Kirk Cousins: Reunited with his former Washington offensive coordinator, Cousins finished as fantasy's QB7 with Kevin O'Connell in his first year as his head coach. That said, Cousins was 11th on a points-per-game basis (among QBs that played at least half the year) as the veteran quarterback set multi-year lows in completion percentage (65.9%), TD% (4.5), yards per attempt (7.1) and passer rating (92.5) in 2022. With the Vikings using a first-round pick on Jordan Addison to complement Justin Jefferson and T.J. Hockenson, Cousins remains a steady back-end QB1 type heading into 2023.
Alexander Mattison: Mattison is poised for a breakout season (or at least a significant bump in workload) with Dalvin Cook released earlier this offseason. The gap between RB1 (Mattison) and RB2 (Ty Chandler, or even Myles Gaskin) is wide enough that there is no real threat to his lead-back role. The fifth-year back has 90-plus rushing yards in five of the six games in which he has played more than 40 offensive snaps.
Justin Jefferson: What more can Jefferson do? Not only has he improved his production in each successive season, but he brokeRandy Moss's record for receiving yards through a player's first three seasons. During those three seasons, he's racked up a total of 324 receptions for 4,825 yards and 25 touchdowns.
Jordan Addison: With Justin Jefferson commanding so much defensive attention, Addison's landing spot is ideal for his ability to make an early impact. While he ran a slower-than-expected 40-yard dash (4.49) at the NFL Combine, the former Biletnikoff Award winner is a polished route-runner with some inside/outside versatility and the ability to win at all three levels.
T.J. Hockenson: Hockenson was traded midseason within the division, and he averaged 8.6 targets and six receptions per game after the trade to the Vikings. Despite the midseason trade, he finished as fantasy's TE2, but part of that was aided by two monster games — 8/179/2 for the Lions in Week 4 and 13/109/2 for the Vikings in Week 16. Other than those two huge games, he had double-digit (half-PPR) fantasy points in only two other games. An ear infection and back stiffness has led to lots of missed time in August, but this type of treatment may be what was necessary to allow him to return to full health.
Some teams have already played their final preseason game and as the NFL preseason winds down, we are that much closer to the Kansas City Chiefs hosting the Detroit Lions on Thursday Night Football.
That also means that we are in the thick of fantasy draft season.
To help you prepare for your fantasy football drafts, we will continue to keep our fantasy football rankings updated until the start of the 2023 NFL season.
While age (turns 34 in October) is still a potential concern, he's shown no signs of slowing down after posting his seventh consecutive 1,000-yard season. Without Tyreek Hill, he posted either his best or second-best numbers across the board — 152 targets, 110 receptions, 1,338 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Absolutely dominant compared to other tight ends, Kelce (15.4) averaged more than double the half-PPR fantasy points per game than the last TE1 (Dalton Schultz, TE12, 7.6 PPG). In fact, if Kelce were a wide receiver, he'd rank ahead of all but five wide receivers in fantasy PPG last season.
Andrews missed a couple of games in 2022, and his year-over-year production declined to 73/847/5. Even so, Andrews scored the fourth-most half-PPR fantasy points (third on a PPG basis). The additions at wide receiver creates greater competition for targets, but he remains the clear top fantasy option in Baltimore's passing game.
Hockenson was traded midseason within the division, and he averaged 8.6 targets and six receptions per game after the trade to the Vikings. Despite the midseason trade, he finished as fantasy's TE2, but part of that was aided by two monster games — 8/179/2 for the Lions in Week 4 and 13/109/2 for the Vikings in Week 16. Other than those two huge games, he had double-digit (half-PPR) fantasy points in only two other games.
A couple of seasons removed from back-to-back 1,100-yard campaigns, Waller is clearly the top weapon in New York's passing attack. While he has been limited to only 20 games over the past two seasons, his 17-game pace is 71/895/4 during that stretch.
Compared to his elite talent, Kittle is often under-targeted. Even so, he has finished as a top-four fantasy tight end in four of the past five seasons. The exception was when he missed eight games in 2020, but he finished third on a PPG basis that season behind Travis Kelce and Darren Waller. The other concern with Kittle is he has missed multiple games in four consecutive seasons, but he has averaged 70.4/947.8/5.8 per 17 games over the past five years.
Goedert missed five games last season, but he finished with 55 catches for 702 yards and three touchdowns. His 58.5 YPG average was a career high and he had 60-plus yards in eight of 12 games. In addition, he had a minimum of three catches in all but one game last season.
A knee injury prematurely cut his second season short, but Pitts eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark as a rookie (68/1,026/1) in 2021. If it weren't for the lack of touchdowns (one), his rookie season would have been viewed as a smashing success. Before his injury last year, his production dropped significantly (12.7 Y/R, 35.6 YPG, 47.5% catch rate and 1.69 Y/RR) compared to 2021 (15.1 Y/R, 60.4 YPG, 61.8% and 2.01 Y/RR). That said, the upside remains high going into his age-23 season.
Freiermuth followed up a strong rookie season (60/497/7) with 63 catches for 732 yards and two touchdowns. Despite scoring only twice in 2022, Freiermuth finished as fantasy's TE8 (half-PPR scoring). He had at least three catches in 13 of 16 games played.
The Jaguars designated Engram with the franchise tag, but the two sides reached agreement on a three-year extension. While Engram missed 14 games in his first three seasons (2017-19), he has missed only two games over the past three years. He posted career highs in receptions (73), yards (766) and catch rate (74.5%) in 2022.
Higbee set career highs in targets (108, fourth-most among TEs) and receptions (72, fifth) in 2022. While Cooper Kupp missed nearly half of the season, Higbee's per-game numbers were actually better with Kupp (4.9/43 on 7.2 targets) than without Kupp (3.5/29 on 5.4 targets). At a position where volume is inconsistent outside of the elite options, there is value in the consistency of Higbee's volume.
Njoku missed three games in 2022, but it was otherwise a career year for the athletic tight end. He averaged 4.1 receptions and 44.9 yards per game, both of which were career highs. Njoku finished ninth in half-PPR points per game in 2022.
Schultz has a minimum of 89 targets in each of the past three seasons, and he has averaged 4.1 receptions and 41.7 yards per game over that span. While he may get a tick less in terms of volume, he has the potential to lead the Texans in receptions in 2023.
Dulcich had 33 catches for 411 yards and two touchdowns in 10 games as a rookie in 2022. Sean Payton said Dulcich has "a unique skill set. He's got traits. In the passing game we use the term, 'Joker' where you can get matchups."
A lengthy adjustment period for rookie tight ends typically leads to modest fantasy impacts for the position. That said, Kincaid was arguably the most talented pass catcher (wide receiver or tight end) in the 2023 NFL Draft, so there is potential for him to utilized more than a typical rookie tight end as a mismatch in the passing game.
Okonkwo finished second on the team in receiving yards last year to Robert Woods, who is no longer on the roster. The rookie ended the year with 32 receptions for 450 yards (14.1 Y/R) and three touchdowns. There is some breakout potential (albeit less following the DeAndre Hopkins signing) heading into the athletic (4.52 40-yard dash) tight end's second year. Among tight ends with 30-plus targets in 2022, Okonkwo led the position in YAC per reception (7.8) and yards per route run (2.61), per PFF stats.
Everett either set or tied career highs across the board — 58 catches for 555 yards and four touchdowns — in 2022. Despite a career season, Everett ended the year as fantasy's TE15 in half-PPR scoring. Assuming better health from Keenan Allen and Mike Williams and given that the Chargers drafted Quentin Johnston in the first round, however, it's possible that Everett is targeted less than he was last season (87 targets).
Targeted much less in 2022 (69) than in 2021 (93), Kmet's receptions (50) and yardage (544) dropped only modestly due to improvements in catch rate (64.5% to 72.5%) and yards per target (6.6 to 7.9). Held scoreless in 2021, Kmet had seven touchdowns in 2022 including six scores from Weeks 8-17. Adding a talented receiver (D.J. Moore) to the mix within a run-dominant offense may limit Kmet's opportunity to take a major step forward from his 2021-22 production levels.
Hurst has missed four games and averaged only 8.5 yards per reception (or less) in back-to-back seasons, but he averaged a career-high four receptions per game last season. Given the relative uncertainty at wide receiver, it's possible that Hurst comes close to his averages from last year.
Other than the typical learning curve for tight ends transitioning to the NFL, there is a lot to like about LaPorta. In fact, it wouldn't surprise me if we're talking about him as one of the top 6-8 fantasy tight ends this time next year, but the question remains how quickly he'll move into the top-12 mix as a rookie.
Johnson had a career season with 42 catches for 508 yards and seven touchdowns in 2022. Depending on how much the Saints get from Michael Thomas, it may be difficult to repeat those numbers this season.
Knox's 2022 numbers (48/517/6) were similar, albeit slightly less, than his 2021 production (49/587/9). It's unlikely that Knox will produce as a top-12 option in 2023, and his touchdown dependency is high given his relatively low volume. Knox exceeded 50 receiving yards in only three regular-season games last season.
Ertz played only 10 games last season before tearing his ACL. Like Marquise Brown, Ertz was especially good when DeAndre Hopkins was suspended. Ertz had double-digit targets in four of the six games that Hopkins missed. He averaged 5.8 catches on 8.5 targets during that stretch. Ertz is on track to play in Week 1.
Smith has appeared in only eight (23.5%) of 34 games over the past two seasons. With Hayden Hurst now in Carolina, Smith slots in atop Cincinnati's depth chart. Hurst had 52/414/2 receiving in 13 games last season, and Jets tight end C.J. Uzomah had 49/493/5 for Cincinnati in 2021. Provided his health cooperates, Smith has a chance to finish as a fringe TE1.
Henry finished last season with 41 catches for 509 yards and two touchdowns, the lowest numbers of his career when you exclude 2016 (his rookie campaign) and 2018 (missed entire season). After ranking only 25th in 12-personnel usage (one running back and two tight ends) in 2022, it's expected that the Patriots will increase their usage of 12 personnel significantly in 2023.
Like Henry, Gesicki is coming off non-rookie lows in receptions (32), targets (52) and yards (362). The uber-athletic tight end will get an opportunity to reset in an offense that should be more likely to fully utilize his skill set. Gesicki suffered a mild dislocated shoulder at practice, although the hope is he's back for Week 1.
Otton had 42 catches for 391 yards and two touchdowns on 65 targets as a rookie in 2022 and he had four catches for 58 yards on seven targets in their playoff loss to the Cowboys. Even if his numbers are better in his second season, he's not much more than a fantasy TE2 in 2023.
The Cowboys used a second-round pick on Luke Schoonmaker, but I expect Ferguson to pace the position group in receiving now that Dalton Schultz is in Houston. Even so, it's unlikely that Ferguson, Schoonmaker or any Cowboys tight end becomes fantasy-relevant in standard-sized leagues in 2023.
Woods is an outstanding athlete (4.61 40-yard dash) for someone his size (6-7, 259) and he heads into his second season with some sleeper appeal. Shane Steichen is less likely to spread tight end snaps around the way that Frank Reich has in the past, and Woods should be the biggest benefactor. As the IndyStar notes, "Woods is the only Indianapolis tight end who's shown he has the athleticism to stretch the field the way [Dallas] Goedert can."
With Robert Tonyan now in Chicago, it will be a pair of rookie tight ends — Musgrave and Tucker Kraft — that top the depth chart. Musgrave is an extremely athletic tight end that can be used to create mismatches against linebackers and safeties.
Hill will throw a few passes and catch a few, but most of his fantasy production will come from his rushing production. Over the past three seasons, he has a total of 253 carries for 1,406 yards (5.6 Y/A) and 20 touchdowns.
Kirk Cousins: Reunited with his former Washington offensive coordinator, Cousins finished as fantasy's QB7 with Kevin O'Connell in his first year as his head coach. That said, Cousins was 11th on a points-per-game basis (among QBs that played at least half the year) as the veteran quarterback set multi-year lows in completion percentage (65.9%), TD% (4.5), yards per attempt (7.1) and passer rating (92.5) in 2022. With the Vikings using a first-round pick on Jordan Addison to complement Justin Jefferson and T.J. Hockenson, Cousins remains a steady back-end QB1 type heading into 2023.
Alexander Mattison: Mattison is poised for a breakout season (or at least a significant increase in workload) with Dalvin Cook released earlier this offseason. The fifth-year back has 90-plus rushing yards in five of the six games in which he has played more than 40 offensive snaps.
Justin Jefferson: What more can Jefferson do? Not only has he improved his production in each successive season, but he brokeRandy Moss's record for receiving yards through a player's first three seasons. During those three seasons, he's racked up a total of 324 receptions for 4,825 yards and 25 touchdowns.
Jordan Addison: With Justin Jefferson commanding so much defensive attention, Addison's landing spot is ideal for his ability to make an early impact. While he ran a slower-than-expected 40-yard dash (4.49) at the NFL Combine, the former Biletnikoff Award winner is a polished route-runner with some inside/outside versatility and the ability to win at all three levels.
T.J. Hockenson: Hockenson was traded midseason within the division, and he averaged 8.6 targets and six receptions per game after the trade to the Vikings. Despite the midseason trade, he finished as fantasy's TE2 in half-PPR scoring, but part of that was aided by two monster games — 8/179/2 for the Lions in Week 4 and 13/109/2 for the Vikings in Week 16. Other than those two huge games, he had double-digit (half-PPR) fantasy points in only two other games.
Kirk Cousins: Reunited with his former Washington offensive coordinator, Cousins finished as fantasy's QB7 with Kevin O'Connell in his first year as his head coach. Among quarterbacks that played at least half the season, however, Cousins was 11th on a points-per-game basis as the veteran quarterback set multi-year lows in completion percentage (65.9%), TD% (4.5), yards per attempt (7.1) and passer rating (92.5) in 2022. With the Vikings bolstering its group of pass catchers by drafting Jordan Addison in the first round, Cousins remains a steady back-end QB1 type heading into 2023.
Alexander Mattison: The Vikings released Dalvin Cook this offseason, and Mattison is poised for a breakout season. The fifth-year back has 90-plus rushing yards in five of the six games in which has has played more than 40 offensive snaps.
Ty Chandler: As a direct result of Cook's release, Chandler moves into the backup role to Mattison. Even if the Vikings utilize a committee approach, Chandler and Dewayne McBride are intriguing sleepers late in drafts.
Justin Jefferson: What more can Jefferson do? Not only has he improved his production in each successive season, but he brokeRandy Moss's record for receiving yards through a player's first three seasons. During those three seasons, he's racked up a total of 324 receptions for 4,825 yards and 25 touchdowns.
Jordan Addison: With Justin Jefferson commanding so much defensive attention, Addison's landing spot is ideal for his ability to make an early impact. While he ran a slower-than-expected 40-yard dash (4.49) at the NFL Combine, the former Biletnikoff Award winner is a polished route-runner with some inside/outside versatility and the ability to win at all three levels.
T.J. Hockenson: Hockenson was traded midseason within the division, and he averaged 8.6 targets and six receptions per game after the trade to the Vikings. Despite the midseason trade, he finished as fantasy's TE2, but part of that was aided by two monster games — 8/179/2 for the Lions in Week 4 and 13/109/2 for the Vikings in Week 16. Other than those two huge games, he had double-digit (half-PPR) fantasy points in only two other games.
Jared Goff: Goff isn't much more than a back-end QB2 in two-QB or Super Flex formats, but he has a better offensive supporting cast around him this year when everyone is healthy. Not only did the Lions sign D.J. Chark to a one-year deal in free agency, but they traded up to draft this year's biggest home run threat (Jameson Williams) as well.
D'Andre Swift: Swift has played exactly 13 games in each of his first two seasons, but he offers plenty of upside if he can stay healthy given his versatile skill set. Despite missing four games in 2021, Swift had 62 catches for 452 yards and two touchdowns in addition to a 151/617/5 rushing line. Swift was 12th in half-PPR fantasy points per game in 2021.
Jamaal Williams: Like Swift, Williams missed four games in 2021 but set a career high in rushing yards (601) and tied a career high in rush attempts (153). While his targets per game (2.15) was near a career low, he set a career high in catch rate (92.9%) and finished with 2.0 receptions per game, his career average.
Amon-Ra St. Brown: St. Brown was highly productive as a fourth-round rookie, as the former USC Trojan finished 2021 with 90 catches (T-15th) for 912 yards (30th) and five touchdowns on 119 targets (26th). With the Lions dealing with injuries to other pass catchers down the stretch, St. Brown converted 67 targets into 51 receptions for 560 yards and scored all five of his touchdowns over the final six games of the season. Only Cooper Kupp scored more fantasy points than St. Brown over that span.
D.J. Chark: Signing a one-year deal to play for the Lions, Chark missed nearly all of the 2021 season, but the former Jag has a 1,000-yard season (73/1,008/8 in 2019) under his belt. He's developed good chemistry with Jared Goff leading into the season.
Jameson Williams: If it weren't for a torn ACL at the end of the season, Williams could have possibly been the first receiver off the board in the 2022 NFL Draft. With his elite speed and quickness, Williams is a threat to take it to the house any time he touches the ball. Williams begins the season on the reserve/NFI list, which means he'll miss a minimum of four games, but his rehab is going well and "could accelerate" his return from what was initially expected.
T.J. Hockenson: Hockenson missed five games last season, but he set per-game career highs in receptions (5.1) and yards (48.6) as well as catch rate (72.6%). Given the additions to the receiving corps (D.J. Chark and Jameson Williams), Jared Goff won't need to rely as heavily on Hockenson this year.
Jared Goff: Goff isn't much more than a back-end QB2 in two-QB or Super Flex formats, but he has a better offensive supporting cast around him this year when everyone is healthy. Not only did the Lions sign D.J. Chark to a one-year deal in free agency, but they traded up to draft this year's biggest home run threat (Jameson Williams) as well.
D'Andre Swift: Swift has played exactly 13 games in each of his first two seasons, but he offers plenty of upside if he can stay healthy given his versatile skill set. Despite missing four games in 2021, Swift had 62 catches for 452 yards and two touchdowns in addition to a 151/617/5 rushing line. Swift was 12th in half-PPR fantasy points per game in 2021.
Jamaal Williams: Like Swift, Williams missed four games in 2021 but set a career high in rushing yards (601) and tied a career high in rush attempts (153). While his targets per game (2.15) was near a career low, he set a career high in catch rate (92.9%) and finished with 2.0 receptions per game, his career average.
Amon-Ra St. Brown: St. Brown was highly productive as a fourth-round rookie, as the former USC Trojan finished 2021 with 90 catches (T-15th) for 912 yards (30th) and five touchdowns on 119 targets (26th). Even better down the stretch, St. Brown converted 67 targets into 51 receptions for 560 yards and scored all five of his touchdowns over the final six games of the season. Only Cooper Kupp scored more fantasy points than St. Brown over that span.
Jameson Williams: If it weren't for a torn ACL at the end of the season, Williams could have possibly been the first receiver off the board in the 2022 NFL Draft. With his elite speed and quickness, Williams is a threat to take it to the house any time he touches the ball. We may have to wait a bit, as NFL Network's Tom Pelissero projects November as "the likely timeline for his return."
D.J. Chark: Chark missed nearly all of 2021, and signed a one-year deal with the Lions for the upcoming season. The former Jag has a 1,000-yard season (73/1,008/8 in 2019) under his belt, but he could end up fifth in line for targets when the team is at full strength.
T.J. Hockenson: Hockenson missed five games last season, but he set per-game career highs in receptions (5.1) and yards (48.6) as well as catch rate (72.6%). Given the additions to the receiving corps (D.J. Chark and Jameson Williams), Jared Goff may not rely as heavily on Hockenson this year.
Jared Goff: Traded to Detroit, Goff joins a less potent offense that will be more run-based in philosophy. Given that only the Houston Texans have a lower Vegas team wins total, it's certainly possible that game script will dictate more pass attempts than the new coaching staff would prefer. Over the past two seasons, Goff has failed to exceed a 3.6 TD%. In other words, even when he led the league in pass attempts (626) in 2019, he threw only 22 touchdowns.
D'Andre Swift: Swift was much more involved in the second half of the season as he finished his rookie campaign with 114/521/8 (4.6 YPC) rushing and 46/357/2 (7.8 Y/R) receiving. Swift had three-plus catches in 12 of 13 games. While I have him ranked as a mid-tier RB2, his ability as a receiver gives him the upside to crack the top-10 fantasy running backs in 2021, especially in full PPR formats.
Jamaal Williams: In his four NFL seasons, Williams has averaged 736.5 scrimmage yards, 155.5 touches and 30.5 receptions per season with the Packers. While he remains his team's RB2 (to D'Andre Swift instead of Aaron Jones), Williams should get 8-10 touches per game even with both Swift and Williams healthy.
Tyrell Williams: Williams is a wideout that has had some success elsewhere that will play a heavy amount of snaps, by default. Williams broke out in 2016 (69/1,059/7), but he has hovered in the 651-728 yardage range since then excluding last season's injured campaign (shoulder).
Breshad Perriman: Injuries to Tampa's wide receivers allowed Perriman to close 2019 strong -- three 100-yard games and 25/506/5 over his final five games -- but those numbers were even better than his full-season numbers (12 games) as a Jet (30/505/3) in 2020. Perriman has missed multiple games in every season other than his rookie campaign (2016). The former first-rounder continues his tour around the league.
T.J. Hockenson: Hockenson basically doubled up his rookie production with 67 catches for 723 yards and six touchdowns. Given the turnover of the wide receiver corps, Hockenson could be forced into an even higher-volume role in 2021.
Jared Goff: Traded to Detroit, Goff joins a less potent offense that will be more run-based in philosophy. Given that only the Houston Texans have a lower Vegas team wins total, it's certainly possible that game script will dictate more pass attempts than the new coaching staff would prefer. Over the past two seasons, Goff has failed to exceed a 3.6 TD%. In other words, even when he led the league in pass attempts (626) in 2019, he threw only 22 touchdowns.
D'Andre Swift: Swift was much more involved in the second half of the season as he finished his rookie campaign with 114/521/8 (4.6 YPC) rushing and 46/357/2 (7.8 Y/R) receiving. Swift had three-plus catches in 12 of 13 games and his ability as a receiver gives him the upside to crack the top-10 fantasy running backs in 2021.
Jamaal Williams: In his four NFL seasons, Williams has averaged 736.5 scrimmage yards, 155.5 touches and 30.5 receptions per season with the Packers. While he remains his team's RB2 (to D'Andre Swift instead of Aaron Jones), Williams should get 8-10 touches per game even with both Swift and Williams healthy.
Breshad Perriman: Injuries to Tampa's wide receivers allowed Perriman to close 2019 strong -- three 100-yard games and 25/506/5 over his final five games -- but those numbers were even better than his full-season numbers (12 games) as a Jet (30/505/3) in 2020. Perriman has missed multiple games in every season other than his rookie campaign (2016). Continuing his tour around the league, the former first-rounder is as good of a bet as any to lead the team's wide receiving corps in targets, which makes him a last-round dart throw to consider.
Tyrell Williams: Like Perriman, Williams is a wideout that has had some success elsewhere that will play a heavy amount of snaps by default. Williams broke out in 2016 (69/1,059/7), but he has hovered in the 651-728 yardage range since then excluding last season's injured campaign (shoulder).
T.J. Hockenson: Hockenson basically doubled up his rookie production with 67 catches for 723 yards and six touchdowns. Given the turnover of the wide receiver corps, Hockenson could be forced into an even higher-volume role in 2021.
