TE Forecasts

Travis Kelce 2022 Outlook: Star TE Will Benefit From Less Target Competition

Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce has been the gold standard at the position over the past half-decade. He turned in yet another excellent fantasy season in 2021, finishing with 92 catches for 1,125 yards and nine touchdowns. Kelce will be all that remains of Patrick Mahomes' favorite targets over the past few years after the Chiefs traded Tyreek Hill to the Miami Dolphins during the offseason. Hill soaked up 159 targets in 2021, vacating a 25.1% target share in Kansas City. The Chiefs added JuJu Smith-Schuster as a free-agent and drafted Skyy Moore in the second round, but it is Kelce who has the rapport and chemistry with Mahomes. Despite him entering his age 32 season, Kelce remains an elite fantasy asset worth taking as the first tight end off the board as early as the second round in drafts.

Mark Andrews 2023 Outlook: More Target Competition But More Overall Volume

Baltimore Ravens tight end Mark Andrews is right in the mix for the second-best tight end in the NFL behind Travis Kelce. He has a 1,361-yard season on his resume and three other seasons of at least 700 yards receiving -- all in a run-first Ravens' offense. However, it appears Baltimore's offense will see a philosophy change under new offensive coordinator Todd Monken, meaning more overall passing attempts for Lamar Jackson. Andrews will have his stiffest competition for targets in 2023 with Odell Beckham Jr. Rashod Bateman, and Zay Flowers in the mix, but the increase in volume should make up for the potential target share regression. There's also a real chance Andrews is still the bonafide No. 1 option for Jackson and the team should be expected to have one of the highest-scoring offenses in 2023. At worst, he'll be a top-three option for Jackson, but his top target in the red zone. Ultimately, he has a mid-level TE1 floor and TE1 overall ceiling after a few seasons of high-upside play at the scarce position for fantasy production.

T.J. Hockenson 2022 NFL Player Outlook: More Competition In A Better Offense

Detroit Lions tight end T.J. Hockenson was the projected target leader of a thin receiving corps entering 2021. Unfortunately, injury and inconsistency led to a real disappointing season, finishing as the TE15 with just 62 receptions for 583 yards and four touchdowns. Additionally, what really hurt fantasy managers was producing less than five fantasy points in three of his twelve weeks, including zero total points in Week 9. Detroit's offense was 25th in points per game in 2021, so there is certainly room for improvement. On the other hand, having a healthy D'Andre Swift, the emergence of Amon-Ra St. Brown, the signing of D.J. Chark, and moving up in Round 1 to draft Jameson Williams will create a lot more competition for targets. The 24-year-old is immensely talented with proven production, finishing as the TE4 in 2020. He also possesses high draft capital, taken 8th overall in the 2019 draft, which is incredibly early for a tight end. Hockenson is currently ranked 6th in Rotoballer's rankings with an ADP of 74 overall, requiring a bet on talent and an improved offense for him to return value compared to other players in that range.

George Kittle 2022 Outlook: The People’s Tight End May Be Fool’s Gold For Fantasy

San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle remains one of the more expensive players at his position entering his sixth season. The 28-year-old is consistently regarded as one of the best players in football at any position, but his fantasy production has been somewhat erratic considering his draft capital. Kittle led all tight ends last year with a 92.7% snap share, yet somehow only managed eight red-zone targets. This disconnect may not be a fluke, as his elite blocking skills may favor his usage in the run game when the offense approaches the end zone. With an ADP settling in around 47 as the TE4, just behind Atlanta Falcons Kyle Pitts and ahead of Las Vegas Raiders Darren Waller, his relative ranking among tight ends seems fair. Still, his overall ADP could be a bit high considering the question marks around the offense and his inconsistent role in the passing game. With Trey Lance likely to take the reins at quarterback, Kittle's scoring opportunities could face even more significant challenges due to increased RPOs. It could be worth addressing other positions in the middle rounds of drafts and seeking value at tight end late as opposed to selecting Kittle.

Dallas Goedert 2023 Outlook: Flying High In Philly – But Not Top-Five Tight End High

The Zach Ertz Era is clearly in the rearview mirror with Philadelphia Eagles fans and fantasy football managers. Dallas Goedert has solidified himself as the top tight end on the NFC Champions and one of the top tight ends in fantasy football. If he did not miss five games due to a shoulder injury, Goedert would have recorded his second-straight 800-yard year in 2022. His 55-702-3 line was possibly disappointing to some of his fantasy managers, but the stats still made Goedert a top-10 fantasy TE. Goedert is not the main man Philadelphia's passing attack since wonderful wideouts A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith combined for 281 targets on the 536 passing attempts the Eagles had last year. Goedert could have a career year if he stays healthy (he's missed games in each of the past four seasons), but you cannot project him for more than 900 yards and six scores because he is part of a run-first offense with two Pro Bowl-caliber receivers ahead of him on the target totem pole. Goedert is certainly a top-10 fantasy tight end, but unless everything breaks right for him it will be difficult for him to end up as a top-five TE.