Ranking fantasy football tight ends 1-40 ahead of 2026

It's peak fantasy football draft season. Running backs and wide receivers may headline fantasy drafts, but few positions can swing a league quite like tight end. In a landscape we call a "wasteland," where reliable production is hard to find, securing an elite tight end creates one of the biggest po

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What is the story about?

It's peak fantasy football draft season.

Running backs and wide receivers may headline fantasy drafts, but few positions can swing a league quite like tight end.

In a landscape we call a "wasteland," where reliable production is hard to find, securing an elite tight end creates one of the biggest positional advantages in fantasy football. Brock Bowers sits atop the rankings alongside Trey McBride as the gold standard at the position, while second-year stars Tyler Warren and Colston Loveland appear next in rankings.

After the top names come off the board, the search for value begins. Fortunately, this year's tight end pool features several intriguing breakout candidates and late-round sleepers capable of delivering league-winning returns.

Who are

the best fantasy football tight ends in 2026? Here's a look at USA TODAY Sports' preseason fantasy TE rankings.

2026 POSITION RANKINGS: QB | RB | WR | K | D/ST

Fantasy football rankings: TE

1. Brock Bowers, Las Vegas Raiders. Your TE1 is Brock Bowers. Entering his third NFL season, Bowers is in position to push for historic numbers. He delivered on high expectations as a rookie, posting record-breaking stats, but followed it up with a disappointing second season in Las Vegas after suffering a knee injury in Week 1 of 2025. The Raiders offense is projected to improve with Kirk Cousins and Fernando Mendoza in the mix under center. The 23-year-old is an elite asset with little competition for targets.

2. Trey McBride, Arizona Cardinals. The Cardinals tight end finished as TE1 in 2025. He led the position with a league-high 27.3% target rate and his 33 red zone targets dominated the position. McBride's 126 receptions set a single-season franchise record and were the most by a tight end in a single season all-time. He finished with 11 touchdowns after recording just two the year prior and had a strong rapport with quarterback Jacoby Brissett. Only Ja’Marr Chase has more receptions (252) over the last two seasons. A case can be made for McBride and Bowers to go before the start of the third round in drafts of all shapes and sizes.

3. Tyler Warren, Indianapolis Colts. Warren beats out Colston Loveland in our ranks because he faces lesser target competition with the Colts. Warren excelled in Shane Steichen's RPO-heavy offense, catching 76 of his 112 targets for 817 yards and four TDs. Indy traded away veteran wide receiver Michel Pittman Jr. to the Pittsburgh Steelers this offseason, setting the stage for Warren to be a massive target earner.

4. Colston Loveland, Chicago Bears. Though ranked behind Warren, Loveland has perhaps the higher ceiling. This offseason, Chicago traded DJ Moore to the Buffalo Bills, which will open up more targets. He finished his rookie campaign strong with 25 targets across Chicago's two playoff games. In his last 12 games, he caught 59 passes for 790 yards and six TDs.

5. Tucker Kraft, Green Bay Packers. Kraft took a significant leap in 2024, finishing with over 700 yards and seven touchdowns. Through seven games in 2025, he was on pace for over 1,000 yards and 13 TDs. He suffered a torn ACL, cutting his season short, but appears on track to play in Week 1. Green Bay lost Romeo Doubs in free agency, who vacated a team-high 83 targets. Kraft is a top 5 option when healthy.

6. George Kittle, San Francisco 49ers. Despite missing five games, Kittle finished 2025 as the No. 13 TE in PPR scoring. He finished first among 37 qualified tight ends with a PFF grade of 90.8. Unfortunately, he tore his Achilles in the playoffs, but could be ready for Week 1 and even traveled with the 49ers for the opening game in Australia. The Niners added Mike Evans and Deebo Samuel in free agency and drafted De'Zhuan Stribling. Kittle remains a high-end TE1, but the uncertainty around his recovery is why he lands here in the ranks.

7. Isaiah Likely, New York Giants. Likely joined the New York Giants in free agency following head coach John Harbaugh from Baltimore. He is just 25 years old, having played second-fiddle to Mark Andrews throughout his first four seasons in Baltimore, but he is expected to be a focal point in the passing game alongside Malik Nabers. New offensive coordinator Matt Nagy comes over from Kansas City, where he used Travis Kelce to create mismatches. Likely has top five upside and could be viewed as a "safer" pick than Kittle or Kraft coming off injuries.

8. Sam LaPorta, Detroit Lions. LaPorta suffered a back injury that ended his 2025 season after just nine games. It marked the second consecutive year the Lions star dealt with injuries after finishing his rookie season as the overall TE1. He still has that same upside heading into his fourth NFL season. New offensive coordinator Drew Petzing comes over from Arizona, where he ran a tight-end-friendly scheme around McBride. There should be no shortage of offense to go around with the Lions, who scored the third-most points per game last season (28.3).

9. Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs. Kelce bounced back statistically in 2025. He hauled in 76 receptions on 103 targets for 851 receiving yards and 5 touchdowns. Kelce is no longer the elite fantasy player he once was, but he has played at least 15 games in 12 straight seasons, giving him a high floor.

10. Kyle Pitts, Atlanta Falcons. Pitts finally delivered for fantasy managers in 2025, catching 88 of his 118 targets for 928 yards and five TDs (career-high). He finished as the No. 2 TE in PPR scoring, which will be tough to replicate. Pitts will likely be catching passes from Tua Tagovailoa as Michael Penix Jr. continues to recover from a torn ACL.

11. Harold Fannin Jr., Cleveland Browns. The second-year TE was a pleasant surprise in 2025, finishing as the No. 6 TE in PPR scoring. He is entrenched in an offense that Todd Monken is taking over. The 22-year-old from Bowling Green is positioned for success despite the question marks at quarterback.

12. Dalton Kincaid, Buffalo Bills. The former first-round pick is a post-hype sleeper. Entering his fourth season in a Josh Allen-led offense, there's an opportunity for Kincaid to boom. His 24% targets per route run in 2025 were tied for the highest among all tight ends. The 26-year-old could land inside the top five with more route participation.

13. Juwan Johnson, New Orleans Saints. Johnson finished inside the top 10 among TEs in PPR leagues in 2025. He emerged as rookie Tyler Shough’s second go-to target behind Chris Olave. Little target competition remains while rookie wide receiver Jordyn Tyson remains sidelined. He will be a solid weekly option until Tyson is up to speed.

14. Dallas Goedert, Philadelphia Eagles. Goedert’s upside is immense with A.J. Brown no longer an Eagle. Goedert is in a position to be the second option in Philadelphia's offense behind DeVonta Smith and clearly has the trust of Jalen Hurts. He accounted for 40.9% of the team’s targets inside the 10-yard line, which resulted in a career-high 11 TDs in 2025.

15. Jake Ferguson, Dallas Cowboys. Ferguson finds himself as the third option in the Cowboys' passing attack behind CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens. This will likely keep him firmly outside a top-10 finish at the position, but he should have a safe floor week-to-week with Dak Prescott healthy.

16. Mark Andrews, Baltimore Ravens. Andrews saw his yards per route run drop for the fourth consecutive year and finished with a career-low 422 receiving yards despite playing all 17 games in 2025. Still, he has built an incredible rapport with Lamar Jackson and with Likely out of the building, there is even less target competition. Andrews is in line for a slight resurgence as Baltimore enters 2026 with a clean bill of health.

17. T.J. Hockenson, Minnesota Vikings. The former first-round pick will be entering a contract season. He's been extremely efficient since joining Kevin O'Connell's offense in Minnesota and will be catching passes from Kyler Murray in 2026, which could be a significant boost to his fantasy stock.

18. Chig Okonkwo, Tennessee Titans. The most under-the-radar free agent signing among tight ends was Okonkwo to the Commanders - a perfect fit with Jayden Daniels. Okonkwo had inconsistent quarterback play throughout his time in Tennessee but he's never lacked talent. Zach Ertz is a free agent, and he finished as TE7 in 2024 with a healthy Daniels. Okonkwo is a sneaky option who can be selected late in drafts.

19. Hunter Henry, New England Patriots. Another veteran with a safe floor, Henry has built a strong rapport with Drake Maye. He finished as TE9 in 2025 after reeling in 60 catches for over 700 yards and seven TDs. The team signed Romeo Doubs and traded for A.J. Brown so he faces more target competition. Still, Henry could make up for the lack of target volume if he becomes Maye's favorite red zone target.

20. Pat Freiermuth, Pittsburgh Steelers. The Steelers tight end recorded career-highs with 653 yards, 65 receptions and seven touchdowns in 2024 but he fell off a bit with Aaron Rodgers under center in 2025. That could also be attributed to the presence of Jonnu Smith, who was released this offseason, opening the door for a bounce-back season under new head coach Mike McCarthy.

21. Oronde Gadsden, Los Angeles Chargers. Gadsden is in a crowded offense with the Chargers but new offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel should help unlock the uber-athletic 22-year-old. Gadsden finished last season as TE16 in half-PPR scoring and showed flashes of his top-10 upside at the position. Keenan Allen left in free agency and vacated 122 targets.

22. Brenton Strange, Jacksonville Jaguars. Jacksonville’s offense excelled with Liam Coen. Trevor Lawrence previously supported Evan Engram as an elite fantasy tight end, which gives hope that there's breakout potential for Strange. However, other weapons in the Jaguars offense (Brian Thomas Jr., Parker Washington, Jakobi Meyers) will compete with him for targets.

23. Dalton Schultz, Houston Texans. The veteran tight end has limited upside in Houston’s offense. He lacks explosiveness and relies on volume, which creates volatility alongside Nico Collins.

24. Terrance Ferguson, Los Angeles Rams. Ferguson was drafted in the second round in 2025 and remains in a crowded TE room with the Rams. Still, the offense is coached by Sean McVay, and catching passes from reigning MVP Matthew Stafford could set the 23-year-old up for a breakout season. If he can earn more playing time, his 17.5 aDOT - which led the position in 2025 - would likely fall, but he could surprise as a late-round flier.

25. Greg Dulcich (Miami Dolphins). Dulcich has always been an intriguing player with strong receiving skills as a tight end but has struggled to stay on the field, playing fewer than 50% of games since entering the league in 2022. He’s back on the radar in 2026 with the Dolphins. Miami is lacking depth at wide receiver so the 26-year-old is in line for a decent target share for a team that projects to play from behind plenty.

26. Gunnar Helm, Tennessee Titans. The 2025 fourth-round pick is the TE1 for the Titans and Cam Ward. Tennessee struggled as a whole but there’s a chance for Helm to break out with Okonkwo moving on to Washington and Brian Daboll taking over as offensive coordinator.

27. AJ Barner, Seattle Seahawks. Barner made his presence felt throughout Seattle’s Super Bowl run and that success could carry over into 2026. He struggled with volume as the fourth and fifth option in the offense but he became a favorite red-zone target of Sam Darnold, which could buoy any tight end in fantasy. If he can hold off second-year TE Elijah Arroyo, a similar season in production can be expected for Barner.

28. Mike Gesicki, Cincinnati Bengals. The veteran tight end remains in Cincinnati and is clearly below Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins in the pecking order. He’s still a red zone weapon for Joe Burrow. His best fantasy days are behind him, but he can provide some boom weeks if Burrow puts together an MVP-caliber season.