Travis Kelce has been the fantasy football TE1 in six of the last seven seasons, so we don’t need to overthink this one. He’s the clear-cut top TE choice once again, with the only question being how early he should be drafted — and which tight end should go next.
There are compelling cases for each of George Kittle, Darren Waller and Mark Andrews, the last of whom is the only other player with a TE1 season in the Kelce era. But there are also factors working against each.
Below is a look at how I think they’ll stack up in my tight end tier rankings.
MORE 2023 FANTASY RANKINGS:
TE1 Tier
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
1. Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs
It’s not just that Kelce is the best tight end in football, it’s also that he has the best quarterback in football throwing him the ball. The combination has been unstoppable over the years, and the only thing that can slow it is injuries.
Almost Elite Tier
AP Photo/Jeff Lewis
2. T.J. Hockenson, Minnesota Vikings
3. Mark Andrews, Baltimore Ravens
4. Darren Waller, New York Giants
5. George Kittle, San Francisco 49ers
6. Dallas Goedert, Philadelphia Eagles
Kittle averaged the second-most points of tight ends last season, but that was mostly due to his 11 touchdowns. His 86 targets were just 10th at the position, which likely means there’s some type of regression on the way.
Starters Tier
Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
7. Evan Engram, Jacksonville Jaguars
8. David Njoku, Cleveland Browns
9. Pat Freiermuth, Pittsburgh Steelers
10. Kyle Pitts, Atlanta Falcons
11. Cole Kmet, Chicago Bears
12. Tyler Higbee, Los Angeles Rams
Long gone are the days where Pitts is over-drafted and assumed to produce based on athleticism alone. He should be one of the last starting tight ends off the board, though I still believe he has what it takes to finish as a top-10 TE.
Sleepers Tier
13. Dalton Schultz, Houston Texans
14. Sam LaPorta, Detroit Lions
15. Zach Ertz, Arizona Cardinals
16. Greg Dulcich, Denver Broncos
17. Irv Smith Jr., Cincinnati Bengals
18. Hayden Hurst, Carolina Panthers
19. Dawson Knox, Buffalo Bills
Knox and rookie first-round pick Dalton Kincaid are going to eat into each other’s production, which is why they’re both lower than they otherwise would have been. Knox gets the slight edge as the veteran who has worked with Josh Allen a little longer.
Streamers Tier
Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
20. Hunter Henry, New England Patriots
21. Juwan Johnson, New Orleans Saints
22. Gerald Everett, Los Angeles Chargers
23. Noah Fant, Seattle Seahawks
24. Dalton Kincaid, Buffalo Bills
25. Jake Ferguson, Dallas Cowboys
26. Luke Musgrave, Green Bay Packers
27. Tyler Conklin, New York Jets
28. Taysom Hill, New Orleans Saints
29. Isaiah Likely, Baltimore Ravens
30. Austin Hooper, Las Vegas Raiders
31. Logan Thomas, Washington Commanders
32. Jonnu Smith, Atlanta Falcons
33. Michael Mayer, Las Vegas Raiders
34. Jelani Woods, Indianapolis Colts
35. Durham Smythe, Miami Dolphins
36. Chigoziem Okonkwo, Tennessee Titans
37. Cade Otton, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
38. Mike Gesicki, New England Patriots
39. Trey McBride, Arizona Cardinals
40. C.J. Uzomah, New York Jets
Tight ends have been a big part of Dallas’ offense in the past, but it’s just not clear yet whether Ferguson will emerge as the clear-cut TE1 or how much Dak Prescott will lean on him if he does.
