Fantasy Football 2025 Tight End Tiers (Tiered Rankings): Jamey Eisenberg's draft day guide to drafting TEs
This is the only cheat sheet you'll need for drafting your TEs on draft day
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18 min read
I wrote tiers for the first time last season, and it was a fun exercise. I hope you enjoyed reading them, and I'm giving it another try this year. So here we go.
These are my tight end tiers as we approach the start of training camp. These tiers can -- and likely will -- change before the end of August. However, this is how I would draft these tight ends in mid-July.
And for context, this is based on PPR, as well as one point for every 10 yards rushing and receiving. Hopefully, these tiers can help with any draft decisions you have to make this year.
Tier 1
These tight ends will likely be drafted as early as the middle of Round 2, but I prefer both in the early part of Round 3. And I like McBride better than Bowers, although I have both ranked back-to-back.
Last year, they were separated by decimal points as Bowers averaged 15.5 PPR points per game, and McBride was at 15.2. The only real difference was Bowers had three more touchdowns than McBride, but both were special. Bowers had 112 catches for 1,194 yards and five touchdowns on 153 targets, and McBride had 111 catches for 1,146 yards and two touchdowns on 147 targets, along with a rushing touchdown.
The reason I give the slight edge to McBride this season is the changes in the Raiders offense, which could be a negative for Bowers. The addition of Ashton Jeanty will dramatically improve the run game and potentially lead to fewer passes in Las Vegas. And while Geno Smith is an upgrade at quarterback, the Raiders also added two rookie receivers in Jack Bech and Dont'e Thornton Jr., who should command targets, along with Jakobi Meyers.
I'm not worried about Bowers, but I like McBride more. The lack of touchdowns are frustrating, but he was tied for second in red-zone targets with 21 last year. There should be regression coming, and hopefully in a big way. Marvin Harrison Jr. should improve in his sophomore campaign, but McBride should remain a major go-to target for Kyler Murray.
Tier 2
Kittle gets a tier to himself, and you can make a strong argument he belongs in Tier 1. He was actually the No. 1 tight end in 2024 in points per game at 15.8, and his outlook might be better this season.
Brandon Aiyuk (knee) could miss the start of the season coming off a torn ACL, and Jauan Jennings (calf) and Ricky Pearsall (hamstring) are injured prior to training camp. While Jennings and Pearsall should be fine for Week 1, we could see a spike in targets for Kittle, who averaged 6.3 per game last season.
I would look for Kittle toward the end of Round 3 or beginning of Round 4, and he's one of my favorite players to draft in all leagues this year.
Tier 3
This tier of tight ends can probably sway a lot of Fantasy leagues. If these guys perform well then they could challenge to be top three at their position. But there is bust potential, especially depending on when they get drafted.
LaPorta will almost certainly be the No. 4 tight end drafted, and he was frustrating with his production in 2024. He got off to a slow start with one game over 9.3 PPR points in his first six games, including one touchdown over that span. But he closed the year on a high note and averaged 13.6 PPR points in his final 11 games, including the playoffs.
It's a crowded offense in Detroit with Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery, and the loss of offensive coordinator Ben Johnson could be a problem. That said, LaPorta's upside is hard to ignore, and he should be drafted no later than Round 6 in most formats.
Njoku might not be the No. 5 tight end in Average Draft Position, but I love his outlook with Joe Flacco at quarterback for the Browns. The last five times the two were together in 2023, Njoku averaged 20.7 PPR points per game, and hopefully, Flacco starts the majority of games for Cleveland this year. And, in 2024, Njoku played six games with Jameis Winston, and Njoku averaged 15.2 PPR points per game. He could be a Fantasy stud in 2025, and I would draft him in Round 7.
Kelce had a down season in 2024 at 12.2 PPR points per game, and he turns 36 in October. The Chiefs also have a crowded receiving corps with Rashee Rice, Xavier Worthy and Marquise Brown. But Kelce still had some positives in 2024 since he was third among tight ends in targets (133) and receptions (97) and fifth in yards (823). He should remain a top target for Patrick Mahomes, and Kelce is worth drafting in Round 7 in all leagues. If he can score more than the three touchdowns he had last season then Kelce could have one last hurrah as a Fantasy star.
Hockenson missed the first eight games of 2024 while recovering from the torn ACL he suffered in 2023, and he only averaged 8.7 PPR points per game. He averaged at least 12.1 PPR points per game in each of the three previous seasons, including 14.6 in 2023 before getting hurt, and he should get back to that level of production. Hopefully, Hockenson will develop a solid rapport with new quarterback J.J. McCarthy, and there's a chance Jordan Addison could face a suspension this year, which would benefit Hockenson's target share. He's worth drafting as early as Round 7.
Tier 4
The Jaguars cut Engram in March, but he signed with the Broncos and can still be considered a top-10 Fantasy tight end in all leagues. He's worth drafting as early as Round 8 in all leagues.
Engram should be second on Denver in targets behind Courtland Sutton, and Bo Nix should lean on Engram quite a bit. He has averaged at least 10.4 PPR points per game five times in his eight-year career. Hopefully, he can stay healthy after being limited to nine games last season with a shoulder injury, but he played 17 games in each of the previous two years. We're excited to see what Engram can do with the Broncos this season, and Fantasy managers should benefit from Engram in Denver.
There's reason to be concerned about Andrews after his target share dropped to 4.1 per game in 2024. By comparison, he averaged 6.1 targets per game in 2023, 7.5 in 2022 and 9.0 in 2021. He's trending in the wrong direction in that category, and the Ravens have a crowded receiving corps now with Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman, DeAndre Hopkins and Isaiah Likely, who could see a bigger role this year (see below). And let's not forget about Derrick Henry.
But Lamar Jackson still relies on Andrews in key spots, and he was No. 1 in the NFL last season with 10 touchdowns in the red zone. Andrews scored 11 touchdowns overall to lead all tight ends, and he might be a touchdown-dependent tight end at this point in his career.
You can make a strong argument for Andrews to be drafted in Tier 5 or even Tier 6, but I still value him as a top-10 tight end. I would draft Andrews as early as Round 8.
Tier 5
I put both high-profile rookies in their own tier, and I'm excited about both this season. But there's also reason to be concerned.
For Loveland, he's part of a crowded receiving corps with D.J. Moore, Rome Odunze, Luther Burden III and Cole Kmet. Ben Johnson didn't use a top-10 overall pick on Loveland for him to sit on the sidelines, but he's also dealing with a shoulder injury heading into training camp. The upside is huge, especially if he's a top target for Caleb Williams, and I'll draft Loveland as early as Round 10 in all leagues.
Warren might move ahead of Loveland if his shoulder injury lingers, and Warren will get a boost in value if Daniel Jones is the starting quarterback for the Colts ahead of Anthony Richardson. But Indianapolis also has a crowded receiving corps with Michael Pittman, Josh Downs and Alec Pierce, and Warren might not get enough targets to be a consistent starting Fantasy option. Still, Warren is worth drafting in Round 10 given his upside.
Ideally, you can draft both of these tight ends as high-end reserves, and it's smart to pair them with a proven veteran, which could be found in the tier below. You shouldn't expect these guys to play like Bowers did in his rookie campaign in 2024, but Loveland and Warren can both finish as top-10 Fantasy tight ends this year.
Tier 6
There's a lot of value in this tier, and these are the tight ends you can wait for on Draft Day as low-end starters. Unfortunately, barring an injury, their upside could be capped based on their roles this season.
Prior to the NFL Draft, Kraft was getting plenty of hype from Matt LaFleur, who said he wanted to "feature" his tight end more this season. That might be the case, but then the Packers selected two rookie receivers in Matthew Golden and Savion Williams, including Golden with a first-round pick. It could be difficult for Kraft to break out if Green Bay doesn't increase its pass attempts -- the Packers were third worst in 2024 -- and Kraft averaged 9.6 PPR points per game last year with 50 catches for 707 yards and seven touchdowns on 70 targets. He's a great tight end to draft in Round 10 or later, but it's hard to envision a huge season for Kraft if the Packers aren't more pass happy in 2025.
I thought Kincaid would be a top-five Fantasy tight end last season, but he struggled and averaged just 7.8 PPR points per game. He dealt with injuries in both knees, including a torn PCL, but he still played in 13 games and finished with only 44 catches for 448 yards and two touchdowns on 75 targets. The reason I liked Kincaid last season was Buffalo's lack of weapons in the passing game, and that still qualifies this year. Khalil Shakir and Keon Coleman have plenty of potential, and the Bills like new additions in Josh Palmer and Elijah Moore. But none of those guys are dominant, and Kincaid might be a star. He's not worth drafting as a top-10 Fantasy tight end, but he's a good flier with a late-round pick this year.
The Eagles opted to keep Goedert this season despite being the subject of trade rumors, and hopefully he can have a big year as the third option in the passing game behind A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. Last year, Goedert missed seven games and part of others due to injury, and he only scored three touchdowns, including the playoffs. He still averaged 10.4 PPR points per game, and that's the fourth time in five seasons he's been at that level of production. You should know by now what you're getting with Goedert, and he's worth drafting as a low-end starter with a late-round pick.
I liked Ferguson a lot more before the Cowboys added George Pickens this offseason, but Ferguson should still be considered a low-end starter as long as Dak Prescott (hamstring) is healthy. In 2023, Ferguson had a solid season with 71 catches for 761 yards and five touchdowns on 102 targets, and he averaged 10.4 PPR points per game. He was then a superstar in the playoffs with 10 catches for 93 yards and three touchdowns on 12 targets in a 48-32 loss to Green Bay. But in 2024, things fell apart. He missed three games due to injury, failed to score a touchdown and finished with 59 catches for 494 yards on 86 targets. It didn't help that Prescott missed the final nine games of the season, but Ferguson should rebound in 2025. Even though Pickens could be second on the team in targets behind CeeDee Lamb, don't forget about Ferguson with a late-round pick.
Ertz was a star to close last season when he averaged 13.4 PPR points per game in his final 10 outings, including the playoffs. He averaged 6.2 targets per game over that span, and we'll see if he remains that involved with the addition of Deebo Samuel. I still like the outlook for Ertz with Samuel joining Terry McLaurin in the receiving corps, and I expect Jayden Daniels to still value Ertz a lot. He's a great fallback option on Draft Day in all leagues.
Tier 7
Isaiah Likely
Smith was a Tier 4 tight end before getting traded from Miami to Pittsburgh, and now he should only be drafted with a late-round pick. With the Dolphins in 2024, Smith averaged 13.1 PPR points per game and set career highs in targets (111), catches (88), receiving yards (884) and tied his career best in touchdowns (eight). Prior to 2024, Smith's best season was 9.4 PPR points per game in 2020 with Tennessee.
This is the third time Smith has played for Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, including stops in Tennessee and Atlanta. But Arthur Smith never featured Jonnu Smith the way Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel did, and Jonnu Smith's Fantasy stock is on the decline in 2025. Aaron Rodgers could lean on Smith as the No. 2 target in the passing game behind DK Metcalf, but that doesn't mean Smith is a No. 1 Fantasy tight end this year.
For the first time in his NFL career, Pitts enters the season with little hype, which might help his Fantasy outlook. He's only worth drafting with a late-round pick at this point, but there's still upside if he hits. Unfortunately, since his standout rookie campaign in 2021 when he had over 1,000 receiving yards, he's been more of a miss. Pitts has averaged 8.1 PPR points per game or less in three seasons in a row, and he's been frustrating for Fantasy managers.
Surprise, Waller is back, and we'll see if his return to the NFL following a one-year hiatus, along with his move to Miami, can get him back to Fantasy relevance. The last time we saw Waller in 2023, he averaged 9.4 PPR points per game and struggled with a hamstring injury in one season with the Giants. He also had a down year in Las Vegas in 2022 at 9.4 PPR points per game. But prior to that, Waller averaged at least 12.1 PPR points in three seasons in a row with the Raiders.
Waller steps into a big role with Jonnu Smith gone, and Smith averaged 6.5 targets per game last year in Miami. Waller is also reunited with Frank Smith, who is the offensive coordinator for the Dolphins and former tight ends coach with the Raiders. But he'll be 33 in September, and we don't want to overvalue Waller coming out of retirement. He's only worth drafting with a late-round pick in all leagues.
Likely looked like a Fantasy star in Week 1 last season when he scored 26.1 PPR points at Kansas City. But he only scored double digits in PPR four more times in 2024, including the playoffs. This season, the Ravens are predicting a bigger role for Likely, but Baltimore has a crowded receiving corps with Flowers, Bateman, Hopkins and Andrews, who isn't going anywhere any time soon. Likely is a great stash candidate if his role increases, but he should only be drafted with a late-round pick.
Strange will be the starting tight end for the Jaguars this season, and he has sleeper appeal in deeper leagues. The Jaguars moved on from Engram this offseason and revamped their receiving corps with Christian Kirk and Gabriel Davis also gone. The new faces brought in are Travis Hunter and Dyami Brown, and Brian Thomas Jr. is coming off an impressive rookie campaign. Strange should also benefit with Liam Coen as the new head coach, and there's reason for optimism with Strange. In 2024, he had seven games with at least four targets, and he scored at least 9.2 PPR points in six of those outings while averaging 10.4 PPR points over that span. He's a good late-round flier in deeper leagues.
Henry had some quality stat lines for New England in 2024 when he finished the season with 66 catches for 674 yards and two touchdowns on 97 targets, and he averaged 9.1 PPR points per game. He actually had seven outings with at least 12.3 PPR points, and he should still be a top target for Drake Maye this season. Henry has surprise upside since only five tight ends had more receptions than him in 2024 and only seven had more yards.
Tier 8
Johnson closed 2024 on a high note with at least 12 PPR points in four of his final seven games, and hopefully he'll stay hot coming into this season. The negative for Johnson is potential poor quarterback play in New Orleans with Derek Carr retired. Johnson could emerge as a weekly starter during the season in all leagues, so keep an eye on his production early in the year and then add him off the waiver wire if he's playing well.
Okonkwo could face competition from rookie Gunnar Helm, and we'll see how big of a role Helm has in 2025. Hopefully, Okonkwo will remain the No. 1 tight end all year, and he could benefit from rookie quarterback Cam Ward taking over for Will Levis this season. Last year, Okonkwo closed the season on a tear with three games of at least 10.9 PPR points in each of his final three meaningful games, and he averaged 14.6 PPR points over that span. We know he has plenty of potential, but Okonkwo has struggled to post consistent production during his career.
Taylor landed in a perfect spot with the Jets, who have no tight end of prominence coming back from last year's roster and a receiving corps that features Garrett Wilson and little else. Justin Fields will hopefully lean on Taylor, who had 55 catches for 546 yards and two touchdowns at LSU last season. I'm expecting better production in the NFL for Taylor, who is the son of Hall of Famer Jason Taylor.
Most of Gesicki's best games in 2024 came when Tee Higgins was out, and Higgins missed five games last season. In those five outings, Gesicki scored at least 12.3 PPR points three times, and he averaged 13.4 PPR points over that span. We hope Gesicki can be more of a factor this season than just a Higgins replacement, but Gesicki is only worth drafting in deeper leagues.
Tier 9
Schultz could be an option for Fantasy managers in deeper leagues, and he averaged 10.0 PPR points per game in 2023 when C.J. Stroud had a standout rookie campaign. Schultz fell off with his production last season at 6.9 PPR points, but he could easily rebound to his previous level of play if Stroud improves. The receiving corps in Texas was rebuilt with Christian Kirk, Jayden Higgins and Jayden Noel joining Nico Collins, but Schultz can still be a go-to threat for Stroud this year.
Sanders had a quiet rookie season in 2024 with 33 catches for 342 yards and one touchdown on 43 targets. He should get more chances to produce this year, but Carolina has a crowded receiving corps with Tetairoa McMillan, Xavier Legette, Adam Thielen and Jalen Coker. There's a good chance Bryce Young can lean on Sanders more than we expect, but he needs to prove it first before Fantasy managers can rely on him. If that happens then add him off waivers in deeper leagues.
Arroyo could be a surprise rookie with his landing spot in Seattle. He has to prove he's better than Noah Fant, but Arroyo will hopefully earn enough targets to potentially be third on the Seahawks in targets behind Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Cooper Kupp. At the University of Miami in 2024, Arroyo caught 35 passes for 590 yards and seven touchdowns on 45 targets, and Arroyo is a potential Fantasy option to add during the season off the waiver wire.
Conklin and Freiermuth are each part of a crowded tight end corps, but both can still have Fantasy value this season in deeper leagues. For Conklin he should be the starting tight end for the Chargers ahead of Oronde Gadsden II and Will Dissly, and Conklin scored at least 9.6 PPR points in each of his final three games with the Jets in 2024 and averaged 14.1 PPR points over that span.
Freiermuth got significant competition with the addition of Jonnu Smith, and Freiermuth went from a sleeper this season to someone who likely won't get drafted in most leagues. Last year, Freiermuth scored at least 11 PPR points in five of his final six games, and he averaged 13.7 PPR points over that span. We'll see how much Rodgers leans on Freiermuth, especially in the red zone, and maybe Freiermuth can be someone to target off the waiver wire during the season.
There was a stretch in 2024 when Otton looked like a standout Fantasy option, but he couldn't sustain that level of production. In Week 7 last season, Otton stepped up when Chris Godwin (ankle) and Mike Evans (hamstring) went down. He had three games in a row with at least 18 PPR points, and it appeared like he would be a go-to target for Baker Mayfield. But when Evans returned and Jalen McMillan emerged, Otton disappeared, and it's hard to expect standout production from this season since Godwin is back as a free agent and Tampa Bay added rookie receiver Emeka Egbuka. There will be moments where Otton can help Fantasy managers, likely when he finds the end zone, but he won't get consistent targets given the Buccaneers' crowded receiving corps.
Tier 10
Oronde Gadsden II
Cole Kmet
Noah Fant
Gunnar Helm
Will Dissly
There's a lot of potential in this tier, especially with younger tight ends like Gadsden, Ferguson, Johnson, Fannin, Sinnott and Helm. Unfortunately, those tight ends are in crowded situations, so it might take an injury or something unforeseen to make them Fantasy relevant this season.
I'm most curious to see what happens with the Rams tight ends because Higbee was good last season when healthy. He returned in Week 16 from a torn ACL suffered in 2023, and he scored three touchdowns in five games, including the playoffs, and averaged 11.2 PPR points per game over that span. However, with the addition of Ferguson, Higbee's role could be limited if the rookie starts to produce at a high level.
