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Fantasy football players like to start preparing and researching well ahead of their 2024 drafts. In this installment of my early positional rankings release, I provide updated 2024 seasonal ranks. Consensus rankings from the RotoBaller staff can be found here.
In this article, I supply some of my thoughts when constructing the 2024 tight-end rankings. There is a change at the top, and two TEs ranked outside the top four could potentially find their way inside that range. I also include a pair of sleepers that are ranked outside the top 20.
Following the TE rankings analysis, you will find my latest RB ranks, which are powered by FantasyPros. Other positions are included and will be adjusted as I roll out the early rankings by position. RB analysis here is based on PPR scoring yet can apply to other formats.
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A new No. 1 TE: In 2023, Sam LaPorta exploded onto the scene with one of the greatest debut seasons by a tight end in pro football history. He set an NFL rookie record for TE receptions with 86 and tied for the most TD catches by a first-year TE in the Super Bowl era with 10. He led all players at his position in PPR points at 239.3.
The usual leader, Travis Kelce, placed third with 219.4. He did lead the position in points per game at 14.6, which was tied with T.J. Hockenson. LaPorta was third at 14.1. Yet when it counted most during the fantasy playoffs, Kelce burned those who rostered him badly with three consecutive sub-10-point performances. Many fantasy players won’t forget that postseason swoon when they consider who may be the first player to take at TE in 2024.
The future first-ballot Hall of Famer did bounce back during the NFL playoffs, averaging eight receptions and 88.7 yards with three total TDs in four games. But he will turn 35 years old during the season and his 10.6 yards per catch average was the lowest of his career. When you consider that TEs very often take a few seasons to make a significant impact in fantasy football, LaPorta’s rookie year seems to be even more impressive. If you invoke the “sophomore jinx” suspicion, that is creating concerns with no firm basis. LaPorta will be drafted as the TE1 in most leagues this season.
Kincaid’s coming out party?: Last year, Dalton Kincaid did not finish as a top-10 fantasy TE in total points or points per game. Yet, a prime opportunity can lead to increased production in fantasy football, and that is certainly the case for Kincaid in 2024. The Buffalo WR crew looks quite shaky on the surface, with rookie Keon Coleman projected to be the WR1. The Bills apparently have cleared the runway for their second-year TE to play a major role in the passing game this season. As a likely top target for Josh Allen, Kincaid is my No. 5 TE in the early ranks at the position.
Alright... Dalton Kincaid might be really good.
Bills asked him to run intermediate and downfield routes against man coverage as a rookie. Don't see that often. pic.twitter.com/9HXWMqXwPh
— Hayden Winks (@HaydenWinks) May 14, 2024
A breakout season in Atlanta?: Kyle Pitts was a colossal disappointment for those who drafted him in 2023. He averaged 8.1 points per game, which ranked 17th at his position. Now, the ultra-talented Atlanta TE will enjoy the best QB upgrade of his career as Kirk Cousins takes over.
Pitts certainly has top-five promise for the 2024 season, and the ceiling can be even higher. I have him ranked eighth, yet there is a definite path to finishing higher. Pitts can be more consistent than George Kittle and has a higher ceiling than Evan Engram, who are both ranked just ahead at seven and six. The Falcons’ potential standout might battle Kincaid for a place inside the top five this season. If you want to draft Pitts as high as fifth or sixth at the position, it does make a lot of sense as an upside play. Don’t be dissuaded by past frustrations, as we could finally witness the awaited splash season.
You can do worse than drafting this Dallas TE: Jake Ferguson finished as a top-10 fantasy TE last year in total points and points per game. He totaled 12-plus points in seven games. Ferguson appears to have a comfortable and defined role in the Cowboys’ passing game and should maintain a respectable statistical floor. Outside of CeeDee Lamb, Dallas lacks a dependable pass-catcher at WR. So, the potential is there for Ferguson to exceed expectations at least a few times a year. He is a quality draft pick at TE10 when the more “sexy” picks are mostly off the board.
PlayerProfiler Stat of the Day🤖
Lost in the other storylines from the Cowboys Wild Card loss was Jake Ferguson's 3 TDs!🔥
That ties Rob Gronkowski & Travis Kelce for most Rec TDs in a Playoff game!🏆
Where do you rank him in Dynasty?📢#PlayerProfilerStats #DallasCowboys pic.twitter.com/9ZynXcMqE6
— PlayerProfiler (@rotounderworld) January 19, 2024
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A LaPorta sequel?: Raiders rookie Brock Bowers is widely considered to be a possible impact TE in his first NFL season. While the talent is undeniable, as he was drafted 13th overall by Las Vegas, he will work in a less potent offense than LaPorta did. The former Georgia standout, however, can certainly emerge as a regular fantasy TE1 starter in 2024. He is ranked just outside of my top 10. Once you start getting into that range, I totally endorse taking Bowers as an upside play, even if he may not come close to LaPorta type of production right away.
Freiermuth better with Fields?: Continued QB issues and injuries booted Pat Freiermuth off the fantasy map in 2023, as he averaged 6.4 points per game. The passer situation has improved, but the outlook for the Pittsburgh TE may be significantly affected by who wins the job. Russell Wilson has never relied on his TEs, while Cole Kmet was a top-10 fantasy player working mostly with Justin Fields last season. I have Freiermuth ranked as TE16, but may bump him up a few rungs if Fields wins the QB competition in the preseason.
Don’t forget Fant: Seattle Seahawks TE Noah Fant has always looked like the type of TE who could possibly provide starter-type production in fantasy football. He has the quickness to outrun many LBs and the size to challenge DBs. Will we see Fant challenge to finish in or near the top 12 this season? It is not out of the question, as the Seahawks won’t employ a TE committee this year and Fant may be used more frequently as a key option. I do believe a top-15 season is possible, and you should consider drafting Fant as a late TE.
Check out this interesting scouting report for Fant in 2024 from HawkMania.
HOT TAKE:#Seahawks Noah Fant will have a breakout season for the 2024 #NFL season:
First off, Fant has not played his best football for the team. He did put up 68 receptions, 740 yards and 4 receiving touchdown in 2021 with the #Broncos.
He has not come close to achieving… pic.twitter.com/Ox5lBK0IJv
— HawkMania (@hawkmania4) May 22, 2024
A sleeper in Indy?: Jelani Woods missed all of the 2022 season due to hamstring issues. The Colts did not bring in or draft another notable TE for 2024, and Woods should top the depth chart at the position. He is a big target with some TD promise and might function as a quality option for Anthony Richardson on key passing downs and near the end zone. Woods has sleeper promise and could be an early-season waiver wire pickup in leagues where he is not drafted.
I don’t like Mike: The lure of Mike Gesicki in fantasy football will seemingly never go away. For those who play fantasy baseball, he’s like Ke'Bryan Hayes, who has never delivered the true impressive campaign we have all waited for.
Gesicki has long been advertised as a mega-athletic TE who can be a force in TD situations. Now, he will play in the best offensive environment of his career in Cincinnati. But Gesicki has never met lesser expectations before and rookie TE Erick All might cut into his production. It may seem like simple analysis here, but I will never buy in on Gesicki anymore and he is not ranked inside my top 20. I don’t think he is capable of producing well enough when asked to take on an important role.
ADP - Average Draft Position
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