The Fantasy Footballers Top-10 TE Rankings for 2019
Fantasy Tight Ends are easily the 3rd most hated fantasy topic behind Kickers and DEF/ST and, to be fair, they haven’t done much to help their case over the last few years. In 2019, you basically have 3 Tiers:
- The Big 3
- Four or five guys that could finish as the TE4
- Everyone Else.
Unlike your Quarterback, another “onesie” position, the top of the TE food chain performs FAR better than the bottom. You need to have an idea going into your draft of when you want to add your fantasy TE. Do you take one early and get a sure-fire top guy but sacrifice top-end depth at RB or WR? Should you go middle round, high-upside guy? Or do you punt and grab a guy late that may have great weeks but may not put together a great season? Guess what? We put together an entire article about this to help you decide. After you have your TE strategy, you’ll need to to know who to draft. Here are the Fantasy Footballers Top-10 tight-end rankings for 2019.
If you’d rather listen than read, here is a link to the Top 10 TE episode.
1. Travis Kelce – Kansas City Chiefs – ADP 2.05
Consistency Rank #2 — Season Finish TE1
Andy – 1, Mike – 1, Jason – 1
Kelce’s worst finish in the last 3 years? TE2. He only had one “bust” game in all of 2018 and that was Week 1. Then he owned the field for the rest of the season. The only question with Kelce is “Are you willing to pay a 2nd Round pick for your TE?” Last year, Gronk was a 2nd Round pick and that blew up in owner’s faces. Kelce feels far more dependable but you are building your draft around him.
2. Zach Ertz – Philadelphia Eagles – ADP 3.08
Consistency Rank #5 — Season Finish TE2
Andy – 2, Mike – 3, Jason – 3
Ertz is an amazing player but the Eagles offense had holes last year. Basically, every other pass-catcher in Philadelphia got hurt at some point last year and that has the Ballers questioning whether or not he can repeat his 156 target season. Once the Eagles added Golden Tate, Ertz targets went down to about 8 per game…but that would still be a 128 target season. Ertz may not have a real shot at being the TE1 but it also seems unlikely that he finishes outside of the top-5. Ertz is reliable and you can “set it and forget it” if you draft him, even with a target regression.
3. George Kittle – San Francisco 49ers – ADP 3.08
Consistency Rank #4 — Season Finish TE3
Andy – 3, Mike – 2, Jason – 2
In 2018, Kittle turned 136 targets in 1377 yards, the most ever by a TE in NFL history. He had 20 receptions of 20+ yards, the most among TEs and 8th most among all pass-catchers. He is a big-play receiver and looks just about unstoppable. The 49ers were depleted at WR last year and they don’t look all that much better in 2019. All training camp reports are that Kittle will again be the top target on this team.
Kyle Borgognoni went deep into the TE wasteland to find the Next George Kittle.
Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images
4. Evan Engram – New York Giants – ADP 5.09
Consistency Rank #7 — Season Finish TE14
Andy – 4, Mike – 4, Jason – 5
In mock drafts, Andy has drafted Engram more than any other player. In fact, Andy named him “This Year’s George Kittle” in that there are no other WRs to take looks away from Engram. He is a physical freak, like Kittle, and will turn that volume into nice yardage as well. Engram is very important to the Giants offense, has shown his ability to be “the guy” when Odell Beckham missed time and feels very safe as a middle-round TE.
5. OJ Howard – Tampa Bay Buccaneers – ADP 5.08
Consistency Rank #3 — Season Finish TE12
Andy – 5, Mike – 5, Jason – 4
Jason thinks that OJ Howard is the kind of guy that is going to make you “explode out of your couch!” He is playing with a QB in Jameis Winston that loves targeting TEs and he is a huge target. When Howard plays, he is great (Rule 80?) but he needs to stay on the field. Cameron Brate may vulture an occasional TD but Howard is a breakout candidate this year that may end up going in the 2nd Round of your draft next year.
6. Hunter Henry – Los Angeles Chargers – ADP 6.05
Consistency Rank N/A — Season Finish DNP
Andy – 7, Mike – 6, Jason – 8
Not a lot of buzz, outside of high ADP, for Hunter Henry in 2019. This is likely due to him missing all of 2018. Henry has flashed great talent but he will be competing with Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, and maybe Melvin Gordon for targets. Philip Rivers had historical years with Antonio Gates and the hopes are that Henry fills that role. He doesn’t feel very safe at his current ADP.
Steven Ryan/Getty Images
7. Vance McDonald – Pittsburgh Steelers – ADP 7.05
Consistency Rank #17 — Season Finish TE10
Andy – 8, Mike – 7, Jason – 6
McDonald’s role in the Steelers offense looks great but is far from solidified. He has dominated at times but is often injured. With the loss of Antonio Brown and Jesse James, there should be plenty of work to go around but Vance needs to stake his claim early.
SHOW NOTE:
At this point in the show, Jason mentions that the next 3-5 guys are all only separated by 1 or 2 points in his projections but that their ADP does not warrant drafting them unless they start to fall in your draft. The guys hardly mention the next 3 players in their Top 10. The recommendation is that if you missed on one of the top 7, wait until later in your draft to grab your TE. If one of these next 3 guys falls 3 Rounds, they become a value. Otherwise, punt on the TE, take a sleeper and stream the position if you have to this season. Each of the guys gave one sleeper that I will note at the end of the article.
8. Jared Cook – New Orleans Saints – ADP 6.11
Consistency Rank #10 — Season Finish TE5
Andy – 6, Mike – 8, Jason – 10
Check out or article on TEs that could lose targets!
9. Eric Ebron – Indianapolis Colts – ADP 8.01
Consistency Rank #6 — Season Finish TE4
Andy – 9, Mike – 12, Jason – 12
Find out my opinion of what Regression might look like for Ebron and Cook.
10. David Njoku – Cleveland Browns – ADP 8.08
Consistency Rank #13 — Season Finish TE9
Andy – 10, Mike – 10, Jason – 7
Sleepers
Mike – Jordan Reed – Rule 86: if he plays, you play him. He can be had for a 13th Round pick and is as healthy as he’s been in years.
Andy – Darren Waller – Should fill the shoes left by Jared Cook in Oakland and he is an athletic free. Currently free in fantasy drafts. Rob Wilson gave us a breakdown of Waller’s potential.
Jason – Mark Andrews – Another TE that could be the top receiver for his team. Showed flashes with Lamar Jackson to end 2018 and current ADP puts him in the 13th Round.