As the fantasy season comes to a close, let's take a moment to reflect on the year's results at tight end, the most maligned positional group in fantasy football.
Just as everyone expected, a rookie is in line to take home the TE1 title. Brock Bowers is a PPR machine, and it appears that he'll be the face of the tight end position for years to come.
The veterans are having solid seasons as well. After being labeled a generational bust, Mark Andrews has surged in the back half of the year and is now the TE6 through 16 weeks. Arguably the biggest surprise is Jonnu Smith, who has found new life in Miami and is the TE1 since Week 7.
While taking a look back at the season's results is fun, there are still fantasy playoff matchups to be played. With the Sporting News' tight end rankings, fantasy managers should be good to go in their TE slot.
WEEK 17 FANTASY FOOTBALL RANKINGS
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/ST | Kickers
Rankings based on PPR scoring. These rankings were updated on Dec. 23 and will be updated throughout the week, so check back often.
After 16 weeks, Trey McBride remains on touchdown watch. He now has 92 receptions on the year without a single receiving touchdown. Even without a trip to the endzone (through the air) this year, McBride remains an incredibly valuable fantasy asset thanks to his voluminous role. He's a weekly threat for 10-plus targets and has the playmaking ability to produce with those targets.
The NFL hasn't seen a TE talent quite like Brock Bowers in some time. After hauling in a casual 11 receptions for 99 yards last week, Bowers is just five receptions away from breaking Puka Nacua's record for receptions by a rookie. He's the focal point of the Las Vegas offense and is a true threat in fantasy despite the Raiders' abysmal offense.
George Kittle is the final member of the trio of truly elite fantasy tight ends. He maintains a consistent role in the San Francisco offense and sees enough looks in the red zone to find the endzone on a regular basis. It seems like Kittle is ripping off multiple 30-yard receptions or scoring a touchdown (or both) every week. He's been among fantasy's top tight ends for years and nothing has changed this season.
The injury to Tank Dell opened the door for Dalton Schultz to take on a significant role in the Houston offense last week against the Chiefs. He drew eight targets (his highest mark of the season) and hauled in a touchdown to bring his fantasy scoring total to 15.5 points. The Ravens have been vulnerable through the air all year, and we could easily see C.J. Stroud have his best game of the season while getting Schultz heavily involved.
Hunter Henry is one of the tight ends who absolutely needs to be rostered due to his weekly target projection. The Patriots' passing attack flows through Henry, and he has led the Patriots in targets in four of the last five weeks. When a tight end can see 25-30 percent of the targets in any given week, they are worthy of being in starting lineups in larger leagues.
Chig Okonkwo is a clear sleeper option this week and could reasonably be viewed as a top-12 tight end. He's taken on a massive workload in recent weeks, drawing 21 targets across his last two games. It appears that he's Mason Rudolph's preferred safety blanket, and he's settling in as the Titans' No. 2 receiving option behind Calvin Ridley. Against the abysmal Jacksonville defense this week, the Titans could have a solid outing on offense, bringing Okonkwo along for a big day in fantasy.
Oftentimes at tight end, you're simply playing the touchdown lottery and looking for a fantasy-friendly game that could lead to a tight end coming down with a reception in the endzone. We'll be chasing that touchdown in Bears vs. Seahawks this week. The Chicago defense has frankly been a liability lately and we could see a big day out of Geno Smith and the Seattle offense. If Noah Fant can shake free and snag a touchdown, he could be a top-12 tight end on the week.
Will Dissly missed Week 16 with a shoulder injury. He is not a significant fantasy asset, but his presence would shake up the Chargers' TE room and overall passing attack.