From a fantasy football perspective, the tight end landscape has been an utter disaster. Consistent producers who can be continuously relied upon have been few and far between over the years. That being said, this season offers what should be a wider variety of fantasy-viable options at the TE position.
NFL position battles at the tight end position are particularly intriguing as this position entails a number of different responsibilities. Some TEs are seen as an extension of the offensive line, offering additional protection in the run or pass game. Others are treated as true pass-catching weapons and can be the focal point of a suitable offensive system. Players will often be assigned one of these roles based on the skills and abilities they display in training camp. It’s for this reason that it’s crucial to monitor training camp buzz pertaining to TE rooms with ambiguous depth charts.
For instance, Kyle Pitts‘ disappointing 2023 season was largely due to Jonnu Smith‘s heavy involvement in the offense. Smith, who many assumed would play a secondary pass-catching role to Pitts, closely trailed Pitts in offensive snaps and receiving yards. He earned a sizeable role during training camp and limited Pitts’ production to a large extent. Had fantasy managers paid closer attention to offseason beat reports out of Atlanta, many would have avoided drafting Pitts at his mid-round ADP.
In what follows, some of the more interesting TE depth charts will be underlined. These are groups that, while currently very ambiguous, can be very fruitful from a fantasy perspective in 2024. Here are NFL position battles to monitor at the tight end position along with the potential fantasy football impact.
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NFL Position Battles to Monitor: Tight Ends
Luke Musgrave & Tucker Kraft (GB)
Led by star quarterback Jordan Love, the Green Bay Packers emerged as one of the more exciting offenses toward the latter half of the 2024 season. The team boasts an impressive core of young weapons and a very creative play-caller in head coach Matt LaFleur. A key pillar of this core is the duo of sophomore TEs Luke Musgrave and Tucker Kraft.
Both Musgrave and Kraft had stints as the Packers’ TE1 during their rookie year. Interestingly, both players fared very similarly in this role. Their 2023 statistical profiles are nearly identical. According to Pro Football Focus (PFF), Musgrave ended his rookie campaign with a 64.2 receiving grade, 352 receiving yards and an average of 1.28 yards per route run.
On the other hand, Tucker Kraft earned a 67.4 receiving grade as he compiled 355 receiving yards and averaged 1.20 yards per route run. There is very little to separate the two in terms of pass-catching acumen.
The injury that Tucker Kraft is currently nursing may ultimately decide who gets the meaningful snaps in this offense. If Kraft were to miss a significant portion of training camp, the door would open for Musgrave to seize the TE1 role.
All told, it’ll be important to keep track of the news surfacing from the Packers’ camp. As impressive as the likes of Christian Watson, Jayden Reed and Romeo Doubs have been, none have emerged as target-demanding alpha WRs. The potential for volume is high for whoever earns the primary pass-catching role in this TE room.
Brock Bowers & Michael Mayer (LV)
Similarly to the Packers, the Las Vegas Raiders have two young and talented TEs at their disposal. It came as a surprise to many when the Raiders selected TE Brock Bowers 13th overall in the most recent NFL draft. The team invested early second-round draft capital on TE Michael Mayer the year prior.
Mayer was drafted as a multi-faceted TE rather than a true pass-catching specialist. This role became abundantly clear during his rookie year. According to PFF, he served as a blocker on 53.2% of his offensive snaps. What’s more, he struggled to make an impact as a receiver. He averaged 1.11 yards per route run (per PFF) as he compiled a pedestrian 304 receiving yards. While TEs tend to have a steeper development curve in the NFL, these numbers are far from encouraging.
On the other hand, Brock Bowers was touted as the best TE prospect since the aforementioned Kyle Pitts. Throughout his collegiate career, he made his trade as an exceptional receiver. His 2023 season was no different. Among Football Bowl Series (FBS) TEs with at least 30 targets, Bowers ranked 4th in receiving grade, third in yards per route run, fourth in yards after catch per reception and third in receiving yards. He managed to produce this level of efficiency despite suffering an ankle injury in the middle of the season.
All things considered, Brock Bowers will be the main pass-catching entity in this TE room. Given his draft capital and pass-catching pedigree, he’ll be a focal point in the offense from day one. On the other hand, expect Micheal Mayer to be employed primarily as a blocker and to be an afterthought in fantasy leagues.
Zach Ertz & Ben Sinnott (LV)
With highly-touted QB prospect Jayden Daniels now joining the fold, excitement about the Washington Commanders’ offense is higher than ever. Many suspect that Daniels will form a strong connection with this team’s alpha WR, Terry McLaurin. That being said, there are multiple question marks regarding the secondary pass-catching options on this roster. Jahan Dotson experienced a severe sophomore slump in 2023. The team’s second-leading receiver in 2023, Curtis Samuel, signed elsewhere in free agency. The door is certainly open for a TE to step into a bigger role in the Commanders’ passing attack.
It’s safe to say that Zach Ertz’s best days are behind him. Per PFF, the 2023 season was his worst performance in terms of receiving grade and yards after catch per reception. At 33 years old, it’s unlikely that Ertz will return to the efficiency and production he enjoyed during his days as a Philadelphia Eagle. That being said, there’s value to be had with a well-experienced TE with a good feel for the gaps in zone defences. It was not long ago that 37-year-old Jason Witten accumulated 63 receptions for 529 yards as a member of the Dallas Cowboys.
At any rate, Ertz will be tasked with earning targets over incoming rookie TE Ben Sinnott. 2023 was a true breakout season for the former Kansas State Wildcat. Among FBS TEs, Sinnott ranked fifth in receptions, second in receiving yards and fourth in missed tackles forced. Sinnott’s play-making ability will be much needed in this lackluster pass-catching group.
The NFL typically takes a careful approach to developing TEs, more so with those who are not selected in the first round. With this in mind, Ertz will likely open the year as the leader in snap share. Eventually, Sinnott’s talent is bound to force Kliff Kingsbury’s hand in increasing his play time and volume.
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