The tight end position remains one of the most volatile for week-to-week production in fantasy football.
The Week 1 slate of TE options does follow somewhat closely to the draft order in most leagues -- unsurprisingly --but a few exceptions and outliers are staring all of us in the face.
Which strong play matchups push intriguing names above bigger stars? Should you fade any of the top options?
Keep scrolling for our Week 1 TE fantasy football rankings, with a breakdown of the best streamers and must-starts.
FANTASY WEEK 1 RANKINGS: QB | RB | WR | TE | DST | PK | Non-PPR Flex
Fantasy Football Tight End Rankings Week 1: Who to start, sit at TE
Assume PPR scoring for these Week 1 TE rankings.
Note: Tight ends who've already played this week are noted in italicized strikethrough font.
| Rk | Tr | Tight Ends | TM | OPP | RkChg ↕️ |
| 1 | 1 | Brock Bowers | LV | @NE | |
| 2 | 1 | Trey McBride | ARI | @NO | |
| 3 | 1 | George Kittle | SF | @SEA | |
| 4 | 2 | David Njoku | CLE | CIN | |
| 6 | 2 | Sam LaPorta | DET | @GB | |
| 7 | 2 | T.J. Hockenson | MIN | @CHI | |
| 8 | 3 | Mark Andrews | BAL | @BUF | |
| 9 | 3 | Evan Engram | DEN | TEN | |
| 11 | 4 | Tucker Kraft | GB | DET | |
| 12 | 4 | Kyle Pitts Sr. | ATL | TB | ⬆️ 2 |
| 13 | 4 | Tyler Warren | IND | MIA | |
| 14 | 4 | Hunter Henry | NE | LV | |
| 16 | 5 | Brenton Strange | JAC | CAR | |
| 17 | 5 | Zach Ertz | WAS | NYG | |
| 18 | 5 | Colston Loveland | CHI | MIN | |
| 19 | 5 | Jonnu Smith | PIT | @NYJ | |
| 20 | 5 | Dalton Kincaid | BUF | BAL | |
| 21 | 6 | Cade Otton | TB | @ATL | |
| 22 | 6 | Mason Taylor | NYJ | PIT | |
| 23 | 6 | Ja'Tavion Sanders | CAR | @JAC | |
| 24 | 6 | Theo Johnson | NYG | @WAS | |
| 25 | 7 | Chig Okonkwo | TEN | @DEN | |
| 26 | 7 | Juwan Johnson | NO | ARI | |
| 27 | 7 | Pat Freiermuth | PIT | @NYJ | |
| 28 | 8 | Dalton Schultz | HOU | @LAR | |
| 29 | 8 | Mike Gesicki | CIN | @CLE | |
| 30 | 8 | Elijah Arroyo | SEA | SF | |
| 31 | 9 | Harold Fannin Jr. | CLE | CIN | |
| 32 | 9 | Tyler Higbee | LAR | HOU | |
| 33 | 9 | Cole Kmet | CHI | MIN | |
| 34 | 10 | Noah Fant | CIN | @CLE | |
| 36 | 10 | AJ Barner | SEA | SF | |
| 39 | 11 | Charlie Kolar | BAL | @BUF | |
| 40 | 11 | Dawson Knox | BUF | BAL | |
| 41 | 11 | Michael Mayer | LV | @NE | |
| 42 | 11 | Luke Musgrave | GB | DET | |
| 43 | 11 | Terrance Ferguson | LAR | HOU | |
| 44 | 11 | Gunnar Helm | TEN | @DEN | |
| 45 | 11 | Austin Hooper | NE | LV | |
| 46 | 12 | Tommy Tremble | CAR | @JAC | |
| 47 | 12 | Cade Stover | HOU | @LAR | |
| 49 | 12 | Jeremy Ruckert | NYJ | PIT | |
| 50 | 12 | Ben Sinnott | WAS | NYG | |
| OUT | -- | Isaiah Likely | BAL | @BUF | |
| OUT | -- | Darren Waller | MIA | @IND |
WEEK 1 FANTASY TIPS: Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em | Sleepers | Busts
Who are the best fantasy tight ends for Week 1?
Tier 1 (Brock Bowers, Trey McBride, George Kittle) matches the exact trio who started the positional drafting in most leagues.
However, the name that stands out whose Week 1 situation elevates him is the Cleveland Browns' David Njoku. Even with 2024 NFL sacks leader Trey Hendrickson back in the fold, the future of the Cincinnati Bengals defense has been one of the running jokes of the preseason.
Expect Njoku to see many targets from Joe Flacco, who fed him with 6+ receptions in four of their five games together from their last time together in Cleveland near the end of 2023.
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Who are the best sleepers and streamers for Week 1 fantasy TEs?
Hunter Henry's red-zone prowess should put him in position for at least one end-zone target against the lowly Las Vegas Raiders pass defense. An improved New England Patriots WR corps should help create more room inside the 20 for Henry to sit down for a target near the goal line.
Brenton Strange could thrive in Liam Coen's new system, and the Jacksonville Jagaurs tight end should become a weekly target magnet due to his athleticism. The Carolina Panthers recorded the fourth-worst cover defense rating (63.4) in 2024, per Pro Football Focus.
The New York Jets could involve Mason Taylor (ankle) early, as long as he's active. Not much exists in the receiving game behind Garrett Wilson and RB Breece Hall, leaving room for Taylor to potentially earn a sizable target role weekly. The LSU grad should slip past the Pittsburgh Steelers' linebackers, who get mixed reviews in coverage ability.