TE rankings for your 2024 fantasy football drafts
23/08/2024 14:03
Kate Magdziuk ranks the best tight ends in the NFL for the 2024 fantasy football season. She looks at the rookies to keep an eye on, and breaks down sleepers TEs to pay attention to.
The tight end position has felt awfully top-heavy over the past several seasons, with several up-and-coming stars ready to contend with perennial TE1 Travis Kelce, who will turn 35 years old this October.
That's made navigating the tight end position in your fantasy drafts all the more interesting, with options ranging far and wide from the consensus TE2 Sam LaPorta on through potential breakouts like Luke Musgrave and rookie Brock Bowers. Who will reign supreme?
Here's a look at my tight end rankings for the 2024 fantasy football season and some of the biggest takeaways heading into draft season.
TEs I like more than consensus
Taysom Hill (New Orleans Saints)
It's not often that a slew of RB injuries bumps the value for a QB/TE, but hear me out — Taysom Hill could be the biggest benefactor of rushing opportunities should Alvin Kamara be at less-than-100% to start the season. Hill has been a sneaky fantasy weapon now posted back-to-back seasons with 650+ scrimmage yards and totaled 5+ touchdowns in each of the last five. If your league offers Hill TE eligibility, there might not be a better value in drafts this year.
Jake Ferguson (Dallas Cowboys)
CeeDee Lamb has held out of the 2024 offseason program, which can only mean one thing — lots and lots and lots of reps for third-year tight end Jake Ferguson. The Cowboys also haven't made any real moves in the run game, neglecting to bring in any significant replacement for RB Tony Pollard, who they let walk in free agency, all but guaranteeing another high-volume pass attack.
Ferguson was already a fixture in the passing game last year, ranking seventh in targets, and perhaps more excitingly, was tied for the third most red zone targets (24) and second-most end zone targets (9) which are high-value opportunities.
TEs I like less than consensus
Travis Kelce (Kansas City Chiefs)
It makes me sad to even write these words, but considering he's being drafted as the TE1 with an ADP in the early third round of fantasy leagues, I couldn't be more out on Kelce in 2024. I know, his connection with MVP quarterback Patrick Mahomes feels almost inevitable, and we've grown pretty accustomed to 1,200-receiving yard, 10-touchdown campaigns.
However, reading the tea leaves from his 2023 season that was marked by injury and an offseason where acquiring other receivers was a top priority, it seems like this might be the year to pump the breaks. Kelce will turn 35 in October, and the Chiefs will want to keep him healthy for the longevity of the season on their quest for a three-peat. That will likely mean less playing time, fewer routes, and fewer opportunities to score fantasy points than we've seen in years past.
T.J. Hockenson (Minnesota Vikings)
Hockenson might be my No. 1 ranked tight end on the season... if it weren't for the fact that he's coming off a late-season ACL tear and that it'll presumably be Sam Darnold throwing him the football once he finally is healthy. Dan Graziano of ESPN reports, "The team believes it will have him back at some point during the first half of the season. The estimates I heard in my reporting ranged from three to seven missed games. The most expansive estimate would keep him out until early November, as the Vikings have a bye in Week 6."
Not only will fantasy managers likely have to draft him as a TE1 (ADP is TE12 in half-PPR scoring), but they'll also have to draft a contingency plan at the position to carry them through the first half of the fantasy season. Furthermore, those without an IR spot in their league will take up a whole bench spot for Hockenson, only to have him catching passes from Darnold upon return. I'll pass at that value.
Fantasy football TE rankings for 2024
2024 Draft Rankings
| # | Player (Team/Bye) | vs. ECR | vs. ADP |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sam LaPorta DET (5) | 0 | +1 |
| 2 | Travis Kelce KC (6) | 0 | -1 |
| 3 | Dalton Kincaid BUF (12) | +2 | +2 |
| 4 | Mark Andrews BAL (14) | 0 | 0 |
| 5 | Trey McBride ARI (11) | -2 | -2 |
| 6 | Jake Ferguson DAL (7) | +3 | +4 |
| 7 | Evan Engram JAC (12) | -1 | +1 |
| 8 | George Kittle SF (9) | 0 | -2 |
| 9 | David Njoku CLE (10) | +1 | 0 |
| 10 | Kyle Pitts ATL (12) | -3 | -3 |
| 11 | Pat Freiermuth PIT (9) | +2 | +4 |
| 12 | Dallas Goedert PHI (5) | 0 | 0 |
| 13 | T.J. Hockenson MIN (6) | +2 | 0 |
| 14 | Taysom Hill NO (12) | +10 | +8 |
| 15 | Brock Bowers LV (10) | -4 | -4 |
| 16 | Cade Otton TB (11) | +4 | +11 |
| 17 | Dalton Schultz HOU (14) | -3 | -3 |
| 18 | Cole Kmet CHI (7) | -1 | -2 |
| 19 | Luke Musgrave GB (10) | -3 | -2 |
| 20 | Hunter Henry NE (14) | -2 | 0 |
| 21 | Chigoziem Okonkwo TEN (5) | 0 | +3 |
| 22 | Michael Mayer LV (10) | +7 | +15 |
| 23 | Tucker Kraft GB (10) | +5 | +15 |
| 24 | Jonnu Smith MIA (6) | +10 | -3 |
| 25 | Juwan Johnson NO (12) | -3 | +10 |
| 26 | Gerald Everett CHI (7) | +6 | +16 |
| 27 | Isaiah Likely BAL (14) | -1 | -9 |
| 28 | Greg Dulcich DEN (14) | +9 | +3 |
| 29 | Theo Johnson NYG (11) | +10 | +11 |
| 30 | Tyler Conklin NYJ (12) | -11 | -11 |
| 31 | Jelani Woods IND (14) | +2 | +13 |
| 32 | Noah Fant SEA (10) | -9 | -6 |
| 33 | Dawson Knox BUF (12) | -2 | -3 |
| 34 | Tyler Higbee LAR (6) | +2 | +9 |
| 35 | Ben Sinnott WAS (14) | -10 | -12 |
| 36 | Mike Gesicki CIN (12) | -9 | -11 |
| 37 | Ja'Tavion Sanders CAR (11) | -7 | -8 |
| 38 | Colby Parkinson LAR (6) | 0 | +1 |
Kate Magdziuk is an editor and contributor for Yahoo Fantasy and co-host of the Locked On Dynasty Football podcast. She is also the managing editor for Behind The Steel Curtain, SB Nation's exclusive Pittsburgh Steelers blog. Her previous bylines include Pro Football Focus, NBC Sports Rotoworld and 4for4 Football, among others.
