Week 1 Tight End Rankings for Fantasy Football: TE Updates Include Tyler Warren, Colston Loveland, Tucker Kraft, Hunter Henry, Zach Ertz, David Njoku

September 6, 2025

RotoBaller's updated Week 1 tight end (TE) rankings for fantasy football in 2025. Read the weekend updates for our fantasy football TE rankings and win more.

If you did not land a must-start tight end stud like Brock Bowers, Trey McBride, or George Kittle, you are likely looking for the top available Week 1 TE option. Tight ends are always tricky, so we're here to help with our updated Week 1 fantasy football tight end rankings for 2025. In the rankings set below, you will see where Tyler Warren, Colston Loveland, Tucker Kraft, Hunter Henry, Zach Ertz, David Njoku, and tight ends on the start-sit bubble stand for the opening slate of the 2025 campaign.

Our tight end fantasy football rankings for Week 1 are put together by Nick Mariano. In addition to his rankings, below you will also find a summary of the important fantasy football injury news for this week. There are always key injuries to keep track of, so be sure to check back until kickoff.

Be sure to bookmark our fantasy football rankings portal and check back regularly for updates. Most importantly, our free mobile app is a must-have - download it and configure your push notifications. We deliver all the top NFL news, injuries, and fantasy analysis 24x7 with our free push notification alerts... all for free!

Week 1 Tight End Fantasy Football News and Injuries

• Kyle Pitts Sr. is a Boom/Bust TE Option for Week 1
• Zach Ertz Projects as a Reliable Target in Week 1
• Cade Otton Cleared for Week 1
• Tucker Kraft, a Fringe TE1 Against the Lions
• Sam LaPorta Finally Healthy, Looking to Bounce Back in Week 1
• Darren Waller Ruled Out for Week 1
• Isaiah Likely Won't Play in Season Opener
• Dalton Kincaid Entering Potential Rebound Campaign

Week 1 Tight End Rankings for Fantasy Football

Be sure to bookmark our weekly PPR rankings, Half-PPR rankings, Standard rankings.

Week 1 Tight End Outlooks for Fantasy Football

Tucker Kraft, Green Bay Packers

Green Bay Packers tight end Tucker Kraft made a huge splash in his first season as the clear-cut starting tight end for the Packers and looks to parlay that momentum into a strong 2025 as Green Bay hosts the Detroit Lions in Week 1. Kraft scored seven touchdowns last season, but earned only 70 targets, which is tough to project into more target-earning going forward this season.

That point is further emphasized by the Packers bringing in more target competition in first-round wide receiver Matthew Golden and Green Bay's preference to lean on the running game last season. Against the Lions, Kraft is a touchdown-dependent TE1 and comes in as TE10 in the latest RotoBaller ranks for Week 1.

Zach Ertz, Washington Commanders

Washington Commanders veteran tight end Zach Ertz returns for a second season with the team, looking to remain a reliable target for young quarterback Jayden Daniels in Week 1 against the Giants. Ertz turned back the clock a bit in his age-34 season, racking up 66 catches for 654 yards and scoring seven touchdowns. His efficiency in particular rebounded significantly, with his 7.2 yards per target being the highest in a season since 2018.

He served as a safety blanket for his young quarterback, consistently getting open in the red zone and on third downs. Ertz has spoken incredibly highly of Daniels since they've been together, comparing him to his former Stanford teammate, Andrew Luck. The ceiling isn't very high for Ertz in fantasy this season, but he is a safe and projectable option to pair with an upside bet at tight end late in drafts. He should be viewed as a low-end TE1 for the season opener on Sunday.

David Njoku, Cleveland Browns

Cleveland Browns tight end David Njoku will make his 2025 debut against the Cincinnati Bengals at home in Week 1. With Joe Flacco back under center after a stint with the team in 2023, Njoku is primed to get off to a hot start this season. Flacco and Njoku showed excellent chemistry together two years ago, combining for 30 receptions, 390 yards, and four touchdowns in five games together. The Bengals were the worst team in the league against tight ends last season as they allowed the most fantasy points per game to the position. Njoku is a top-six fantasy tight end heading into Week 1.

Kyle Pitts Sr., Atlanta Falcons

Atlanta Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts Sr. has one of the highest ceilings and lowest floors of any tight end in the league. The former first-round draft pick logged six games of four catches or more in 2024, but also had eight games where he caught just two passes or fewer. Despite that dynamic, the 24-year-old still managed to finish just outside the top 12 TEs in receiving yards and in fantasy points thanks to the third-highest average yards per reception (12.8) among TEs and four touchdown receptions.

In two contests against the Buccaneers last year, Pitts Sr. hauled in 11 passes for 179 yards and two scores, and he could be in for another productive day on Sunday against a Tampa defense that struggled to cover the middle of the field in 2024. Also, with Darnell Mooney (shoulder) in jeopardy of missing or being limited in this contest, the 6-foot-6 pass catcher could see a few extra targets. The fifth-year pro projects as a volatile high-end TE2 in Week 1.

Sam LaPorta, Detroit Lions

Detroit Lions tight end Sam LaPorta saw a sizable drop in targets, catches, receiving yards, and touchdowns from his rookie campaign in 2023 to his sophomore season in 2024. However, LaPorta battled injuries early in the year and was much better down the stretch, earning at least six targets in each of Detroit's final seven games of the season. LaPorta gets a matchup with the Green Bay Packers in Week 1, whose defense tied for the sixth-fewest touchdowns allowed to tight ends (four) in 2024.

The 24-year-old has recorded 16 catches for 185 yards and one score in four career games against Green Bay. Given that the Packers project to have a fearsome pass rush, the Lions may be forced to rely on play-action and passes to the short and intermediate areas of the field. That would likely benefit LaPorta, who is battling with deep-threat wide receiver Jameson Williams for the number two target role in Detroit behind All-Pro wideout Amon-Ra St. Brown. LaPorta is a must-start fantasy TE1 in Week 1.

LIKE ROTOBALLER?

CLICK HERE, ENTER ROTOBALLER.COM, THEN CHECK THE BOX

More Fantasy Football Rankings