It's right around this time of year that virtually every fantasy football owner who "waited at tight end" during their draft is wishing they hadn't been quite so patient. The second- and third-tier options don't inspire much confidence even though we know at least a couple will pop off, but good luck identifying any reliable sleepers this early in the year. Fortunately, our Week 1 fantasy TE PPR rankings are here to help with your tough start 'em, sit 'em decisions.
Week 1 is always tough to predict, and tight end might be the most unpredictable position. Last season, O.J. Howard had both of his TDs on the season in Week 1, while projected studs Kyle Pitts (19 yards) and Mark Andrews (52 yards) both disappointed for their owners.
It's important to remember that this isn't out of the ordinary for the position. We'll see similar surprise performances every week, but when it happens in Week 1, it always stands out a little more. Unfortunately, these breakouts and disappointments are almost impossible to predict since we can't break down matchup and usage stats like we can later in the season.
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Ultimately, it makes sense to trust the proven tight ends who are likely to see a decent number of targets. Talent and usage are about all you can ask for this time of year, so hope for the best and get ready to overreact heading into Week 2.
WEEK 1 STANDARD RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers
Who are the best fantasy TEs Week 1?
No surprises here, but Travis Kelce (vs. Lions), Mark Andrews (vs. Texans), T.J. Hockenson (vs. Buccaneers), Dallas Goedert (@ Patriots), and Darren Waller (vs. Cowboys) make up our top five in the PPR rankings. George Kittle (@ Steelers) drops a few spots compared to our standard rankings, as a matchup against Pittsburgh's stellar defense coupled with his TD-dependent profile lowers his floor.
Pat Freiermuth (vs. 49ers) and Evan Engram (@ Colts) move up slightly thanks to their frequent targets (6.1 and 5.8 targets/game, respectively), but neither are sure things given all the mouths to feed on their respective offenses.
WEEK 1 PPR RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | D/STs | Kickers
Who are the best fantasy TE waiver pickups Week 1?
Most owners won't need (or want) to pick up a TE streamer off waivers ahead of Week 1, but if you're in a deep league, dealing with an injury, or worried about a matchup, there are a few decent options. It's always tough to know how much to read into last year's defensive stats, but several of the worst TE defenses are playing against relatively low-owned tight ends. Logan Thomas (vs. Cardinals) faces an Arizona defense that allowed the second-most fantasy points to TEs last year, and if Terry McLaurin (toe) is out, Thomas could see a lot of targets.
Gerald Everett (vs. Dolphins) gets the next-best matchup on the slate based on last year's stats, and rookie Michael Mayer (@ Broncos) isn't too far behind against a Denver defense that allowed the sixth-most fantasy points to TEs. He has the highest season-long ceiling, so stashing him now might not be a bad idea in case he really breaks out.
Taysom Hill (vs. Titans) is one of our favorite streamers in standard leagues, but we're not nearly as high on him in PPR. Hill caught just nine-of-13 targets last year, as he was primarily used as a runner. He still has plenty of rushing and scoring upside with Alvin Kamara out, but his PPR floor is much lower.
Who are the best fantasy TE sleepers Week 1?
In addition to the players we just mentioned, Tyler Higbee (@ Seahawks) stands out as an undervalued option. Cooper Kupp (hamstring) is on the bad side of "questionable," leaving Higbee as Matthew Stafford's likely favorite target. Seattle allowed by far the most fantasy points to TEs last year, too, so Higbee is in prime position to go off.
As we said before, we'll have a better grasp on true sleepers every week once some usage and matchup stats start rolling in, so for now, it's best to just play it "safe."
What are the biggest TE injuries Week 1?
Zach Ertz (knee) is the most prominent tight end who looks like a true toss-up to play this week, but chances are, he wasn't drafted to be a starter in most leagues anyway.
Fantasy owners need to pay closer attention to Andrews (quad), Kittle (groin), and Hockenson (back), all of whom missed practices last week. It seems unlikely that any are truly "questionable," but until we start seeing some practice reports leading up to Week 1, their fantasy owners should be on alert.
UPDATE: Travis Kelce's knee injury in practice on Tuesday has him trending toward not playing in Thursday night's season opener.
We'll be updating these TE PPR rankings throughout the week, so check back for the latest player movement and analysis.
Fantasy TE PPR Rankings Week 1: Who to start, sit at tight end
Rankings based on full-point PPR scoring
Rank Player
1 T.J. Hockenson, Vikings vs. Buccaneers
2 Dallas Goedert, Eagles @ Patriots
3 Darren Waller, Giants vs. Cowboys
4 George Kittle, 49ers @ Steelers
5 Evan Engram, Jaguars @ Colts
6 Tyler Higbee, Rams @ Seahawks
7 Pat Freiermuth, Steelers vs. 49ers
8 Kyle Pitts, Falcons vs. Panthers
9 Isaiah Likely, Ravens vs. Texans
10 Chigoziem Okonkwo, Titans @ Saints
11 Tyler Conklin, Jets vs. Bills
12 Taysom Hill, Saints vs. Titans
13 Dalton Schultz, Texans @ Ravens
14 Greg Dulcich, Broncos vs. Raiders
15 Gerald Everett, Chargers vs. Dolphins
16 Logan Thomas, Commanders vs. Cardinals
17 Jake Ferguson, Cowboys @ Giants
18 Michael Mayer, Raiders @ Broncos
19 Zach Ertz, Cardinals @ Commanders
20 Juwan Johnson, Saints vs. Titans
21 David Njoku, Browns vs. Bengals
22 Dawson Knox, Bills @ Jets
23 Dalton Kincaid, Bills @ Jets
24 Irv Smith Jr., Bengals @ Browns
25 Cole Kmet, Bears vs. Packers
26 Hunter Henry, Patriots vs. Eagles
27 Mike Gesicki, Patriots vs. Eagles
28 Sam LaPorta, Lions @ Chiefs
29 Noah Fant, Seahawks vs. Rams
30 Cade Otton, Buccaneers @ Vikings
