Drafting tight ends was a struggle for a long time, but over the last few years, we’ve seen the position finally make a comeback. There are now several options at the position you can confidently draft for a potential championship season. Below are five tight ends at different points in fantasy football drafts you can consider taking at their average draft position (ADP).
Must Draft Tight Ends (Fantasy Football)
Brock Bowers (TE – LV)
Brock Bowers had one of the best rookie seasons for a pass-catcher in NFL history with a rookie record 112 catches, along with a rookie tight end record of 1,194 receiving yards and five touchdowns. This came with inconsistencies at quarterback with Gardner Minshew and Aidan O’Connell. He has above-average athleticism for someone who is 6-foot-4 and 230 pounds. He not only led in catches but also led all tight ends with 596 yards after the catch and had the most 10+ yard receptions.
The Raiders got an upgrade at quarterback as they reunited Pete Carroll and Geno Smith. In his first season with Seattle, Smith led all qualified quarterbacks with a 70% completion rate. This should help Bowers and the Raiders’ offense altogether.
George Kittle (TE – SF)
With all of the injuries to the 49ers’ offense last season, George Kittle was the most dependable pass-catcher. He led all qualified tight ends with 14.2 yards per reception and in 30+ yard receptions. He was second in yards after contact. Questions remain entering the season with other key offensive pieces. Brandon Aiyuk and Christian McCaffrey are coming off injuries, and Jauan Jennings is having contract disputes.
Brock Purdy trusts Kittle, and that’s why he was getting the majority of the deep and red-zone targets, with the questions surrounding the San Francisco offense.
Trey McBride (TE – ARI)
The stock of Trey McBride continues to soar as he made his first Pro Bowl. Even after drafting high-profile wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., McBride’s 147 targets led the Cardinals and were good enough for eighth in the league. His 111 catches are only behind DeAndre Hopkins for the most in a single season by a Cardinals pass-catcher.
The only disappointment was that McBride only caught two touchdowns, but he could become a priority in the end zone. Even with Harrison, McBride will still be Kyler Murray‘s favorite target.
Isaiah Likely (TE – BAL)
This could be the season where we see a changing of the guard in Baltimore. Mark Andrews has long been the No. 1 TE for that offense and one of the best fantasy assets, but that could change in 2025. We saw a decline in Andrews’ usage, dipping to 3.2 receptions and 39.4 receiving yards per game last year, his worst since his 2018 rookie season.
That had a lot to do with the surge from Isaiah Likely. In 2024, Likely set a career-high in receiving yards (477), touchdowns (six) and receiving success rate (60.3%). There are also rumors he will receive a contract extension, solidifying his future with the team.
Zach Ertz (TE – WSH)
Injuries over the last few seasons had you wondering if the best days of Zach Ertz were behind him. However, he had a renaissance season with a surprise Commanders team that made the playoffs for only the second time in the last 10 years. He served as the security blanket for Jayden Daniels, ranking second on the team in targets (91) and leading the team in red-zone targets (20).
Daniels should take a big leap forward, and the veteran Ertz should still be someone he will depend on to move the ball through the air. There shouldn’t be a regression in targets for him.
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