Anyone who has played fantasy football before knows just how much of a headache it is trying to sort out tight end rankings. It’s an impossible guessing game each and every week to determine who to start or who you should avoid unless you have one of the top-tier TE options.
Here at Pro Football Network, we do the research so you can walk into your draft confident that you’re going to put together a league-dominating fantasy squad. With that in mind, here are my top 50 TE rankings going into the 2023 NFL season.
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Which TEs Should You Draft in Fantasy Football?
Be sure to check out Yates’ other positional rankings: QB | WR | RB | K | DST
1) Travis Kelce | KC
2) Mark Andrews | BAL
3) T.J. Hockenson | MIN
4) Dallas Goedert | PHI
5) George Kittle | SF
6) Kyle Pitts | ATL
7) Darren Waller | NYG
8) David Njoku | CLE
9) Evan Engram | JAX
10) Pat Freiermuth | PIT
11) Cole Kmet | CHI
12) Tyler Higbee | LAR
13) Chigoziem Okonkwo | TEN
14) Greg Dulcich | DEN
15) Dalton Schultz | HOU
16) Dalton Kincaid | BUF
17) Hayden Hurst | CAR
18) Hunter Henry | NE
19) Juwan Johnson | NO
20) Sam LaPorta | DET
21) Luke Musgrave | GB
22) Cade Otton | TB
23) Gerald Everett | LAC
24) Dawson Knox | BUF
25) Mike Gesicki | NE
26) Trey McBride | ARI
27) Zach Ertz | ARI
28) Noah Fant | SEA
29) Irv Smith Jr. | CIN
30) Taysom Hill | NO
31) Michael Mayer | LV
32) Jelani Woods | IND
33) Isaiah Likely | BAL
34) Logan Thomas | WAS
35) Daniel Bellinger | NYG
36) Austin Hooper | LV
37) Tyler Conklin | NYJ
38) Jake Ferguson | DAL
39) Robert Tonyan | CHI
40) Luke Schoonmaker | DAL
41) Jonnu Smith | ATL
42) Darnell Washington | PIT
43) Foster Moreau | NO
44) Tucker Kraft | GB
45) Brevin Jordan | HOU
46) Will Dissly | SEA
47) Adam Trautman | DEN
48) Noah Gray | KC
49) Donald Parham Jr. | LAC
50) Mo Alie-Cox | IND
Top TEs To Draft in 2023
T.J. Hockenson, Minnesota Vikings
T.J. Hockenson was a solid fantasy contributor in Detroit, but he was shipped off in a midseason trade last year that made him a member of the Minnesota Vikings.
HOCKENSON. What a grab!@Vikings take the lead!
📺: #NYGvsMIN on FOX
📱: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/AJ2krgfBrW pic.twitter.com/CKHCls11me— NFL (@NFL)
Heading into 2023, Hockenson should easily be the No. 2 receiving target in Minnesota’s offense now that Adam Thielen is in Carolina. With K.J. Osborn — and rookie WR Jordan Addison — battling for targets behind him, Hockenson could easily see the second-most targets at the TE position in the entire NFL when it’s all said and done.
For an offense that’s going to throw the ball 40+ times per game due to the state of their defense, Hockenson’s in line for a massive opportunity this season, and we know he has the talent to make it count.
Hunter Henry, New England Patriots
Henry’s been essentially buried in ADP going into the 2023 NFL season. You have to reach for him in your drafts, but there’s a reason why I have him 10+ spots higher than ADP in my TE rankings.
We’ve seen in the past the good things that a Bill O’Brien offense can do for the tight end position. In 2011, when O’Brien was previously the offensive coordinator for New England, Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez combined for 237 targets and 24 touchdowns!
MORE: Jason Katz’s Must-Have Tight Ends To Draft in 2023!
It’s certainly unwise to predict anywhere close to that level of production for the veteran TE this season in New England. Still, when there are so few other proven receiving options in this offense already, Henry could be the featured option right away.
If you want to wait until the final round to get a tight end, draft Henry and see what his usage is like going into Week 1. If he’s not as involved as I’m predicting, you can release Henry to the waiver wire and go pick up another option that produced. There’s no downside to adding him to your roster at his current draft cost.