Looking for an edge at tight end in Week 15? With injuries and disappointing early performances thinning out the position, hungry fantasy football managers need to hit the waiver wire for upside and volume. If stability and upside are what’s needed, these are the tight ends who could tip the scales in Week 15 fantasy matchups.
These rankings were last updated at 7:00 AM ET on Sunday, December 14, 2025.
Week 15 Fantasy TE Rankings
1) Brock Bowers | Las Vegas Raiders (at PHI)
2) Trey McBride | Arizona Cardinals (at HOU)
3) George Kittle | San Francisco 49ers (vs. TEN)
4) Tyler Warren | Indianapolis Colts (at SEA)
5) Travis Kelce | Kansas City Chiefs (vs. LAC)
6) Mark Andrews | Baltimore Ravens (at CIN)
7) Harold Fannin Jr. | Cleveland Browns (at CHI)
8) Brenton Strange | Jacksonville Jaguars (vs. NYJ)
9) Kyle Pitts Sr. | Atlanta Falcons (at TB)
10) Jake Ferguson | Dallas Cowboys (vs. MIN)
11) Dalton Kincaid | Buffalo Bills (at NE)
12) Juwan Johnson | New Orleans Saints (vs. CAR)
13) Hunter Henry | New England Patriots (vs. BUF)
14) Theo Johnson | New York Giants (vs. WAS)
15) Colston Loveland | Chicago Bears (vs. CLE)
16) Isaiah Likely | Baltimore Ravens (at CIN)
17) Dallas Goedert | Philadelphia Eagles (vs. LV)
18) Oronde Gadsden II | Los Angeles Chargers (at KC)
19) Darren Waller | Miami Dolphins (at PIT)
20) AJ Barner | Seattle Seahawks (vs. IND)
21) Dalton Schultz | Houston Texans (vs. ARI)
22) Colby Parkinson | Los Angeles Rams (vs. DET)
23) Evan Engram | Denver Broncos (vs. GB)
24) Darnell Washington | Pittsburgh Steelers (vs. MIA)
25) T.J. Hockenson | Minnesota Vikings (at DAL)
26) Gunnar Helm | Tennessee Titans (at SF)
27) Chig Okonkwo | Tennessee Titans (at SF)
28) Mike Gesicki | Cincinnati Bengals (vs. BAL)
29) Pat Freiermuth | Pittsburgh Steelers (vs. MIA)
30) Dawson Knox | Buffalo Bills (at NE)
31) Jonnu Smith | Pittsburgh Steelers (vs. MIA)
32) Ja’Tavion Sanders | Carolina Panthers (at NO)
Mark Andrews, TE, Baltimore Ravens (at CIN)
One of the more baffling decisions you will see from an NFL team is the extension the Baltimore Ravens just gave Mark Andrews. The once elite tight end is on his last legs. I would be stunned if he remained on the team for the duration of his deal. He is completely washed.
With that said, nothing matters when facing the Cincinnati Bengals, a defense that has a moral opposition to covering tight ends.
The Bengals are not just bad against tight ends; they are historically bad. Never in the history of football has the gap between the team allowing the most fantasy points per game to the position and the second most been this large.
Last week, I recommended Dalton Kincaid. That worked out because he scored, but it was actually Dawson Knox who smashed. Two weeks ago, Andrews was on this list against the Bengals the first time around. He was merely fine, as Isaiah Likely smashed. Here’s to hoping we don’t get burned by the TE2 outproducing the TE1 for a third straight week.
Theo Johnson, TE, New York Giants (vs. WAS)
Prior to the New York Giants’ Week 14 bye, Theo Johnson had a middling game with three receptions for 29 yards. On the surface, it’s nothing to really care about. But Johnson saw eight targets in that contest. Jaxson Dart looked for him frequently against a Patriots defense that is middle of the pack against tight ends.
This week, the Giants get a Commanders team allowing the second-most fantasy points per game to the position. It is worth noting that the second and seventh-worst teams against tight ends are packed pretty tightly together. This is still a favorable matchup, though.
Wan’Dale Robinson remains the top option in the passing game. But there is no clear No. 2. In a game that could be a sneaky shootout between two teams playing out lost seasons, Johnson is a very viable streamer this week.
Evan Engram | DEN (vs GB)
The broadcast suggested that the Raiders viewed stopping Evan Engram as a priority, and while I think that’s an interesting approach, they did it.
And lost.
I disagree with the approach in large part because the Broncos have been pretty good at stopping him (one game with 50+ yards and no more than 2 receptions in 3 of his past 5). Engram has one score this season, and all of the “Sean Payton wants a Joker in his offense” talk can go to bed at this point.
This could be a knock-out, drag-out type of game in Denver, a fun watch, but not one that has me overextending for tight ends with limited usage. Last week, Courtland Sutton earned 10 targets and RJ Harvey six, while nine others saw 1-4 looks. That’s the chaotic signature of Payton and has me dumping any Engram shares in favor of the best option on the wire (I’d go as low as Theo Johnson or Darren Waller).
George Kittle | SF (vs TEN)
George Kittle was shut out in his first game back from injury in Week 7 against the Falcons, a game in which the 49ers massively prioritized Christian McCaffrey. Still, he’s caught 4+ passes in every game since and has seen a target share north of 21% in four consecutive games (over that stretch: 18.2 PPR PPG).
By nature of how this offense functions, Kittle doesn’t have Trey McBride-like upside, but when it comes to the second tier at the position, he’s as good an option as there is.
A dud performance is certainly possible if San Francisco controls this game from start to finish, but I’d rather worry about that than talent or role. You’re starting Kittle with confidence this weekend, and his fantasy value could spike over the final two weeks with the Colts and Bears up next.
Brenton Strange | JAX (vs NYJ)
This Jags run is a fun one, and with it has come a new tight end that we can count on.
There’s risk involved, but that’s the case with all but a few TEs in 2025. Brenton Strange has hauled in 31 of 39 targets this season, is averaging nearly 12 yards per catch, and is viewed as an important piece on a motivated offense.
If you’re asking for more, you’re getting greedy.
The 5.7 PPR points last week weren’t ideal, but in a game where Jakobi Meyers earns nearly one-third of the targets, and Brian Thomas makes a few splash plays, a six-target showing should be viewed as a net win, even if the production wasn’t up to your standards.
We just saw the Jets get beaten into the turf by the Dolphins last week, and if the Jags have similar success, you’re looking at 8-12 PPR points as a very likely outcome, a result that would land him safely inside the top 10 at the position.
Brock Bowers | LV (at PHI)
I look forward to the offseason research piece on whether the fear of a bad offense outweighs the talent of a play more often than not. I have Brock Bowers in a league, and it seems like every Sunday, I’ll turn my attention to the Raiders game, see two stuffed runs and a sack, and ask myself why I thought spending up on a player attached to this nonsense was a bulletproof plan.
By the end of the day, however, Bowers typically hits his quota of one highlight play, and it usually has some nice fantasy value attached to it.
Michael Mayer (ankle) was inactive last week against the Broncos, though he could return. Bowers capped Vegas’ masterpiece of a first drive on Sunday with a 15-yard score, but he managed just 31 yards the rest of the game with the Geno Smith/Kenny Pickett duo unable to find consistent chunk plays, as per usual.
Bowers is great, and I think there’s a world in which Ashton Jeanty is too: this offseason is going to be critical in terms of roster construction when it comes to their respective 2026 ADPs. As for this week, you just keep plowing through.
You don’t have to watch the game to get credit for the fantasy points, so I’d suggest something more fun for your Sunday afternoon.
It’s a long list of things that are more fun than watching the 2025 Raiders play football.
Chig Okonkwo | TEN (at SF)
An athletic 26-year-old tight end with a 77.4% catch rate this season from a rookie quarterback is interesting when looking long-term, but Chig Okonkwo isn’t close to viable right now and shouldn’t be counted on to breakout over this next month just because you’d like him to.
His next end zone target will be his first, and he only has one red zone touch all season. His 25.1 routes per game make for a nice note, but until Cam Ward turns them into something, we can’t assume that fantasy numbers are going to pop up out of thin air.
