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Early 2024 Fantasy Football Rankings And Strategies: TE Premium Leagues

Travis Kelce - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

How early should you draft tight ends in a fantasy football TE premium format draft? Scott Engel supplies his top 250 overall along with drafting tips.

There are so many different ways to play fantasy football nowadays. Those who want to venture outside of the standard formats have a bevy of options to choose from, such as Superflex, individual defensive player, and no kicker or defense leagues, among other options.

Savvy fantasy leaguers, especially those who play in high-stakes formats, are already familiar with tight end premium scoring leagues, in which players at the position receive an additional scoring boost per reception. TE premium scoring is the standard in all Fantasy Football Players Championship (FFPC) leagues, where the TE receives 1.5 points per reception.

Tight end is the thinnest position in fantasy football, and elevating the scoring by a half point per catch moves the top TEs into higher ranking territory overall. The very best players at the position are pushed inside the top 15 overall, and it’s not wild to draft any TE in the top 12.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:

 

Fantasy Football Tight End Premium Approaches And Strategies

You can view my latest TE ranks and analysis here, where I break down some of my favorite targets at the position and explain why I rank some guys where I do. For purposes of this feature, I am breaking down the position in the scope of overall picks.

My overall ranks for TE premium scoring that appear below are based on PPR scoring. The decision you have to make early on is how far to push players at the position up on the overall board. Also, it must be carefully evaluated just how long one can wait until drafting a respectable TE1 option. Who is the last player that you are willing to take as a starter at the position?

In 2023, as seen on the FFPC scoring leaderboard on FantasyMojo.com, six non-QBs finished ahead of the top TE in overall scoring. Evan Engram led the position with 291.3 points, and while he is certainly worthy of being taken with a high pick at the position, it would be surprising to see him lead all players at TE again. Sam LaPorta and Trey McBride are major threats to be among the top scoring players at TE in 2024, and Travis Kelce and a hopefully healthy Mark Andrews are other definite top- four targets.

A total of eight wide receivers and three running backs outscored LaPorta, who finished with 280.3 points. So when making the call to take the first TE or two off the board, you have to mull over how aggressive the approach should be. Should the first TE be taken inside or outside the top 10 overall? And do you get caught up in positional runs when they happen, especially when targeting a top 8-10 player at the position?

I certainly will not endorse drafting a TE in the top five overall, as Christian McCaffrey and the best four WRs are prime picks that should not be passed on based on the TE premium scoring. I also want to take Breece Hall and Bijan Robinson over the No. 1 TE because there is a minor drop-off at RB once the top-three players are off the board. A case can be made that Amon-Ra St. Brown should be drafted as early as the sixth overall pick, so I prefer to draft him over any TE, too.

The earliest I would consider taking LaPorta, my top-ranked TE for 2024, would be ninth overall. But with top WRs flying off the board early, it may be hard to resist joining in on an early run. My sweet spot, though, for drafting that first TE is between the ninth and 15th overall picks. I do lean to taking a top-five RB or a top-eight WR over a TE myself, although I am certainly not against drafting LaPorta or Kelce inside the top 10-12 picks. The position still remains thin overall, even with all TEs being pushed up in the rankings due to the premium scoring.

I would not wait longer than the 16th pick to nab one of the prime two TEs, and if anyone still wants to ride with Kelce over LaPorta, they won’t get a vehement argument here. My top-four TEs are all ranked inside the top 20, reflecting that you should aim to get one of those guys within the first two rounds of a TE premium draft. Rostering LaPorta, Kelce, McBride, or Andrews can give you an edge at the position and they are clearly the most comfortable picks that can be made at TE.

The Bills apparently believe that Dalton Kincaid is ready for a breakout season, as he is positioned to operate as one of the team’s premier pass-catchers in 2024. There is a gap between the top four and Kincaid, my No. 5 guy, who I have ranked just outside the top 30 overall. Engram is only a few spots behind, and targeting those two in the third round is recommended.

The Jaguars have good depth on offense, so I don’t see Engram matching last season’s production, but if you elect to take him over Kincaid, it does make sense because the Jacksonville TE is more proven. I just lean to Kincaid because he can be a more heavily featured pass-catcher in his offense.

Getting one of the top-nine TEs in the first 45 picks or so is my preferred route to take. Kyle Pitts is capable of finally delivering on his massive potential with Kirk Cousins at QB. If you want to push him up the board ahead of that range, it is understandable. David Njoku is ideally the last guy I want to draft as my TE1, although Jake Ferguson, who is inside my top 60, can be a decent consolation pick. The best approach I can recommend is to get a TE1 in the first five rounds.

If there is any positional run for my fifth through ninth TEs, I suggest to join in even if you have to draft a guy significantly ahead of where he is ranked. Other positions are obviously deeper. It is better to draft any sleeper and value types as TE2s if possible. Get a top-nine TE and then the focus can be mainly put on other positions as the starting lineup gets filled out.

Starting two TEs, utilizing one at a flex position, is a unique approach that can also be taken. If you double up with two top TEs, the field will seem weaker to your opponents and could spur a run at the position. Those who hit on a TE2 or even TE3 pick can comfortably start two TEs without sacrificing two picks at the position in the first five rounds. Drafting two TEs in the top 100 overall is another approach to consider, and you may want to take the third in the top 140.

 

Fantasy Football Premium TE Overall Ranks: The Top 250

Rank Player Name Pos
1 Christian McCaffrey RB
2 CeeDee Lamb WR
3 Tyreek Hill WR
4 Justin Jefferson WR
5 Ja'Marr Chase WR
6 Breece Hall RB
7 Amon-Ra St. Brown WR
8 Bijan Robinson RB
9 A.J. Brown WR
10 Puka Nacua WR
11 Saquon Barkley RB
12 Garrett Wilson WR
13 Jonathan Taylor RB
14 Sam LaPorta TE
15 Davante Adams WR
16 Travis Kelce TE
17 Mike Evans WR
18 Jahmyr Gibbs RB
19 Mark Andrews TE
20 Trey McBride TE
21 Kyren Williams RB
22 Josh Allen QB
23 Marvin Harrison Jr. WR
24 Chris Olave WR
25 Brandon Aiyuk WR
26 Derrick Henry RB
27 DJ Moore WR
28 Michael Pittman Jr. WR
29 Jalen Hurts QB
30 Drake London WR
31 Patrick Mahomes II QB
32 Dalton Kincaid TE
33 Deebo Samuel WR
34 Nico Collins WR
35 Jaylen Waddle WR
36 Evan Engram TE
37 Isiah Pacheco RB
38 Lamar Jackson QB
39 George Kittle TE
40 Tee Higgins WR
41 DK Metcalf WR
42 Stefon Diggs WR
43 Travis Etienne Jr. RB
44 Kyle Pitts TE
45 Amari Cooper WR
46 Josh Jacobs RB
47 DeVonta Smith WR
48 De'Von Achane RB
49 David Njoku TE
50 Keenan Allen WR
51 Malik Nabers WR
52 Joe Mixon RB
53 Anthony Richardson QB
54 Christian Kirk WR
55 Alvin Kamara RB
56 Marquise Brown WR
57 C.J. Stroud QB
58 Jake Ferguson TE
59 Aaron Jones RB
60 Cooper Kupp WR
61 Dak Prescott QB
62 D'Andre Swift RB
63 Brock Bowers TE
64 James Cook RB
65 Joe Burrow QB
66 Jordan Addison WR
67 Kyler Murray QB
68 Dallas Goedert TE
69 Tank Dell WR
70 Zay Flowers WR
71 Terry McLaurin WR
72 Rachaad White RB
73 George Pickens WR
74 Kenneth Walker III RB
75 David Montgomery RB
76 Calvin Ridley WR
77 James Conner RB
78 Jordan Love QB
79 Zamir White RB
80 Brock Purdy QB
81 T.J. Hockenson TE
82 Rhamondre Stevenson RB
83 Keon Coleman WR
84 Tony Pollard RB
85 Cole Kmet TE
86 Zack Moss RB
87 Raheem Mostert RB
88 Rashee Rice WR
89 Diontae Johnson WR
90 Tua Tagovailoa QB
91 Dalton Schultz TE
92 Caleb Williams QB
93 Jared Goff QB
94 Austin Ekeler RB
95 Jayden Reed WR
96 Najee Harris RB
97 Pat Freiermuth TE
98 Chris Godwin WR
99 Kirk Cousins QB
100 Mike Williams WR
101 Devin Singletary RB
102 Luke Musgrave TE
103 Jameson Williams WR
104 DeAndre Hopkins WR
105 Javonte Williams RB
106 Courtland Sutton WR
107 Nick Chubb RB
108 Brian Robinson Jr. RB
109 Justin Herbert QB
110 Trevor Lawrence QB
111 Christian Watson WR
112 Jayden Daniels QB
113 Cade Otton TE
114 Joshua Palmer WR
115 Jaxon Smith-Njigba WR
116 Aaron Rodgers QB
117 Gus Edwards RB
118 Romeo Doubs WR
119 Tyler Lockett WR
120 Jaylen Warren RB
121 Jonathon Brooks RB
122 Matthew Stafford QB
123 Rico Dowdle RB
124 Xavier Worthy WR
125 Hunter Henry TE
126 Chase Brown RB
127 Curtis Samuel WR
128 Ben Sinnott TE
129 Deshaun Watson QB
130 Ja'Lynn Polk WR
131 Jerome Ford RB
132 Noah Fant TE
133 Rome Odunze WR
134 Will Levis QB
135 Jaleel McLaughlin RB
136 Antonio Gibson RB
137 Ladd McConkey WR
138 Jelani Woods TE
139 Geno Smith QB
140 J.K. Dobbins RB
141 Jakobi Meyers WR
142 Josh Downs WR
143 Daniel Jones QB
144 Jahan Dotson WR
145 Tyjae Spears RB
146 Jerry Jeudy WR
147 Ezekiel Elliott RB
148 Zach Charbonnet RB
149 Mike Gesicki TE
150 Taysom Hill TE
151 Chuba Hubbard RB
152 Juwan Johnson TE
153 J.J. McCarthy QB
154 Trey Benson RB
155 Marvin Mims Jr. WR
156 Greg Dulcich TE
157 Adonai Mitchell WR
158 Dallas Cowboys DST
159 Jaylen Wright RB
160 Baker Mayfield QB
161 Dontayvion Wicks WR
162 Ray Davis RB
163 Blake Corum RB
164 Russell Wilson QB
165 MarShawn Lloyd RB
166 Baltimore Ravens DST
167 Kendre Miller RB
168 Brandin Cooks WR
169 Ja'Tavion Sanders TE
170 Miles Sanders RB
171 Brian Thomas Jr. WR
172 Quentin Johnston WR
173 San Francisco 49ers DST
174 A.T. Perry WR
175 Audric Estime RB
176 Khalil Shakir WR
177 Chigoziem Okonkwo TE
178 Buffalo Bills DST
179 New York Jets DST
180 Malachi Corley WR
181 Kimani Vidal RB
182 Rashid Shaheed WR
183 Tucker Kraft TE
184 Tyler Higbee TE
185 Kenneth Gainwell RB
186 Darnell Mooney WR
187 Derek Carr QB
188 Jalin Hyatt WR
189 Tyler Conklin TE
190 Tyrone Tracy Jr. RB
191 Pittsburgh Steelers DST
192 Xavier Legette WR
193 Isaiah Likely TE
194 Philadelphia Eagles DST
195 Kansas City Chiefs DST
196 Justin Tucker K
197 Cleveland Browns DST
198 Khalil Herbert RB
199 Denver Broncos DST
200 Tampa Bay Buccaneers DST
201 Brandon Aubrey K
202 Harrison Butker K
203 Jacksonville Jaguars DST
204 Javon Baker WR
205 Troy Franklin WR
206 Michael Mayer TE
207 Tyler Bass K
208 Devontez Walker WR
209 Jake Elliott K
210 Ty Chandler RB
211 Gabe Davis WR
212 Wan'Dale Robinson WR
213 Adam Thielen WR
214 Theo Johnson TE
215 New England Patriots DST
216 Jake Moody K
217 Rashod Bateman WR
218 Demario Douglas WR
219 Hayden Hurst TE
220 Evan McPherson K
221 New Orleans Saints DST
222 Jason Sanders K
223 Bryce Young QB
224 Erick All Jr. TE
225 Younghoe Koo K
226 Tyler Allgeier RB
227 Jason Myers K
228 Michael Wilson WR
229 Keaton Mitchell RB
230 Donald Parham Jr. TE
231 Zach Ertz TE
232 Jonnu Smith TE
233 Green Bay Packers DST
234 Elijah Moore WR
235 Alexander Mattison RB
236 Dawson Knox TE
237 Roman Wilson WR
238 Ricky Pearsall WR
239 Daniel Carlson K
240 Darius Slayton WR
241 D'Onta Foreman RB
242 Treylon Burks WR
243 AJ Dillon RB
244 Jermaine Burton WR
245 Roschon Johnson RB
246 Ka'imi Fairbairn K
247 Miami Dolphins DST
248 Dameon Pierce RB
249 Bucky Irving RB
250 Demarcus Robinson WR


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