Fantasy Football TE Rankings Week 1: Who to start, best sleepers at tight end | Sporting News (2024)

There were several years in fantasy football where tight ends were almost an afterthought. If you didn't draft one of the top two or three tight ends, then you were almost better off just punting the position. It became almost as common to stream tight ends as it was to stream defenses -- ok, maybe it wasn't quite that bad, but tight end streaming was a thing.

Things started to change over the last couple of seasons though as new, uber-athletic tight ends entered the league. It used to be assumed that a tight end would rarely put up significant fantasy production as a rookie. But the mold has since been broken. Kyle Pitts made a big splash in his rookie year (although it's hard to remember after his last two seasons), Sam LaPorta broke records last year as a rookie, and Trey McBride and Dalton Kincaid made instant impacts for their teams as well. The position is much deeper, and there are much tougher decisions to be made this season.

Remember, the rankings below are for Week 1 ONLY. If you still have drafts coming up before the season kicks off, remember to check out all of our Ultimate Cheat Sheet, which includes rankings, positional tiers, sleepers, busts, injury updates, and much more!

DOMINATE YOUR DRAFT: 2024 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet

Who are the best fantasy TEs Week 1?

While the position is indeed much deeper than in past years, LaPorta and Travis Kelce are still in a tier of their own at the position. Expect the Rams and Lions to be in a back-and-forth battle, which should mean plenty of Goff throwing LaPorta's way. And until Kelce stops putting up big time production with Patrick Mahomes, are you going to bet against him? Kelce is 34, in a serious relationship with mega pop star Taylor Swift, and has no shortage of projects off the field, but it still feels, and more importantly LOOKS like Mahomes and Kelce can connect at will. Sometimes it looks like Mahomes is just playing with his food out there, but when it's time to buckle down and make a play, Kelce is still the guy.

But youngsters McBride and Kincaid should be right up there as well. They need to take another step to get into that tier, but it wouldn't be surprising to see either or both of them do that this season.

WEEK 1 FANTASY FOOTBALL PPR RANKINGS
QB |RB | WR| TE

Who are the best fantasy TE waiver pickups Week 1?

Taysom Hill is only rostered in 44% of leagues right now. It wasn't that long ago that he was made QB-eligible on the platform, so that percentage could continue to climb as more and more drafts are conducted. But if you've already drafted, and he's out there, he's worth a pickup. Dennis Allen continues to talk up his versatility. Any player who has the ability to potentially run, pass, and throw for a touchdown in the same game is worth having at the end of your bench until we get more clarity on what is role will be.

If you're looking for a deeper waiver wire pickup to stash, take a look at Tyler Conklin.Since assuming TE1 duties in 2021, Conklin has seen exactly 87 targets in three straight seasons. Last season, 87 targets ranked 13th among TEs. And Aaron Rodgers has been known to go to his tight ends over the years. As he gets used to playing with the Jets' offense, Rodgers could lean on Conklin as a safety valve. Conklin is only rostered in 20% of Yahoo! leagues.

2024 PPR FANTASY DRAFT RANKINGS
Top 250 Overall | QB |RB | WR| TE|DEF/ST| K

Who are the best fantasy TE sleepers Week 1?

Not only is he a waiver wire option, but Taysom Hill is also a potential sleeper in Week 1. Why? Well, he's pretty much a sleeper every week. With his diverse skill set, he has the potential to go off in any given week. Predicting those weeks is much tougher, but the upside is there - a true boom or bust.

It's a struggle finding any other true sleepers for Week 1, so we'll go the opposite route and give you a bust. Despite solid production in the past, all signs point to a down year for Pittsburgh's Pat Freiermuth. Not only was he losing snaps to Darnell Washington, but we also saw what Arthur Smith did to Kyle Pitts. While Muth is more than capable of hauling in receptions, Smith may keep him in to block too often to be very productive.

2024 FANTASY SLEEPERS
QB|RB|WR|TE|D/ST|Deep Sleepers|Sleepers by Team

What are the biggest TE injuries Week 1?

The most notable injured tight end by far is T.J. Hockenson who went down with an ACL tear at the end of last season for the Vikings. He should return this season, but there hasn't been a definitive timeline. If you have the luxury of utilizing an IR spot on him, Hockenson is more than deserving if you can wait out his absence.

Mark Andrews is a perennial top tight end, but he was in a car accident three weeks ago. He finally returned to practice on Aug. 30, so we expect to see him suit up for Week 1's epic clash against the Chiefs Thursday night, but will he be at 100%?

Fantasy TE Rankings Week 1: Who to start, sit at tight end

Rankings based on PPR scoring