A year ago, you probably felt hopeless if you didn't get a top-three tight end on Draft Day.
And then you found your way to Tyler Warren or Harold Fannin Jr. or Colston Loveland or Tucker Kraft or Dallas Goedert or Juwan Johnson and everything was okay.
Try to remember that as you enter your 2026 Fantasy drafts. No question, there are two elite-tier tight ends in Trey McBride and Brock Bowers, and the second-year tight ends who erupted throughout last year will be popular. But this is a position you can solve with a reliable starter in the back half of your Fantasy draft.
It means you shouldn't force yourself to take one early on unless you genuinely believe in them posting huge numbers.
McBride, my top-ranked TE last year and this year, was the 11th-best overall skill-position player in PPR leagues on a per-game basis. That was rare. I wouldn't expect that. But if I can get a tight end who averages north of 13 PPR points in the same range as receivers and running backs who will average 13 or 14, I'll take him because 13-plus PPR points from a tight end is, in fact, huge.
But you've gotta believe in them. If you don't then it's a hard pass -- always remember, you can always find a tight end later in drafts who can deliver solid numbers. Maybe even two of them. But you have to know what to look for.
What to look for in a tight end
When considering a tight end, look for the ones who are just like receivers.
- A TE who could average at least six targets per game (seven-plus would be a premium)
- A TE who could earn the most or second-most targets on his own team
- A TE who has some speed and/or after-catch ability
- A TE who you believe can give you 10-plus PPR, 8-plus half-PPR, or 7-plus non-PPR points per game - way more if it's an early-rounder
This checklist should help you weed out inferior tight ends and focus on ones who can deliver for your team. There are plenty of them to pick from at every level of the draft.
Early round TEs
There's well-earned expectations for McBride and Bowers, and a lot of hope/hype for Loveland to have a second-year breakout. These will be the first three tight ends taken in every draft. I suspect the first two should be counted on for at least 15 PPR points per game, and Loveland for 14. In all cases, they'll be considerably better than the tight ends taken later on.
Each of the three have a strong chance to lead their respective teams in targets, catches, yards and touchdowns. Rare for a tight end, particularly ones who share the field with quality receivers like McBride and Loveland, but entirely reasonable in all three cases. McBride has averaged over 9.0 targets per game in each of the past two seasons. Bowers was at 8.7 as a rookie, 7.2 last year (injuries a factor), and now he'll work with a playcaller who's known for hyper-targeting his No. 1 field weapon (just ask Jaxon Smith-Njigba). Loveland's a little different because he needed some time to get healthy and into the swing of NFL football, but from Week 7 on including the playoffs he had a snap rate over 58% every week, a route-run rate over 50% every week and averaged 7.0 targets and 13.4 PPR points. All of those numbers figure to increase for Loveland this season.
How will you know the right time to take one of these three? That's easy -- make a list of all the non-tight ends you'd take before them. When that list evaporates, take a tight end. If they've been picked, just wait a little longer for another one.
Middle round TEs
In the past, tight ends taken in Rounds 4 through 7 have underwhelmed. But times are different now in the NFL, tight ends are becoming bigger parts of offenses and the younger players you'll look at in this range have the profile to outperform the meandering numbers that mid-round tight ends before them had.
However, it's well within reason for Tyler Warren, Sam LaPorta, Tucker Kraft, Harold Fannin and Kyle Pitts to not lead their teams in targets, catches and yards (touchdowns maybe for Fannin and Kraft). That puts a wet blankie on their likelihood to average over seven targets per game, and if they're not doing that then they might be better than your average Fantasy tight end starter, but not as good as your elite-tier tight end.
I wouldn't take any of them in Round 4. If you don't like any of the other players in Round 5 through 7 then gravitating toward one of these guys is fine. They're all safer bets to average over 11 PPR points, but expecting them to play like the early-round TEs is going too far.
Here's a thought: Target the last of them. It might be Fannin more than any other tight end, but that doesn't mean he's bad. He's certainly set to be more reliable than the tight ends you'll look at in the later rounds.
The rest of the TEs
The tight ends you'll find late in draft might also be the ones most familiar to you. One of them could even see his draft stock rise.
George Kittle is the name to watch. If he comes back from his January injury without limitations then he'll end up being a middle-round pick, not a later one. But the truth is that even if he is slow to recover and maybe starts the season sidelined, he still carries solid long-term value at a discounted price. Kittle will be one of the first tight ends to go in Round 8-plus.
Travis Kelce will be another name you know, but the statistical downturn he's experienced over the last two years figure to go further south this year with a rejuvenated Chiefs run game and a healthy receiving corps. Honestly, he should still average a number close to a low-end starter, so it's not like he'll be dead weight on your Fantasy roster.
But there are some other names who might have more upside, and they're names you know: Isaiah Likely, Dallas Goedert and even Mark Andrews and Dalton Kincaid are appealing late-round options. Likely especially has a fresh shot at being the second-best target-getter with the Giants, as might Goedert in Philadelphia with A.J. Brown out of town.
Remember, the key with any late-round tight end is to find one who can average around six targets per game and feasibly be one of his team's top two target-getters. Being a regular red-zone option like Goedert and Andrews (and Kittle and Kelce too, of course) helps.
Final point: These tight ends along with some names you might not know -- Chig Okonkwo, Greg Dulcich primarily -- are worth the late-round look. There's no downside to drafting them, even if you already have a starting tight end, because if they break out and become helpful for Fantasy, you'll have someone who can help your team. And we see this every year from the position, so there's no reason to expect change now.
Q&A on TEs
Should you draft two tight ends? It's a good idea knowing that every year late-round (and free agent) tight ends come out of the woodwork. Why not apply the parameters listed earlier in the story toward a tight end you could take late? I'd especially be inclined to take two tight ends late if I whiffed on the position through the first nine rounds.
What changes in a half-PPR league? Other than the obvious, not much. McBride and Bowers would still be borderline Round 2/3 picks. Tight ends with less target potential and more touchdown potential (like Mark Andrews and Jake Ferguson) gain a little bit of value.
What changes in a non-PPR league? If catches don't count then I'd prioritize Bowers as a Round 3 pick and McBride as a borderline Round 3/4 pick because their reception totals won't help them. In fact I'd de-prioritize the whole position. This would be an example of when I'd either get one of the studs at a fair value or just wait and draft two tight ends late and hope one (or both) hit.
What changes in a TE-premium league? The opposite of the non-PPR: The elite-tier tight ends get boosted into Round 1/2 territory and other tight ends with quality target potential follow suit. Go get the high-volume difference-makers and definitely splurge on a high-upside backup.
What changes in a league that doesn't require a starting TE? Forget about almost all of the tight ends. Seriously! Don't bother with mediocre six-target-per-game guys if you don't have to start them. Running backs and receivers tend to put up more points than tight ends, so nailing down more of those positions makes sense.
What if it's a league of 10 or fewer teams? I'd chase the top tight ends as much as I'd chase any top-tier player regardless of position. That's because fewer teams mean a deeper player pool, and when there's a deeper player pool I prefer to prioritize the high-upside difference-makers. You also don't have to spend two roster spots on tight ends because the waiver wire should be loaded with decent ones.
What if it's a league of 14 or more teams? I'd prioritize tight ends over quarterbacks because the quarterback spot is deeper. In fact, I'd argue that tight ends would be the shallowest position due to the demand deeper leagues create. To have an advantage there should pay off in a deeper league. I'd strongly consider splurging on one of the top tight ends and I'd definitely aim to carry a high-upside backup.
What if I have more questions? You can always reach out on X (@daverichard), or drop the Fantasy Football Today Podcast a line ([email protected]). Our rankings are updated daily and can always be found here.
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