a negative way. Both guys offset each other's fantasy value and this could end up being a two-man TE committee.

With Jonnu Smith now in New England, Anthony Firkser will hope to be a factor at TE for Tennessee. His third NFL season in 2020 was his best, though he still just posted a modest 39 receptions for 387 yards and one score on 53 targets. Nevertheless, the presence of Geoff Swaim could cut into Firkser's targets a bit.

Cole Kmet hopes to be a factor in the Bears' offense this season, but the presence of veteran Jimmy Graham could still affect his numbers. Nevertheless, the 22-year-0ld is figured to be factored more into this offense (according to coach Matt Nagy) and the eventual presence of Justin Fields could help elevate his value. All the guys in this tier remain great values as TE2s.

 

Tier 6

Irv Smith Jr. was slated to have a solid season with veteran Kyle Rudolph no longer on the team. The third-year player figures to factor more in this offense as the third-receiving option behind Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen. It's worth noting however that he will likely miss some games at the beginning of the season due to meniscus surgery, so it's best to monitor the TE's situation and lower him on your draft board.

Ebron is coming off a decent first year with the Steelers and figures to be the TE1 for the team again even with the addition of Pat Freiermuth. The fact that Pittsburgh has several solid WRs could hurt Ebron's target share, but do expect him to see a decent enough number of looks to be a TE2.

Arnold had his "breakout" season last year with Arizona where he posted 31 receptions for 438 yards and four scores on 45 targets. That did enough to put him on the fantasy (and real life) radar and now the 26-year-old will lead the Panthers' TE room in 2021. Carolina had underwhelming TE production last year so the hope is Arnold can chip in and be a good option for new QB Sam Darnold and a TE2 for managers.

 

Tier 7

After an excellent second season in Atlanta and an overall career-best year, Hurst will now be relegated to the backup TE role in 2021 with the addition of prolific talent Kyle Pitts, who will immediately step in with a large role in this offense. It will be hard for Hurst to replicate his 2020 numbers with another TE taking his role, so expect a dip in production for the 28-year-old.

Despite the Bills' offense soaring to greater heights last year, Know wasn't apparently a part of that party and actually regressed in his numbers compared to his 2019 rookie year. Despite being the TE1 for Buffalo heading into 2021, it will be hard to trust Knox as anything more than a stash given his inconsistency.

Though Jimmy Graham will turn 35 this season, he was still serviceable for the Bears last season. Expect more competition from second-year TE Cole Kmet in 2021 as the youngster has one year under his belt and is hungry to prove himself as the team's TE1. In turn, Graham's fantasy value could be very affected by Kmet this season, meaning the veteran shouldn't be considered as reliable as he once was.

As was the case last year, Colts TEs Jack Doyle and Mo-Alie Cox may end up offsetting each other's fantasy values once again as they both fight for targets and a stable role in the Indy offense.

 

Tier 8 and lower

The only TE in tier eight who has put up somewhat decent numbers in his career is Rudolph, and that was back in 2016 with the Vikings when he amassed 83 receptions for 840 yards and seven scores on 132 targets. Now on the Giants, Rudolph will back up Evan Engram and likely won't be a factor on an offense that has multiple new weapons. The other guys in this tier are unproven and are likely expected to have a small role in their offense (barring injury).

Tight ends beyond this point are best viewed as unproven players who are expected to be backup and third-string options on their respective teams. Barring any injuries to the starting TEs on the roster, none of these guys should be on the fantasy radar heading into the season and should only be claimed off the waiver wire if they prove to be a reliable weekly option at some point in 2021.



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy football app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, rankings, starts/sits & more. All free!

More Fantasy Football 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
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Keandre Lambert-Smith

KeAndre Lambert-Smith Finds End Zone in First Training Camp Practice
Tyler Shough

Pushing for Fully Guaranteed Rookie Deal
Ar'Darius Washington

Goes on PUP List
Lamar Jackson

to be Even Better in 2025?
Tre Harris

Agrees to Terms on Rookie Deal
Justin Herbert

Off to Good Start at Training Camp
Jameson Williams

Earning Rave Reviews from Lions Coaches
Christian Mahogany

Expected to Start for Lions
Zach Allen

an Extension Candidate in Denver?
Zaire Franklin

May Miss Start of Training Camp
Portland Trail Blazers

Damian Lillard Returning to Portland
Mason Taylor

to Play "Crucial" Role in Jets' Offense
Paul Skenes

Pirates Could Preserve Paul Skenes in Second Half
T.J. Watt

Once Again Becomes Highest-Paid Non-QB
RJ Harvey

Reaches Agreement on Four-Year Rookie Contract
Rashee Rice

Chiefs Believe Rashee Rice Will Receive Two- to Four-Game Suspension
Brooks Barnhizer

Grabs 19 Points, Nine Boards in Summer League Win
Jack Kiser

Inks Rookie Deal With Jaguars
Mike Green

Expected to Sign Rookie Deal with Ravens on Thursday
Mike Williams

Retiring After Eight NFL Seasons
Jeremiah Fears

Scores 22 Points in Summer League Loss to Thunder
Jordan Addison

Pleads Guilty to Lesser Offense, Gets Fine and Probation
Jordan Mims

Titans Add Backfield Depth With Jordan Mims
Isaiah Collier

Collects 17 Points In Summer League Win
Anthony Richardson Sr.

Believed to be Recovered From Shoulder Injury
Najee Harris

Chargers Place Najee Harris on NFI List
Caleb Houstan

Joins Hawks
AJ Johnson

Erupts for 25 Points in Summer League Loss
Washington Wizards

Leaky Black Logs Double-Double in Loss to Jazz
Connor Norby

Undergoes Surgery, Expected to Miss 6-8 Weeks
Trey Alexander

Tallies 25 Points in Losing Effort
Johni Broome

Records Second Consecutive Double-Double
Jahmir Young

Has Historic Summer League Outing
Rob Dillingham

Plays Big Role in Wednesday's Win
Tyrese Proctor

Erupts for 35 Points Against Kings
Cody Williams

Leads Jazz to Victory Against Wizards
LeBron James

Mavs Not Interested in "Gutting its Roster" For LeBron James
Josh Hart

Undergoes a Procedure on Right Finger
Jake Burger

Goes on 10-Day Injured List With Quad Strain
Sal Frelick

Dealing With Grade 1 Hamstring Strain, TBD for Start of Second Half
Chris Sale

Plays Catch
Los Angeles Clippers

Bradley Beal Heading to Los Angeles to Join Clippers After Contract Buyout
Rayan Rupert

Scores 24 Points in Summer League Win
Derik Queen

Collects Third Consecutive Double-Double in Summer League Loss
GG Jackson II

Records 13 Points in Summer League Action on Tuesday
Johni Broome

Logs Double-Double Against Wizards
DaRon Holmes II

Records Double-Double in Summer League Loss to Raptors
Kyle Schwarber

Named All-Star Game MVP
Harris English

Takes Stellar 2025 Performance to The Open Championship
Aldrich Potgieter

Seeks Better Result in Northern Ireland
Cameron Young

Likely to Hang Around at The Open Championship
Cameron Smith

Just Trying to Make the Cut at Royal Portrush
Jordan Spieth

Is Jordan Spieth Still a Natural for Links Style Golf?
Patrick Reed

a Viable Option at The Open Championship
PGA

Sungjae Im Wants to Rebound from Last Experience at Royal Portrush
Xander Schauffele

Looks to Defend His Claret Jug at Royal Portrush
Tony Finau

Trying to Turn Tide at Royal Portrush
Daniel Brown

Seeks a Rebound at The Open Championship
Rory McIlroy

Will be the Most Watched Player This Week at Royal Portrush
Daniel Berger

Trending Poorly as The Open Championship Looms
Clayton Kershaw

Retires Both Batters In ASG Appearance
Eugenio Suárez

Eugenio Suarez Hit In Pinky In All-Star Game, X-Rays Negative
MLB

NL All-Stars Win On Tie-Breaker Home Run Swing-Off
Robert MacIntyre

Hoping to Bounce Back at Open Championship
Shane Lowry

Hopes to Repeat at Royal Portrush
Brian Harman

Hopes to Rekindle Some Magic at the 153rd Open
UTA

Michael Carcone Returns to Utah on One-Year Contract
Bowen Byram

Signs Two-Year Deal with Sabres
Morgan Barron

Jets Re-Sign Morgan Barron for Two Years
PGA

Chris Gotterup Punches Ticket to Royal Portrush With Win at Scottish Open
Bryson DeChambeau

Hopes to Reverse Links Golf Struggle at the 153rd Open
Keegan Bradley

Needs to Find The Weekend at Royal Portrush for Ryder Cup Hopes
Oneil Cruz

Ties Home Run Derby Distance Record
Cal Raleigh

Wins 2025 Home Run Derby
Justin Thomas

Finishes Tied For 22nd at Genesis Scottish Open
Scottie Scheffler

Finishes Tied For Eighth at Genesis Scottish Open
Jon Rahm

Finishes in Second at LIV Andalucia
Tallison Teixeira

Suffers First-Round TKO
Derrick Lewis

Scores First-Round TKO
Michael Lorenzen

Royals Put Michael Lorenzen on Injured List With Oblique Strain
Stephen Thompson

Loses Controversial Split Decision
Gabriel Bonfim

Wins Controversial Split Decision
Calvin Kattar

Gets Outclassed At UFC Nashville
Steve Garcia

Extends His Win Streak
Nate Landwehr

Gets Knocked Out
Morgan Charrière

Morgan Charriere Scores Third-Round Knockout
Austen Lane

Suffers Submission Loss
Vitor Petrino

Scores First-Round Submission In Heavyweight Debut
Tuco Tokkos

Earns His First UFC Win
Junior Tafa

Unsuccessful in his Light-Heavyweight Debut
Chase Elliott

Charges to A Finish of Third At Sonoma
Chase Briscoe

Finishes Second With his First Career Road-Course Top-Five at Sonoma
Christopher Bell

Rollercoaster Day Ends With Top-5 Finish at Sonoma
William Byron

Maintains the Regular-Season Points Lead
Kyle Busch

Earns A Hard-Fought Top-10 Finish At Sonoma
Alex Ovechkin

Not Thinking About Retirement
PIT

Penguins Acquire Arturs Silovs
NHL

Nikolai Kovalenko Returns to Russia
Yoshinobu Yamamoto

Tosses Gem Against Giants
Shota Imanaga

Shuts Down Yankees on Sunday
Nathan Eovaldi

Dominant Again in Seventh Win
Tyler Reddick

Evades Near Upset to Remain Alive in In-Season Challenge
Ty Gibbs

One of Three Tylers to Make In-Season Challenge Semifinals
Kyle Larson

Curiously Mediocre at Sonoma Before Late-Race Crash
NASCAR

John H. Nemechek Edges Out Teammate to Make In-Season Challenge Semifinal
Alex Bowman

Ty Dillon Bumps Alex Bowman to Advance to In-Season Challenge Semifinal
Chicago White Sox

Billy Carlson Goes 10th Overall to White Sox
Cincinnati Reds

Steele Hall Selected Ninth by Cincinnati
Toronto Blue Jays

Blue Jays Select JoJo Parker with Eighth Overall Pick
Miami Marlins

Marlins Select Aiva Arquette With Seventh Overall Pick
Pittsburgh Pirates

Pirates Select Seth Hernandez with Sixth Overall Pick
Kyle Stowers

Punishes Former Team with Three-Homer Game
Shane Van Gisbergen

Can Anyone Beat Shane van Gisbergen at Sonoma?
Tyler Reddick

Better at Sonoma Than Record Shows
Chase Elliott

a Prime DFS Option at Sonoma
Michael McDowell

Struggling a Bit at Sonoma
NASCAR

Christopher Bell Has Never Finished Better Than Ninth at Sonoma
Ryan Blaney

Has Top-10 Upside at Sonoma
NASCAR

Sunday at Sonoma Will Likely Be a Long Race for Bubba Wallace
Kyle Larson

Is A Likely Top-Five Contender for Sonoma
Ryan Preece

Points Position Could Affect Race at Sonoma
Todd Gilliland

Struggling to Find Speed at Sonoma
Ty Gibbs

May be an Underrated Favorite to Compete for the Win at Sonoma
Erik Karlsson

Open to Move Away From Pittsburgh
Zach Hyman

Hopes to be Ready for Start of Next Season
SJ

Jeff Skinner Joins Sharks on One-Year Contract
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF