Now that the 2023 regular season is over, it's time for us to look ahead to the 2024 campaign. We know you're like us and already eager for those Fantasy drafts to begin for next season.
With that in mind, here is the first run of our 2024 top 12 tight ends from me, Adam Aizer, Heath Cummings, Jacob Gibbs, Dave Richard, Dan Schneier and Chris Towers. These rankings will change many times between now and July when training camp starts, especially with free agency and the NFL Draft.
But we're ready to get started on the 2024 season, and we love doing rankings. First, let's take a look back at what happened in 2023.
Here are the top 12 tight ends from this past season based on PPR points per game:
1. Travis Kelce 14.63
2. T.J. Hockenson 14.6
3. Mark Andrews 13.5
4. Sam LaPorta 13.3
5. George Kittle 12.7
6. David Njoku 12.6
7. Evan Engram 12.1
8. Cole Kmet 10.2
9. Trey McBride 9.9
10. Jake Ferguson 9.7
11. Dallas Goedert 9.6
12. Dalton Schultz 9.4
Tight end is headed for some turnover in 2024 after what we saw in 2023 when Kelce declined, and Andrews (ankle) and Hockenson (knee) suffered serious injuries. The young tight ends like LaPorta, McBride, Ferguson and even Dalton Kincaid are on the rise, and all four of those guys were either rookies or sophomores this past season.
Add in Kmet (fourth year) and Kyle Pitts (third year) -- who will hopefully improve with a new coaching staff and quarterback in 2024 -- and Fantasy managers have plenty of talent to improve what has been a stagnant position forever. And let's not forget the hype that will come with incoming rookie Brock Bowers from Georgia.
We have time to talk about Bowers, but let's also give some love to the veteran tight ends. Kelce could still be an elite Fantasy option even if he's not as dominant as he once was. Andrews and Hockenson will hopefully be 100 percent by Week 1. Kittle, Njoku and Engram are coming off solid seasons in 2023 and still offer plenty of promise in 2024. And guys like Goedert and Schultz can still be serviceable Fantasy starters.
But I can't wait to draft LaPorta and McBride next season, and my colleagues feel the same. Five of us have LaPorta ranked as the No. 1 tight end, and he's no worse than No. 3 for everyone. McBride is also no worse than No. 4 for everyone, and three of us have him as the No. 2 tight end.
For LaPorta, he led all tight ends in total PPR points (225.4) through Week 17. He injured his knee in Week 18, and hopefully he'll be OK for the NFL playoffs and have no setbacks this offseason. If he's fine, LaPorta should be drafted as early as Round 3 in all leagues.
McBride took off once Zach Ertz left the Cardinals, and McBride averaged 14.9 PPR points per game in the final 10 games as the No. 1 tight end in Arizona. We'll see who the Cardinals add at wide receiver this offseason, but McBride could easily be the No. 1 target for Kyler Murray, who should improve in the second year after his torn ACL in 2022. Like LaPorta, I would draft McBride as early as Round 3.
Now, let's see where we have all of these tight ends ranked for 2024.
Jamey Eisenberg
1. Sam LaPorta
2. Trey McBride
3. Travis Kelce
4. Mark Andrews
5. Dalton Kincaid
6. Evan Engram
7. George Kittle
8. T.J. Hockenson
9. David Njoku
10. Kyle Pitts
11. Jake Ferguson
12. Cole Kmet
Of note: I'm the highest on Kincaid at No. 5, and I'm excited about the outlook for his sophomore season. The Bills receiving corps could be entirely different if Stefon Diggs somehow leaves Buffalo, and Gabe Davis becomes a free agent. That's something to consider down the road, but Kincaid was fantastic as a rookie in 2023 when he was featured by Josh Allen, which happened mostly when Dawson Knox was out with an injury. Kincaid had 10 games with at least six targets, and he scored at least 12.7 PPR points in six of them. He should continue to be featured by Allen in 2024, and Kincaid will be one of my favorite breakout candidates, especially if Diggs and Davis are both no longer in Buffalo.
Adam Aizer
1. Sam LaPorta
2. Travis Kelce
3. Mark Andrews
4. Trey McBride
5. David Njoku
6. T.J. Hockenson
7. Evan Engram
8. Dalton Kincaid
9. George Kittle
10. Jake Ferguson
11. Luke Musgrave
12. Kyle Pitts
Of note: Adam is the highest on Njoku at No. 5, and it's hard to argue with that ranking after the way this past season ended. He just had an unbelievable finish in 2023 and scored at least 16.4 PPR points in each of his final four games. But he did most of his damage with Joe Flacco and not Deshaun Watson, and that's the concern for Njoku heading into 2024. Watson should return as the Browns starter after being lost for the season with a shoulder injury in Week 10, and Njoku scored 6.8 PPR points or less in three of five games with Watson. I like Njoku as a No. 1 Fantasy tight end entering 2024, but he might be a bust candidate given his production with Watson last year.
Heath Cummings
1. Sam LaPorta
2. Trey McBride
3. Travis Kelce
4. T.J. Hockenson
5. Mark Andrews
6. George Kittle
7. David Njoku
8. Evan Engram
9. Cole Kmet
10. Dallas Goedert
11. Dalton Kincaid
12. Jake Ferguson
Of note: Heath has Hockenson at No. 4 (only Dave is higher at No. 3), and we'll see what happens this offseason if Hockenson remains that high in the rankings. For starters, Hockenson just suffered a major knee injury to his ACL and MCL in Week 16, and he might not be ready for Week 1. Then we have to see what the Vikings do at quarterback with either Kirk Cousins (Achilles) coming back from a major injury or a potential rookie. Along with that, Hockenson has to contend with Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, who should only get better in his second year. It could add up to Hockenson being a bust in 2024 if Fantasy managers draft him as a top-five tight end. He's awesome when healthy and with Cousins, but he might have issues in both of those areas in 2024.
Jacob Gibbs
1. Sam LaPorta
2. Trey McBride
3. Travis Kelce
4. Mark Andrews
5. George Kittle
6. T.J. Hockenson
7. Jake Ferguson
8. Evan Engram
9. Dalton Kincaid
10. Kyle Pitts
11. Cole Kmet
12. David Njoku
Of note: Jacob, Dan and Chris all have Kittle at No. 5, and he had a great season in 2023 with 65 catches for 1,020 yards and six touchdowns on 90 targets. But Kittle's 12.7 PPR points per game was the lowest of his career since his rookie season in 2017. He was still a great Fantasy asset, but his points per game have declined almost every year of his career since his breakout campaign in 2018. If he can stay at this level then he still has top-five potential in all leagues, but are his stats going to decline again in 2024? I'm not overly concerned, but I won't draft him as a top-five tight end next season.
Dave Richard
1. Sam LaPorta
2. Mark Andrews
3. T.J. Hockenson
4. Trey McBride
5. Travis Kelce
6. Evan Engram
7. Dalton Kincaid
8. David Njoku
9. George Kittle
10. Cole Kmet
11. Dallas Goedert
12. Jake Ferguson
Of note: Dave and Dan both have Andrews ranked at No. 2, and I'm hopeful we get to see him back in the NFL playoffs if he's able to return from the broken ankle he suffered in Week 11. Even if Andrews doesn't make it back for the postseason, he should be ready for Week 1, and everyone here has Andrews ranked in the top 5. He scored at least 14 PPR points in five of his first eight games, and he should continue to be a go-to option for Lamar Jackson. I'm curious if the Ravens will use Isaiah Likely more in tandem with Andrews given how well Likely did in place of Andrews in 2023. And we'll see if Zay Flowers becomes the No. 1 target for Jackson moving forward as Flowers heads into Year 2 after a standout rookie campaign. With that said, Andrews should be a top-tier Fantasy tight end, and he's worth drafting in Round 4 in the majority of leagues.
Dan Schneier
1. Travis Kelce
2. Mark Andrews
3. Sam LaPorta
4. Trey McBride
5. George Kittle
6. Dalton Kincaid
7. T.J. Hockenson
8. Jake Ferguson
9. Kyle Pitts
10. Darren Waller
11. Dallas Goedert
12. Dalton Schultz
Of note: It feels like Dan copied and pasted his top two tight ends from 2023 and just started doing his rankings from No. 3 on for this season with Kelce and Andrews still at the top of his list. Dan and Chris are the only ones here with Kelce at No. 1, and he could still be the best tight end in 2024. But it appears like Father Time has caught up to Kelce, 34. While he finished No. 1 in PPR points per game, he failed to gain 1,000 receiving yards for the first time since 2015. And his 14.6 PPR points per game was his lowest average since 2016. We'll see what Kelce does in the playoffs and what happens this offseason, but I can't justify drafting Kelce as the No. 1 tight end in 2024. And the earliest I would consider selecting him is Round 4.
Chris Towers
1. Travis Kelce
2. Sam LaPorta
3. Trey McBride
4. Mark Andrews
5. George Kittle
6. Evan Engram
7. David Njoku
8. Dalton Kincaid
9. Kyle Pitts
10. T.J. Hockenson
11. Dallas Goedert
12. Cole Kmet
Of note: Chris and Dan have Pitts ranked at No. 9, and I can potentially move him up from No. 10 if the right coach and quarterback join Atlanta in 2024. Moving on from Arthur Smith will hopefully allow Pitts to flourish, and he's been a bust the past two seasons after a promising rookie campaign. He averaged 10.4 PPR points per game in his first NFL season in 2021 with over 1,000 receiving yards, but he was at 7.2 PPR points per game in 2022 and then just 7.8 this past season. Don't expect him to automatically be a Fantasy star in 2024 because Smith is gone, but a new system and better passes from a new quarterback could unlock Pitts' potential. At the right price on Draft Day, Pitts could be a breakout candidate in 2024, and I would consider drafting him as early as Round 7.
