Relative to quarterback, running back, and wide receiver auction values, there’s a significant gap between the top tight end (Travis Kelce) and the rest of the TEs. Sure, drafting the clear-cut TE1 who ended last season scoring over 100 more PPR points than the overall TE2 (T.J. Hockenson) is a nice addition to your fantasy squad, but even if you’re not fortunate enough to snag Kelce, value still exists in the lower tiers with plenty of underpriced sleepers and breakouts. FantasyPros' 2023 fantasy TE auction values can help you find the best options for any budget.
Similar to snake drafts, the question becomes whether you want to shell out top dollar for Kelce as a de facto WR1 or expend that opportunity cost elsewhere and bank on a breakout season from another TE. Granted he’s able to stay healthy (which has been the case most of his career), Kelce’s likely to finish as the overall TE1 for a second consecutive season, but is he truly worth his $45-plus valuation?
Having a general sense of everyone's auction value can help ensure you don’t overextend yourself on a given player and hinder your chances of drafting a well-rounded fantasy squad. Perhaps no player demands more scrutiny than Kelce.
DOMINATE YOUR DRAFT: Ultimate 2023 Fantasy Cheat Sheet
Again, these are just projections, so there’s a real chance these tight ends end up going for several dollars more or less at your auction. As is the case for most auction drafts, the time a player gets nominated plays a part in their end price. The goal of a successful draft is to not get caught up in chasing an early nominee just because you have ample cash in your budget. Having a price range to allow for budgeting can help you leave your auction feeling eager to see how the regular season unfolds.
2023 AUCTION VALUES (Standard & PPR):
QBs | RBs | WRs | D/STs | Ks | Overall
Speaking of that significant gap between Kelce and the next highest valued tight ends, Mark Andrews and T.J. Hockenson both see $22-$24 valuations, or about half the price of Kelce’s tag. Andrews remains the Ravens’ top pass-catching option after leading all TEs in target share (29 percent) and route participation (91.5 percent) a season ago. He scored just five TDs after a nine-TD campaign in ‘21, but the Ravens are one of the teams due for some positive TD regression in the red zone after posting the 30th-best red-zone TD scoring rate (49.82 percent).
2023 PPR RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Ks | Top 200 | S-Flex | IDP
Hockenson didn’t garner quite as high of a target share last season (20.5 percent) but did finish as the overall TE2 behind Kelce in PPR formats thanks to his 86-catch, 914-yard, six-TD season. Minnesota’s pass-friendly offense will likely end the season within the top half of the league in most efficiency metrics, as Kirk Cousins and the rest of the group gets a full offseason to continue getting acclimated to Kevin O’Connell’s scheme.
2023 STANDARD RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Ks | Top 200 | S-Flex | IDP
If you’re not inclined to spend top-dollar on a top-tiered tight end, don’t worry, as there are plenty of fairly priced TEs in auction formats. At $16, George Kittle profiles as a value among TEs who could finish the season as the overall TE2 as he did last season in standard formats. Kittle dominated the stretch run of the regular season in 2022 once Brock Purdy took over at QB, and with Purdy likely earning the starting nod ahead of Week 1, it’s hard to not be enticed by Kittle's $16-$18 price tag.
2023 FANTASY SLEEPERS
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Each Team
When it comes to other TE values, David Njoku’s and Dalton Schultz’s $5-6 price tags make them intriguing cheap TEs who could contend as fringe top-five fantasy TEs this season. Njoku and the Browns’ passing offense looks to gain more consistency in Deshaun Watson’s first full year as Cleveland’s QB1, while Schultz has very little competition for targets in a Houston offense that will likely pass at a high clip.
2023 POSITION TIERS & DRAFT STRATEGY:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/ST
It’s probably wise to avoid relying on $1-$3 (or $0) TEs as your TE1 entering the season, but if you’re set on utilizing most of your budget on the skill positions, underrated TEs like Tyler Conklin, Gerald Everett, Irv Smith Jr., and Dalton Kincaid could all outperform their season-long projections and auction price tags. Even if you did spend big at tight end, it’s worthwhile to grab a cheap TE as an insurance policy to protect your higher-priced investments.
FANTASY DRAFT STRATEGY:
Snake | Auction | Best ball | Dynasty | IDP
As with every position in auction draft formats, there’s no exact science to winning your league on draft night. As long as you avoid overpaying and hunt for value, you should leave your auction draft amped up for a playoff run.
Make sure to check back as we continue to update the TE auction values ahead of the first game of the 2023 regular season between the Chiefs and Lions.
To get customized dollar values tailored to your league settings, check out FantasyPros' premium Auction Calculator. For customized mock auctions that you can do in minutes, check out FantasyPros' premium Salary Cap Simulator.
Fantasy Football TE Auction Values 2023: Tight end dollar projections for standard leagues
Dollar values courtesy of FantasyPros and based on 12-team leagues with $200 budgets.
Scoring based on standard, non-PPR formats
All players not listed are valued at $0
Rank Player Proj. Value
1 Travis Kelce, KC $47
2 Mark Andrews, BAL $24
3 T.J. Hockenson, MIN $19
4 Darren Waller, NYG $17
5 George Kittle, SF $17
6 Kyle Pitts, ATL $13
7 Dallas Goedert, PHI $11
8 Pat Freiermuth, PIT $7
9 Evan Engram, JAC $7
10 David Njoku, CLE $5
11 Chigoziem Okonkwo, TEN $4
12 Dalton Schultz, HOU $4
13 Tyler Higbee, LAR $3
14 Cole Kmet, CHI $3
15 Greg Dulcich, DEN $2
16 Dalton Kincaid, BUF $2
17 Gerald Everett, LAC $2
18 Juwan Johnson, NO $1
19 Sam LaPorta, DET $1
20 Tyler Conklin, NYJ $1
For full standard TE rankings, click here.
Fantasy Football TE PPR Auction Values 2023: Tight end dollar projections
Dollar values courtesy of FantasyPros and based on 12-team leagues with $200 budgets.
Scoring based on full-point PPR formats
All players not listed are valued at $0
Rank Player Proj. Value
1 Travis Kelce, KC $46
2 Mark Andrews, BAL $23
3 T.J. Hockenson, MIN $21
4 Darren Waller, NYG $17
5 George Kittle, SF $14
6 Dallas Goedert, PHI $12
7 Kyle Pitts, ATL $12
8 Evan Engram, JAC $9
9 Pat Freiermuth, PIT $8
10 Tyler Higbee, LAR $6
11 Dalton Schultz, HOU $5
12 David Njoku, CLE $5
13 Chigoziem Okonkwo, TEN $4
14 Cole Kmet, CHI $3
15 Gerald Everett, LAC $3
16 Greg Dulcich, DEN $2
17 Dalton Kincaid, BUF $2
18 Sam LaPorta, DET $1
19 Juwan Johnson, NO $1
20 Tyler Conklin, NYJ $1
For full TE PPR rankings, click here.
