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

Top Candidates To Dethrone Sam LaPorta As The Fantasy Football TE1 In 2024

Trey McBride - Fantasy Football Rankings, Waiver Wire Pickups, Draft Sleepers

Andrew Ball analyzes which fantasy football tight ends could dethrone Sam LaPorta as the fantasy TE1 in the 2024 season. He looks at three options.

If you polled 100 fantasy football analysts before the 2023 season and asked who would finish as the top-scoring tight end, none of them would have answered Sam LaPorta.

On the back of 10 touchdowns, the Lions’ rookie racked up 239.3 PPR fantasy points, nine ahead of second-place finisher Evan Engram. A double-digit touchdown season is tough to replicate, especially when we’ve only seen LaPorta do it once.

There are a handful of candidates that have the potential to boot LaPorta from his throne. Below, we highlight three names that can finish as the TE1.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:

 

Trey McBride, Arizona Cardinals

From Week 10 through the end of the regular season, McBride posted 14.9 PPR points per game, third among the position. That coincided with Kyler Murray’s return to the lineup. With Marquise Brown either sidelined or hampered by injury, McBride led the team in targets (106).

The Cardinals prioritized offensive weapons in the offseason. Will that help or hinder the opportunities for McBride? The Cardinals selected Marvin Harrison Jr. with the fourth overall pick in the NFL Draft. He’s slated to be atop the wide receiver depth chart. Rondale Moore was replaced by Zay Jones on the roster (although they have vastly different play styles). Michael Wilson and Greg Dortch will also mix in. Defenses won’t be able to focus all of their attention on McBride this year.

McBride is aiming for a 1,000-yard season, and fantasy managers hope the touchdown total (3 in 2023) will jump. Other red zone options and a full season of Murray under center will help that cause.

 

Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs

Does Travis Kelce have more juice, or is it nearing time for one of the league's greatest tight ends to ride off into the sunset with a certain celebrity pop star? Although he appeared to be slowing down last season, the 34-year-old scored 14.6 PPR points per game, tied for first at the position.

It’s impossible to ignore the sustained, elite production. Kelce has finished as the TE1 in six of the last eight seasons. One of those misses came last season (TE3 finish) when the Chiefs turned to Isiah Pacheco and their defense to win football games. Patrick Mahomes and Kelce had little help in the passing game until Rashee Rice broke out midway through his rookie season.

The Chiefs are making up for their past mistakes by signing Marquise Brown and spending a first-round pick on Xavier Worthy. Both possess world-class speed, which should open the middle of the field for Kelce.

 

Dalton Kincaid, Buffalo Bills

Opposite of the other tight ends in this article, the Bills didn’t add talent around Dalton Kincaid. Rather, they lost a pair of quality pass catchers.

Stefon Diggs was traded to Houston, and the Bills let Gabe Davis return to Florida in free agency. Curtis Samuel and rookie Keon Coleman join incumbent Khalil Shakir in upstate New York. None of those receivers command targets quite like the former All-Pro Diggs.

Kincaid is a dark horse TE1 candidate on potential volume alone. From Weeks 7 through 14, Kincaid secured at least five receptions in every matchup on 7.6 targets per game. A steady PPR floor is all but guaranteed if the target numbers increase by one or two per game.

The touchdowns will have to increase for Kincaid to crack the top five, let alone the top one. He only found paydirt twice in his rookie season. The red zone pass rate for the Bills dropped to 32.5% with offensive coordinator Joe Brady on the job. While being connected to Josh Allen is a tremendous advantage for Kincaid, the quarterback is just as likely to rush it in himself or, even worse, hand it off to a running back not named James Cook.

Still, Kincaid could be the target leader for the Bills in 2024, and his consistency could propel him toward the top of the tight end leaderboard.



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




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

Caio Borralho

Set For A Title Eliminator Bout
Nassourdine Imavov

Looks To Earn A Title Shot
Mauricio Ruffy

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Benoît Saint Denis

Benoit Saint Denis Set For UFC Paris Co-Main Event
Modestas Bukauskas

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Paul Craig

In Dire Need Of Victory
Mason Jones

Set for Main-Card Bout
Bolaji Oki

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Rhys McKee

Set To Open Up UFC Paris Main Card
Axel Sola

Set To Make His UFC Debut
Saquon Barkley

Scores Touchdown in Low-Yardage Outing
Jalen Hurts

Rushes for Two Touchdowns on Thursday
Javonte Williams

Salvages Inefficient Outing With Two Touchdowns
CeeDee Lamb

110-Yard Game Marred by Four Drops
Will Shipley

Questionable to Return on Thursday Night
Pablo López

Pablo Lopez Expected to Return on Friday
Micah Parsons

Expected to Play in Week 1
Jazz Chisholm Jr.

Exits With Knee Contusions
Christian McCaffrey

Listed as Limited With Calf Injury
Justin Jefferson

Not on Week 1 Injury Report
Omarion Hampton

to Start Against Chiefs on Friday
Will Smith

Unlikely to Play This Weekend
Shohei Ohtani

to Pitch on Monday
Najee Harris

Off the Final Injury Report, Will Play in Week 1
Jon Rahm

Looks to Prove His Importance on European Ryder Cup Team
Tommy Fleetwood

Among Leaders of European Ryder Cup Team
Christian Kirk

Expected to be Sidelined in Week 1, Could Miss More Time
Amari Cooper

Informs Raiders of Retirement
Jayden Reed

Returns to Practice
Brandon Sproat

to Start for Mets on Sunday
Alperen Sengün

Alperen Sengun Close to Triple-Double Versus Serbia
Nikola Jokić

Nikola Jokic Fills Box Score Against Turkey
Nikola Jović

Nikola Jovic Shakes Off Minor Injury
E.J. Liddell

Inks Two-Way Deal With Nets
NBA

Ben Simmons Reportedly Considering Retirement
P.J. Washington

Agrees to Four-Year, $90 Million Extension
Mike Trout

Plans to Return on Thursday
Will Smith

X-Rays Negative on Will Smith's Hand
Jauan Jennings

Gets Incentives Added to Contract
Jakobi Meyers

Unsure About Potential Extension
Matthew Stafford

Off Injury Report Ahead of Week 1
Will Smith

Exits With Hand Contusion
Jackson Chourio

in Lineup Wednesday Despite Hamstring Cramps
Sepp Straka

Gets Captain's Pick to Join Team Europe
Christian Yelich

Dealing With Soreness in Lower Back
PGA

Victor Hovland to Make Third Ryder Cup Appearance for Team Europe
J.J. Spaun

Set to Represent Team USA for First Time at Bethpage
Russell Henley

Makes First Ryder Cup Appearance at Bethpage
Harris English

Named to Ryder Cup Team for Second Time
Kyle Finnegan

Dealing With Groin Issue
Shohei Ohtani

Will Pitch "Sometime This Weekend"
Jackson Chourio

Absent on Wednesday With Hamstring Cramp
Roman Anthony

Officially Goes on Injured List
Jauan Jennings

Limited on Wednesday, Expected to Play in Week 1
Malik Nabers

Not on Initial Injury Report
Roman Anthony

"High Probability" Roman Anthony Lands on Injured List
Justin Thomas

Making Fourth Ryder Cup Team Appearance at Bethpage
Ben Griffin

Making First Career Ryder Cup Appearance at Bethpage
Bryson DeChambeau

Set to be Part of Team USA at Bethpage
Jason Adam

to Undergo Season-Ending Surgery
Roman Anthony

Will Undergo MRI on Wednesday
Santi Aldama

Bags Double-Double in Losing Effort
Guerschon Yabusele

Erupts for 36 Points Against Poland
Luka Dončić

Luka Doncic Leads Slovenia Into Next Round at EuroBasket
San Antonio Spurs

Stanley Umude Signs Training Camp Deal With Spurs
Reece Beekman

Joins Magic for Training Camp
Justin Minaya

Signs Exhibit 10 Deal With Magic
Travis Hunter

Jaguars List Travis Hunter as Starting Wide Receiver, Backup Cornerback
Kyle Tucker

Leaves With Calf Tightness on Tuesday
Alexandre Sarr

to Miss Rest of EuroBasket
Max Scherzer

Blue Jays Confident Max Scherzer Will Make Saturday Start Despite Back Tightness
Roman Anthony

Leaves Early With Back Injury
Jared McCain

"On Pace" for Training Camp
Lourdes Gurriel Jr.

Done for the Year With Torn ACL
Luke Hughes

Devils Optimistic About Signing Luke Hughes
Martin Fehérváry

Martin Fehervary on Track to Be Ready for Training Camp
Dylan Holloway

Good to Go for Start of Season
Josh Morrissey

Fully Healthy for Start of Season
Dennis Hildeby

Signs Three-Year Extension With Maple Leafs
Dalton Kincaid

Role Not Expected to Grow?
Quinshon Judkins

Zero Chance Quinshon Judkins Plays Against Bengals?
Franz Wagner

Collects Double-Double in Blowout Win
Alperen Sengün

Alperen Sengun Achieves Rare Numbers at EuroBasket
Nikola Vučević

Nikola Vucevic Dominates Against Sweden
Kristaps Porzingis

Finding Form at EuroBasket
Nikola Jović

Nikola Jovic Suffers Minor Injury at EuroBasket
Victor Wembanyama

Looking "Quite Stellar"
Denny Hamlin

Ends Eventful Day at Darlington in Seventh Place
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace Almost Earns a Top-Five Finish at Darlington
John Hunter Nemechek

has His Best 2025 Performance at Darlington
Ryan Blaney

Has An Underwhelming Performance At Darlington
Josh Berry

Crashes Early and Suffers A Playoff Setback at Darlington
Giannis Antetokounmpo

"Staying in Milwaukee"
Chase Elliott

Under Playoff Pressure After 17th-Place Darlington Finish
Kyle Larson

Despite Hendrick Mediocrity, Kyle Larson Remains Pretty Safe in Playoffs
Alex Bowman

Opening-Lap Crash and Botched Pit Stop May Have Sunk Alex Bowman's Playoff Hopes
Erik Jones

Darlington Master Erik Jones Comes Up Short but Still Finishes Third
AJ Allmendinger

A.J. Allmendinger Impresses at Southern 500
Daniel Suarez

is A DFS Risk for Darlington Lineups?
Noah Gragson

Should Fantasy Managers Roster Noah Gragson for Darlington?
Ty Dillon

is an Excellent Punt Option for Darlington DFS Lineups
Denny Hamlin

Picking Up Where He Left Off At Darlington
Kyle Larson

The Sky Is The Limit for Kyle Larson at Darlington
Ryan Blaney

a Strong DFS Play at Darlington This Weekend
Tyler Reddick

Shouldn't Be Overlooked at Darlington This Weekend
Alex Bowman

An Easy Place-Differential Play in DFS This Weekend
Ty Gibbs

Could Be Strong at Darlington This Weekend
Erik Jones

Has Best Darlington Qualifying Effort Since Last Win
Zane Smith

Hopeful For Another Solid Run At Darlington

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP