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Writer's pictureWesley Branch

Fantasy Football: How the Tight End position has performed after seven weeks

During fantasy football draft season, or the summer as most call it, the "Eite Tight End" mantra was heavily thrown around. It felt as if there was more talent at the position than ever before and more contenders for finishing atop the position than ever before. But a slow start to the season at the position in particular has caused for some reevaluating and some risers who have taken advantage of the struggles of others. After seven weeks, here is how the top tight ends have performed and who has jumped up the ranks.

 

How the Top 10 has performed so far:


Sam LaPorta, Detroit Lions; ADP: TE1

LaPorta was the consensus No. 1 tight end in drafts all summer after finishing as the TE1 as a rookie last year. In 2023, LaPorta scored 239.3 total points in PPR leagues, good for 14.1 points per game (3rd most). Part of his success was because of his touchdown total, finding the end zone 10 times in 17 games.


Those numbers are obviously hard to replicate and that has been clear through six games this season (Detroit had a Bye in Week 5). LaPorta currently ranks as the TE21 overall and has scored just 42.4 total points for an average of 7.1 per game. He’s scored just one touchdown this season, but what’s more concerning are his target share numbers. Last season, LaPorta had a team target share of 19.5%, which ranked sixth among tight ends (Fantasy Points Data).


Through six games in 2024, LaPorta has just 17 targets and a target share of 8.4%, ranking 33rd among tight ends. Just to name a few players: Johnny Mundt, Austin Hooper and Chig Okonkwo have a higher target share than LaPorta this season.


Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs; ADP: TE2

Kelce has been one of the most consistent and reliable tight ends in fantasy history in his career, finishing as the TE1 six times, including five years from 2016 to 2020. He was the TE3 overall last season and averaged 14.6 FPPG. But after the breakout from LaPorta and Kelce approaching 35 years old, he was viewed as the TE2 heading into 2024.


Six games into his 12th NFL season, Kelce ranks as the TE15 overall, averaging 8.8 FPPG. He started the season slow with Kansas City using Rashee Rice as the focal point of the offense but after Rice’s season-ending injury, Kelce’s numbers have increased. Through the team’s first three games, he finished as TE15, TE47 and TE18, with 5 targets or less in each outing. When Rice went down in Week 4, Kelce finished the week as the TE3 and followed that up with a TE5 performance in Week 5. Most recently though, he finished as TE29 in Week 7 against the 49ers.


It’s also worth noting that part of Kelce’s struggles are because of Patrick Mahomes’ struggles. Mahomes has thrown eight interceptions and just six touchdowns so far. None of those touchdown passes have gone to Kelce.


Trey McBride, Arizona Cardinals; ADP: TE3

McBride had his own breakout in year two of his career, recording 825 yards and three touchdowns on 81 receptions, all of which were career highs. He finished 2023 as TE7 and averaged 10.7 FPPG after five double-digit performances in his last six games. During draft season, McBride was typically ranked as TE3 or TE4 with Mark Andrews and in the tier right after LaPorta and Kelce.


McBride has been the most productive tight end relative to his top 3-4 ADP but still has left some to be desired. He missed one game due to a concussion, but through six games he’s totaled 71.2 points for an 11.2 average. He currently ranks second in targets among the position (44) and first in target share (25.3%). That’s translated to McBride catching the third-most passes among tight ends (33) for the fourth-most yards (322).


The next step for McBride is increasing his touchdown numbers. He has zero receiving touchdowns so far and his only touchdown of the season came on a fumble he recovered in the end zone against the Rams in Week 2. But with the numbers he’s posted so far, McBride is a real candidate for TE1 this season.


Mark Andrews, Baltimore Ravens; ADP: TE4

Andrews has had the most confusing 2024 campaign of any tight end up to this point. His season started with Isaiah Likely playing more snaps and earning more targets in Week 1, en route to a 28.3-point performance, and has only gotten weirder from there.


Through the first four weeks, Andrews was playing some career lows in terms of total snaps and earning career-low target numbers (9 targets in first four games, 33% and 46% snap percentage in weeks 3 and 4). This led to finishes as the TE28, TE10 and then back-to-back games with zero points.

After head-scratching results in Weeks 3 and 4 though, Andrews has started to come alive in his last three games. He’s finished as the TE18, TE6 and TE3 in that stretch and has brought in three receiving touchdowns. Those performances have him back up to the TE11 on the season.

While the results in those recent games have been nice, they still come with concerns. In those games, Andrews played 55% of snaps or fewer in each of them and saw 5 targets or less in each. While he did finally get in the end zone, the touchdown catches were the main reason he finished each week so high, which as we know is not sustainable for the rest of the season.


Dalton Kincaid, Buffalo Bills; ADP: TE5

Kincaid showed promise during his rookie season, tallying 673 yards and two touchdowns on 73 receptions. The departure of Stefon Diggs this offseason presented immense potential for the Bills’ 2023 first-round pick as the No. 1 target for Josh Allen. As a result, he was ranked as the TE5 by most platforms and was the last of the tier that included Andrews and McBride.

After seven games, Kincaid is the TE12 and has scored 56.9 fantasy points. While he leads the Bills in targets, he’s third in yards behind Keon Coleman and Khalil Shakir and second in receptions. Among the tight end position, Kincaid ranks sixth in target share at 18.8% and eighth in yards.


Much like McBride, he simply hasn’t found the end zone much. As mentioned, he only had two touchdowns as a rookie and so far he has just one touchdown this season which came in Week 3. Overall though, Kincaid’s target numbers have increased since Week 3. In his last four games, he’s been targeted either six or seven times in each. However, with the recent addition of Amari Cooper, it’ll be interesting to see how Kincaid’s role and usage are affected.


Evan Engram, Jacksonville Jaguars; ADP: TE6

After finishing as the TE2 in 2023, Engram’s season has been plagued by a hamstring injury that caused him to miss weeks 2-5 before returning. Engram struggled in Week 1 as did Jacksonville, catching just one pass for five yards on four targets. In Week 2 he injured his hamstring in warmups which kept him sidelined for four games.


Since returning in Week 6 versus the Bears, he’s gone back to his must-start status, finishing as the TE3 in his first game back and the TE19 in Week 7 against New England. While TE19 is certainly less than what you’d hope for, Engram was tied for most receptions on the Jags in that game. In his two games back from injury, Engram has brought in 15 receptions on ALL 15 targets and 137 yards. The sample size is smaller than the rest, but Engram is second in tight end target share this season with 24.7%.


Even with Jacksonville’s struggles, it is apparent that Engram is Trevor Lawrence’s favorite target and he has a real shot to continue to rise up the tight-end ranks as the season continues.


George Kittle, San Francisco 49ers; ADP: TE7

Kittle’s ADP of TE7 is low for a player of his talent and past performances, but it was based on the fact that he would be fighting for touches in San Francisco. With Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk on the same offense, it’s no secret Kittle would have his ups and downs. But Kittle has appeared to be the go-to guy so far in SF with injuries to CMC and now Aiyuk and inconsistency from Samuel.


Kittle currently ranks as the TE2 on the season and is averaging 16.9 points per game, the most among the position. He’s scored 20+ points in three games already and double digits in all but one game he’s played in. He’s fourth in target share among tight ends (22.0%), third in targets (41), second in yards (375) and first in touchdowns (5!!). Further, he’s finished as the TE10 or better in every game this season.


Although CMC is expected to return soon, other injuries to the 49ers offense have derailed the receiving core, leaving Kittle as Brock Purdy’s most consistent and reliable target. If he can sustain the numbers he’s posted so far, Kittle could have another top-five finish at the position like last year, or even record his first overall TE1 season of his career.


Kyle Pitts, Atlanta Falcons; ADP: TE8

Fantasy owners have been begging for Pitts to return to his rookie year form where he posted over 1,000 yards and finished as TE6. But injuries and poor QB play have derailed those chances, until now. The addition of Kirk Cousins restored the buy-in and hype around Pitts. It hasn’t been pretty every week, but Pitts performed well so far.


After seven games, he ranks as the TE7 and is averaging 9.1 points per game. Pitts has three top-ten finishes this season for the position and has looked better each week with Cousins and company finding their rhythm. He currently ranks third among tight ends in receiving yards (328) and ninth in receptions (25). Fantasy owners would like to see his target share higher though as he has just a 14.3% target share, 17th among tight ends. However, his target numbers are increasing as he’s seen nine targets in Week 7 and eight in Week 5.


If Pitts can find consistent targets and score touchdowns more frequently, he could be well on his way to returning to that rookie-year form we’ve all been hoping for.


Jake Ferguson, Dallas Cowboys; ADP: TE9

Ferguson finished as the TE9 in his second season as a pro when he finally became the starting tight end on the Cowboys offense. He thrived particularly in the red zone where he saw high target numbers and scored eight total touchdowns in the regular season and playoffs combined. Without any big additions to the Dallas offense, expectations were high for Ferguson and he came into draft season as the TE8 or TE9 by most.


When he’s been healthy in 2024 he’s thrived in all but one outing. Ferguson left the Week 1 matchup with Cleveland early with a knee injury and didn’t return, resulting in a TE25 finish and a one-game absence the following week. Upon returning against Baltimore in Week 3, Ferguson finished as the TE3 and continued that momentum in the next two games. From weeks 3-5, Ferguson saw seven targets or more in each game and finished as the TE3, TE7 and TE8. Most recently, he struggled against the Lions as the entire offense did. He finished as the TE28 on the week in a blowout loss.


Ferguson currently ranks as the TE18 after Dallas’ Week 6 Bye and missing 1 ½ games from injury. Even with the Bye week and injuries, he ranks 10th in targets (34), ninth in target share (17.3%) and 10th in receptions (25). The Cowboys’ offense found their groove after the Bye last season and that could be the case again with their favorable remaining schedule.


David Njoku, Cleveland Browns; ADP: TE10

Njoku ended 2023 flaming hot once Joe Flacco took over, posting top-five finishes at the position each game from weeks 14-17. Before that stretch, he recorded four top-ten finishes at the position in five games from weeks 8-12. He finished as the TE6 overall in 2023 because of his late-season breakout.


Without any other receiving threat than Amari Cooper coming into 2024, Njoku was ranked as the TE10 with top-five potential. But an ankle injury in Week 1 has kept him sidelined for the majority of the first seven weeks of the season. Njoku sustained a high ankle sprain in the opening game, resulting in only 37% of snaps played but still a TE9 finish. He missed weeks 2-4 and played only 42% of snaps in his Week 5 return.


In Week 7 against the Bengals, he played over 80% of snaps and earned 14 targets and 10 receptions. He finished the week as TE1, scoring 23.6 points with 76 yards and a touchdown to go with his 10 catches. Njoku’s ceiling going forward is even higher now with Jameis Winston taking over as QB1 in Cleveland for the rest of the season and Amari Cooper in Buffalo. Winston has been known as a gunslinger in his NFL career, often posting both high touchdown and interception numbers. With Cooper in Buffalo, Njoku will be the No. 1 option in the passing game going forward.


Risers at the position:


Brock Bowers, Las Vegas Raiders; Current Rank: TE1

Bowers was the first tight end selected in the 2024 draft at No. 13 by the Raiders and was viewed as the best tight end prospect ever by some. Although only seven games into his pro career, he’s lived up to the hype and would likely be the frontrunner for offensive rookie of the year if it wasn’t for outstanding play by Jayden Daniels. Bowers was a late-round pick in fantasy drafts this summer and viewed as a dark horse for TE1 overall. Well at this point in the season he’s exactly that, the overall TE1 on the season.


Bowers leads all tight ends in yards (477), receptions (47) and targets (60) and is third in target share at 23.4%. Despite having just one touchdown this season, he’s finished as a top-five tight end in all but two games. More impressively, he’s currently on pace to break Puka Nacua’s rookie receptions record of 105 catches.


Bowers has 10+ targets in each of his last three games (12, 10, 14) and eight or more receptions with 70 yards or more. The departure of All-Pro receiver Davante Adams has already paid dividends for Bowers and should continue to do so as he’ll be Gardner Minshew’s No. 1 target the rest of the season and the frontrunner to finish as the TE1 overall.


Cole Kmet, Chicago Bears; Current Rank: TE3

Kmet was viewed as a late-round pick in drafts and a streaming option at the position so far. Kmet has taken advantage of the inconsistencies from the top tight ends as well as the growth of his rookie QB, Caleb Williams. Kmet is currently the TE3 and is averaging 12.2 FPPG.


Even though he’s ranked highly right now, his performances have been rather inconsistent. Other than weeks 3 and 6 where he was the TE2 and TE1 respectively, Kmet has finished outside of the top 20 three times. His target numbers have typically stayed around 4-5 per game except for Week 3 when he earned 11 targets. This has resulted in a 14.6% target share (16th), but 26 receptions (7th).


Kmet has had success mostly because his top-two finishes have come with touchdowns. He has three touchdowns so far, tied for third-most among the position. While Kmet’s proved a solid streaming option at times, his touchdown reliance and target competition on his team create concern on whether he can be serviceable for the rest of the season.


Tucker Kraft, Green Bay Packers; Current Rank: TE4

Kraft split time as a rookie with Luke Musgrave in 2023 but has taken over as the main tight end in Green Bay as a sophomore. He’s played 80% of snaps or more in all but one game this season and is the TE4 overall. Kraft has two finishes as TE1 and another as TE11, but like Kmet is looking for consistency going forward.


Kraft is second in touchdowns among tight ends (4), all of which have come in Green Bay’s last four games. But he has only 21 receptions (17th) for 264 yards (10th) and a 12.7% target share (21st). Further, Kraft has five or more targets in just two games this season.


While he’s shown his ability as a pass-catcher and reliable tight end, there are just too many mouths to feed in the Green Bay offense. With Josh Jacobs, Jayden Reed, Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks, you never know whose turn it will be on a week-to-week basis. Kraft has performed so far, but looks like a streaming option or TE2 on rosters going forward until proven otherwise.


All stats were receieved from FantasyPros.com, Data.fantasypoints.com and Sleeper

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