Fantasy football season is back, and the start of legitimate NFL action will soon be upon us! As we gear up for fantasy drafts or look ahead to potential moves to make, we can start to examine who the top plays at each position might be. Today, we’ll take a look at the tight end position and which players should finish among the top-12. I’m all on in Travis Kelce taking top honors once again, and Gronk is back as a TE1. The top of the pecking order is comprised of the usual suspects save an appearance from Hayden Hurst, but the back of the pack features a couple of new names. Let’s get to it!
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QB1 Predictions
RB1 Predictions
WR1 Predictions
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1. Travis Kelce (KC)
+0 vs. ECR
It’s very tough not to select Kelce as fantasy’s top tight end for yet another season. Zeus has been other-worldly over his last four seasons, averaging 1,182 yards and seven touchdowns in that span. His lucrative contract extension keeps him tied to Kansas City and Patrick Mahomes for at least the next four seasons, and there’s no reason to believe he can’t continue to produce at an elite level as the team’s top option in the passing game.
2. George Kittle (SF)
+0 vs. ECR
It would be tough to identify a more athletic tight end than Kittle. He set the single-season receiving mark for a tight end with 1,377 yards in 2018 in a year that featured four 100-yard games, including a 210-yarder against Denver. With Deebo Samuel expected to miss time to start the year and Jalen Hurd potentially missing the entire season with a torn ACL, Kittle should be the No. 1 target for Jimmy Garoppolo and has a great chance to go for his third-straight 1,000-yard season.
3. Zach Ertz (PHI)
+1 vs. ECR
I’m bullish on Ertz this year as he should be Carson Wentz‘s favorite target yet again. With Alshon Jeffery set to begin the year on the PUP list and DeSean Jackson constantly banged up, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Ertz top 120 targets once more. I originally had him pegged as the TE2, but with injuries mounting for San Francisco, Kittle makes more sense at that spot, with Ertz sliding in as TE3.
4. Mark Andrews (BAL)
-1 vs. ECR
After a very solid rookie campaign, Andrews broke out in a big way last season, posting a huge 64/852/10 line as one of Lamar Jackson‘s favorite targets. The Ravens drafted a pair of wideouts in this year’s draft in Devin Duvernay and James Proche, but neither should cut into Andrews’ production significantly. With Marquise Brown his biggest competition for targets, expect Andrews to be a reliable source of yards and touchdowns once again in 2020.
5. Darren Waller (LV)
+0 vs. ECR
Sure, there are some new faces in Las Vegas this year in Bryan Edwards and Henry Ruggs, but those guys are still rookies, and the veteran pass-catching options on this team are slim. Waller went for 90/1,145/3 last season, and while I expect a decrease in receptions and receiving yards, Waller is due for some positive touchdown regression in 2020. Another top-five season is certainly attainable, and I think he gets there again.
6. Hayden Hurst (ATL)
+5 vs. ECR
Hurst comes to Atlanta with a fresh start and plenty of opportunity. He joins a Falcons team that has averaged 612 pass attempts over the last two seasons, and with the departures of Mohamed Sanu and Austin Hooper, 139 targets are freed up this season. Hurst dealt with injuries and as a rookie and was outshone by Mark Andrews in 2019, but the South Carolina product was a first-round pick just two seasons ago. Expect a breakout campaign from Double H in 2020.
7. Hunter Henry (LAC)
+0 vs. ECR
I understand the reservations regarding Henry this season. He missed all of 2018. He missed four games last season. He’s got a new quarterback throwing him the ball. Those are all legitimate concerns, but even with the more conservative Tyrod Taylor at the helm, Henry should be a favorite target for checkdowns and in the red zone. The touchdown upside is huge for Henry who has scored 17 times in 41 games (35 starts), and
8. Jared Cook (NO)
+1 vs. ECR
Cook had a slow start to the season shattered by big numbers down the stretch. The veteran posted 537 yards and seven scores from Weeks 10-17, and he’ll get the added benefit of a healthy Drew Brees and a full season with the Saints under his belt to build on that success in 2020. Despite the additions of Adam Trautman and Emmanuel Sanders to the roster, Cook should be a strong play this season and finish as a top-10 option at his position.
9. Evan Engram (NYG)
-3 vs. ECR
I’m not super high on Engram this season for a few reasons. There are a lot of mouths to feed in New York: Golden Tate, Sterling Shepard, Saquon Barkley, and the emerging Darius Slayton. He’s missed 13 games over the last two seasons, so health is obviously a concern. Finally, Engram’s touchdown upside isn’t tremendous compared to other guys on this list. I still think he’s in line for a top-10 campaign, but he’s being greatly overvalued in 2020.
10. Tyler Higbee (LAR)
-2 vs. ECR
Higbee was one of the best late-season waiver wire pickups in all of fantasy football last season. He posted a huge 43/522/2 receiving line over the final five games of the season, including four straight 100-yard contests from Weeks 13-16. There is plenty of debate over Higbee’s 2020 outlook and whether he can carry his late-season success into a strong full-season workload. With both Brandin Cooks and Todd Gurley no longer on the roster, there should be plenty of work for Higbee as the Rams’ No.3 pass-catching option behind Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp. I’m in for a top-10 campaign.
11. Rob Gronkowski (TB)
-1 vs. ECR
It can’t be overstated how dominant Gronk has been throughout his career. He has four 1,000-yard seasons and five double-digit touchdown seasons under his belt and will certainly be a first-ballot Hall of Famer when he finally retires for good. Though there are a lot of mouths to feed in Tampa Bay, the rapport between Brady and Gronk won’t need any time to develop, and the tight end should find immediate success in his new locale.
12. Blake Jarwin (DAL)
+6 vs. ECR
Randall Cobb and Jason Witten hit the road this offseason, freeing up 170 targets to go around in Dallas. CeeDee Lamb won’t see all of those, and Amari Cooper and Michael Gallup should only get a slight bump in their already-favorable target shares from a season ago. Enter Jarwin. Volume should be there for him, and with Dak Prescott has averaged just over 24 touchdowns passes per season in his four-year career, providing some scoring upside. Jarwin can be had late in drafts and presents a ton of value.
Notable Exceptions
Austin Hooper (CLE)
ECR: TE12
Hooper joins a new team, and while he comes highly compensated, he’ll have to contend with Odell Beckham Jr., Jarvis Landry, and Kareem Hunt among others. He can still find success, but he’s not a top-12 guy.
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Zachary Hanshew is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Zachary, check out his archive and follow him @zakthemonster.
