While tight end is undoubtedly the most top-heavy position in fantasy football, a quick glance at our 2023 fantasy TE PPR rankings reveals plenty of viable sleepers and potential breakouts in this high-variance position group. Unlike any other position, only one player sits by himself in the top tier, as Travis Kelce remains a sure-fire TE1 who produces at a WR1 clip. Kelce’s ‘22 campaign saw him score over 100 more points than the overall TE2, helping the Chiefs win the AFC West for a seventh-straight season en route to their second Super Bowl in four years.
Despite the top heaviness of the position, tight ends have more overall appeal in PPR formats than standard ones, as several TEs are capable of racking up a handful of receptions on a game-to-game basis. They might sport a low average depth of target (aDOT) in the process, but receptions are receptions, and finding tight ends who can rack up cheap catches helps your fantasy team churn out “Ws” even if you don’t have a top-tier TE.
Among TEs in our top two tiers, Dallas Goedert specifically stands out as having more appeal in PPR leagues compared to standard formats. Goedert ended 2022 sporting the lowest aDOT (6.2) among the top-tier TEs, but he still produced the fifth-most PPR points per game (11.8) as an underneath threat for Jalen Hurts. He may not see a crazy-high target share in a deep and talented Eagles offense, but it’s never a bad thing to draft ancillary pieces in efficient offenses and bank on consistency.
DOMINATE YOUR DRAFT: Ultimate 2023 Fantasy Cheat Sheet
On the flip side, Taysom Hill takes a big hit in PPR rankings compared to standard. He finished last year with 652 total yards and nine TDs (plus two passing TDs), but that came with just nine receptions. Clearly, Hill isn’t your typical TE, but as long as he’s eligible there in your league, he has TE1 upside even if he’s much more inconsistent in PPR formats.
2023 PPR RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | D/STs | Ks | Top 200 | S-Flex | IDP
Although he didn’t look like his vintage self in the first half of 2022, George Kittle ended the season with the second-highest PPR fantasy point per game average (13.4). Kittle displayed a strong rapport with injury fill-in Brock Purdy, averaging 21.6 points over the final four weeks of the regular season and outscoring the next-best TE (T.J. Hockenson) by 26.8 points. His TD output is likely to regress, but he’s still an upper-echelon TE in an uber-efficient offense…as long as he stays healthy.
2023 STANDARD RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Ks | Top 200 | S-Flex | IDP
After an impressive first season with the Jaguars, Evan Engram is another TE who’s especially valuable in PPR formats as an underneath option for Trevor Lawrence. Engram's 6.2 aDOT was just like Goedert’s, as Doug Pederson understood Engram’s a special player in space, racking up the second-most yards after catch among TEs (460). His ADP isn’t nearly as low as it was last preseason, but with Jacksonville expected to take another step forward, Engram’s still a stable pick in PPR leagues even with Calvin Ridley joining the Jags’ receiving corps.
2023 AUCTION VALUES (Standard & PPR):
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Ks | Overall
Among TE sleeper candidates, Jake Ferguson and Irv Smith Jr. are both players potentially getting overlooked by fantasy owners. Ferguson is penciled in as the Cowboys’ No. 1 tight end with Dalton Schultz now with the Texans, and the second-year Wisconsin product put up respectable TE numbers when starting in place of the injured Schultz in ‘22.
2023 FANTASY SLEEPERS
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Each Team
Smith Jr. fills the void left by Hayden Hurst as the Bengals TE1, and although he isn’t as high in Cincinnati’s pecking order, its offense is potent enough to support several pass-catchers. Both TEs have low ADPs and are being drafted more as TE2s, so if you draft a lower-end TE1 like Darren Waller or Schultz, selecting a sleeper in the late rounds makes for a solid insurance policy.
2023 POSITION TIERS & DRAFT STRATEGY:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/ST
We’ll be updating our TE PPR rankings throughout the preseason until the first game kicks off between the Chiefs and Lions in Week 1, so check back for changes.
FANTASY DRAFT STRATEGY:
Snake | Auction | Best ball | Dynasty | IDP
Fantasy Football TE PPR Rankings 2023: Best tight ends, top sleepers
Rankings based on full-point PPR scoring
Rank Player
1 Travis Kelce, Chiefs
2 Mark Andrews, Ravens
3 T.J. Hockenson, Vikings
4 George Kittle, 49ers
5 Pat Freiermuth, Steelers
6 Dallas Goedert, Eagles
7 Evan Engram, Jaguars
8 Kyle Pitts, Falcons
9 Darren Waller, Giants
10 Chigoziem Okonkwo, Titans
11 Jake Ferguson, Cowboys
12 Greg Dulcich, Broncos
13 Taysom Hill, Saints
14 Zach Ertz, Cardinals
15 Tyler Conklin, Jets
16 Dalton Schultz, Texans
17 David Njoku, Browns
18 Tyler Higbee, Rams
19 Dawson Knox, Bills
20 Gerald Everett, Chargers
21 Cole Kmet, Bears
22 Noah Fant, Seahawks
23 Irv Smith Jr., Bengals
24 Dalton Kincaid, Bills
25 Mike Gesicki, Patriots
26 Juwan Johnson, Saints
27 Hunter Henry, Patriots
28 Sam LaPorta, Lions
29 Michael Mayer, Raiders
30 Cade Otton, Buccaneers
31 Logan Thomas, Commanders
32 Durham Smythe, Dolphins
33 Jelani Woods, Colts
