The next time I update these Dynasty tight end rankings, players will be in pads at training camp. Well, they'll be at camp at least; there's not very long at all that they'll actually be in pads. The point is, values are going to start swinging, rightly or wrongly, based on beat writer reports, coach speak, and depth charts.
I can hardly wait.
Before we get to training camp and the preseason, I thought it might be helpful to highlight three tight ends you can buy now whose value could spike with a good camp. What makes it even better is that I am higher than consensus on all these TEs, so you should be able to buy for less than what my rankings would suggest, and then see their value rise from there.
Pat Freiermuth
My Rank: TE6
Consensus: TE7
I believe too many people are expecting George Pickens to make a big target leap at the expense of Freiermuth. Last year, the second-year tight end saw 14 more targets than Pickens despite playing one fewer game. Freiermuth is just the eighth tight end in the last 30 years to earn 170 targets and deliver more than 1,200 yards in their first two years in the league. Others on that list are George Kittle, Evan Engram, Rob Gronkowski, Jimmy Graham, Jason Witten, and Jeremy Shockey.
If Kenny Pickett improves, Freiermuth has a legitimate shot at a top-three season this year, which may very well vault him into the top three in Dynasty tight end rankings.
Dalton Schultz
My Rank: TE13
Consensus: TE17
Schultz may seem an off choice in a discussion about Dynasty upside. He'll turn 27 in July, he left Dallas what is projected to be a bad Texans offense, and he's never averaged even 50 yards per game. At tight end, upside often comes from opportunity and the Texans do not currently have a surefire WR1. Schultz's new offensive coordinator is also George Kittle's former passing game coordinator.
There is a chance that Schultz is the most targeted player in Houston this season. Bad offense or not, that is where breakout tight ends come from. Some positive camp buzz about his roll could easily bump him into the top-12 in Dynasty and a high-volume start to the season could move him past veterans like Evan Engram and Darren Waller, maybe even Kittle himself.
Trey McBride
My Rank: TE16
Consensus: TE18
This one is simple. If the Cardinals find some way to get Zach Ertz off their roster, McBride will leap into the top 12 in Dynasty and he may get close in redraft. While there are concerns about how bad this Cardinals offense will be, there should be none about McBride. He posted 90 catches for 1,121 yards in his final season at Colorado State and ran a 4.6-second 40-yard dash at 245 pounds at the combine. His longterm upside is higher than Freiermuth or Schultz, but it is hard to value him that way if he's going to spend the 2023 season as a TE2 on a bad team.
Here are my updated Dynasty tight end rankings:
