Justin Boone is a two-time winner of the FantasyPros Most Accurate Expert Award (2019, 2025) and has nine top-10 finishes in the competition.
Below you can see a very early look at his fantasy rankings for the 2026 season. More expanded rankings, including PPR scoring and rookies, will be available in future updates.
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Early 2026 Fantasy Rankings
Takeaways from the early TE rankings
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Trey McBride stands alone at the top of the tight end rankings and for good reason. The 26-year-old reached a new level of production this season, averaging over 15 fantasy points per game in half-PPR and over 18 FPPG in PPR. He finished the year more than 80 points ahead of the next closest fantasy TE in half-PPR and more than 100 points above second place in PPR. His 242.9 fantasy points would have made him the WR5, RB9 or QB13 in total scoring on the year. We need to see who the Cardinals hire as their next coach and which quarterback will be starting for them in 2026, but McBride is the unquestioned No. 1 option at the position.
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Brock Bowers had a disappointing second season because he didn’t make a leap in terms of his fantasy scoring, but he wasn’t far off from his rookie production — averaging 12 FPPG in 2025 compared to 12.1 in 2024. We also have to account for the knee injury that he tried to play through early in the season and plagued him throughout the year before he was eventually shut down in December. Bowers still has the best chance to challenge McBride for the top spot if the Raiders get their affairs in order and improve the talent level on offense.
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Tucker Kraft was in the midst of a true breakout campaign before tearing his ACL in early November. Prior to the injury, Kraft was the top scoring fantasy tight end overall through the first eight weeks, though it’s worth noting McBride didn’t hit his peak performance levels until he was paired up with Jacoby Brissett in the second half of the season. Regardless, a healthy Kraft will return as a focal point in the Packers offense and should come with an injury-discounted ADP in 2026 fantasy drafts. As long as his recovery goes well, Kraft will be on my list of players to target.
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The exciting rookie class from 2025 is going to turn into an even more enticing group of sophomores next season. Harold Fannin Jr. became the de facto No. 1 receiver for the Browns and finished the year as the TE9 in FPPG. Tyler Warren also landed inside the top-10, but was TE6 through the first 13 weeks before Colts QB Daniel Jones got hurt. Though it took a little longer for Colston Loveland to get going, he might end up being the best of the bunch. The Bears’ budding star was the TE5 in FPPG over the final nine games. Meanwhile, Oronde Gadsden II flashed for the Chargers, Terrance Ferguson could see his role grow in Year 2 for the Rams, Mason Taylor should get better quarterback play in the future and Gunnar Helm made a strong case to be the Titans’ starter. Keep these young tight ends high on your draft boards in 2026.
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Kyle Pitts Sr. and Travis Kelce both finished as top-eight fantasy tights on a per game basis this year, but their outlooks are filled with unknowns. For Pitts, he’s coming off his best season since his rookie campaign with career highs in receptions and touchdowns. However, the 25-year-old is also a free agent and his landing spot will play a big part in determining his fantasy value. If he ends up with the right team, we might see Pitts’ stock move back towards the top-five at the position. Meanwhile, Kelce was certainly showing more signs of decline and is flirting with retirement this offseason. Even if he returns, it’s unclear whether Patrick Mahomes will be ready for Week 1 after suffering an ACL tear in December. Kelce can still be a startable fantasy option, just keep your expectations in check if he suits up in 2026.