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Fantasy football draft season is in full swing, and managers can't afford to miss or take risks, especially in the early rounds of drafts. Taking chances in the middle to late rounds makes sense, but managers can't afford to have their early-round picks be busts. In the first few rounds of the draft, some early-round tight ends outside of Travis Kelce and Sam LaPorta should provide managers stability at the position. These are tight ends ranked within the top 60 but just outside the top 24 overall.
This article will present three early-round tight ends for you to consider drafting this season. Our editors have hand-picked these specific NFL players for your draft prep enjoyment. Usually only available to Premium subscribers, the outlooks below are meant to give you a taste of the in-depth analysis you receive with our industry-leading 2024 Draft Kit.
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Dalton Kincaid, Bills - Fantasy Football Outlook
Generally speaking, rookie tight ends aren't great assets in redraft fantasy football leagues. That makes what Dalton Kincaid (and Sam LaPorta) accomplished in 2023 even more impressive. The rookie was definitively given the starting job when Dawson Knox suffered a wrist injury midway through the season. From Weeks 7 through 14, Kincaid secured at least five receptions in every matchup. The steady PPR floor propelled Kincaid to the TE9 in the stretch and a TE11 finish for the entire season.
Only 31% of Dalton Kincaid's preseason snaps have come as the in-line TE.
Things you love to see from the Year 2 tight end:
🌶️ slot work
🌶️ pre-snap motion
🌶️ downfield routesKincaid could be in for a huge sophomore season. You can watch his preseason routes here: pic.twitter.com/BwG36HOcSK
— Jacob Gibbs (@jagibbs_23) August 21, 2024
Kincaid finished second on the Bills in targets last season (91), trailing the now-departed Stefon Diggs. Gabe Davis also made his way out of Buffalo, opening 241 targets between the two wideouts. Rookie Keon Coleman hasn't proved anything yet, and veteran Curtis Samuel doesn't have a profile as a top wide receiver. Given that Kincaid was a first-round draft pick and will be catching passes from Pro Bowl quarterback Josh Allen, his involvement won't decrease. Any statistical improvement will lead to another TE1 finish.
Trey McBride, Cardinals - Fantasy Football Outlook
After a disappointing rookie year, Arizona Cardinals tight end Trey McBride burst onto the scene in 2023. He posted 825 receiving yards on 81 receptions with three touchdowns. This was good for a TE7 finish in PPR leagues. McBride's 2023 is even more impressive when he didn't play more than 60% of snaps in a game until Week 8. From that point on, he was the PPR TE4 in fantasy points per game.
Kyler Murray 🎯 Trey McBride pic.twitter.com/EjOZa2Aonp
— NFL Retweet (@NFLRT) August 21, 2024
Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray was also absent from the lineup for the team's first nine games. Once he returned, the duo formed a strong connection. It should only continue to grow moving forward. The club added wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. with the fourth overall pick in April's draft.
However, McBride should remain one of the focal points of the offense. We've seen tight ends produce next to elite wide receivers before. Travis Kelce with Tyreek Hill and Sam LaPorta with Amon-Ra St. Brown come to mind. Fantasy managers can confidently select McBride as one of the first tight ends off the board in all formats.
Mark Andrews, Ravens - Fantasy Football Outlook
It was a disappointing 2023 for Baltimore Ravens tight end Mark Andrews. His season was limited to just 10 games after suffering a season-ending leg injury against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 11. Andrews returned to the field for the Ravens AFC Championship Game loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, so he appears to have put the injury behind him.
Potentially more concerning, though, Andrews' Target Share and Targets Per Route Run (TPRR) were both lower than his 2022 totals per Fantasy Points Data Suite. The difference was the emergence of Zay Flowers as Baltimore's clear WR1. Andrews has never had to share targets with a wide receiver of this caliber.
While we have some slightly concerning signs in his analytical profile and the emergence of a true WR1, none of it mattered for fantasy football purposes. In terms of Fantasy Points Per Game (PPG), Andrews still ranked fourth in half PPR leagues and tied for first in PPG in non PPR formats.
I keep walking away with a lot of Mark Andrews this year and I'm good with that. pic.twitter.com/jbr41TLiSQ
— Adam Rank (@adamrank) August 21, 2024
While Flowers presents stiff competition, Andrews showed he can still deliver for fantasy managers. His connection with quarterback Lamar Jackson remains strong and will only help Andrews' fantasy prospects. Ranked as RotoBaller's TE4, Andrews remains one of the top tight ends entering the 2024 season.
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