Every Tight End With Overall TE1 Upside for Fantasy Football - Travis Kelce, Sam Laporta, Mark Andrews, Trey McBride, more

Travis Kelce has finished as the TE1 overall in six of the past eight seasons. During his reign of dominance, there have only been one or two other players in each given season who even had a chance to challenge for the TE1 crown. While Kelce is still an excellent player, he did finish as the TE2 in 2021 and the TE3 in 2023.

There seem to be more and more players with TE1 upside each season. This adds to the fun in fantasy because several team managers can have a chance at securing a legitimate starting tight end in drafts.

In 2024, there are six players who have a legitimate shot at the overall TE1 in fantasy. Each player has a good to great quarterback and should be in an excellent offense. Let's dive into these names and see who you should be targeting in fantasy drafts.

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Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs

Travis Kelce finally showed signs of being human in 2023. Even so, he finished as the TE3 in total points but was still the TE1 in points per game due to his missing Week 1 and Week 18.

Kelce is entering his age-35 season and surely will not be the same player who finished 2022 with 100 more fantasy points than the TE2. However, Kelce's game is not predicated on extreme athleticism and speed. What really brought Kelce back to earth in 2023 was a lack of touchdowns.

After averaging over seven touchdowns per season in his seven-year run of dominance, Kelce only scored five in 2024. The Chiefs were the No. 9 offense in yards per game and the No. 15 offense in points per game. With a bounce-back likely on the way for the team, Kelce should be able to reap the benefits.

Kelce showed no signs of age during a dominant playoff run in 2023. The Chiefs are playing to win in January and February and may limit his opportunities at other points throughout the season. However, should this offense get back on track and find its legs again, Kelce will continue to dominate.

Your daily Travis Kelce content. You're welcome 🏹 pic.twitter.com/6ZKGm8yB7e

— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) August 5, 2024

Sam LaPorta, Detroit Lions

2023's actual TE1 is set to run it back in an offense that remains largely unchanged. LaPorta is still in a position to be the No. 2 target in the offense behind Amon-Ra St. Brown. Rookie tight ends rarely perform at the level LaPorta performed in 2023, so a second-year leap could also be in the cards.

LaPorta finished 2023 with 86 receptions on 120 targets for 889 yards and 10 touchdowns. While touchdowns can be variable, considering the yardage totals Travis Kelce put up earlier in his career, LaPorta has plenty of room to grow in that department.

Watch out for a monster season from LaPorta after a full season and offseason in an NFL system.

Mark Andrews, Baltimore Ravens

Outside of Kelce and LaPorta, Andrews is the only other tight end on this list to have ever finished as the TE1 overall. Andrews' issue has always been injuries. Since he entered the league in 2018, Andrews has only played two full seasons. One of those seasons was his rookie year, and the other was the year in which he was the TE1.

Like Kelce, Andrews benefits from being the No. 1 target in his offense. The Ravens' offense takes a run-first approach, and their defense allows them to slow the game down and keep the ball out of the air. Andrews should still see well north of 100 targets and plenty of red zone opportunities in a hyper-efficient Ravens offense.

If the Ravens run game struggles or the defense falters, then Andrews' services will be much more necessary. As a fourth-round pick in fantasy drafts, Andrews is an excellent value for your team.

Trey McBride, Arizona Cardinals

The Cardinals added wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. in the 2024 NFL Draft, but they do not have many proven targets beyond Harrison and McBride.

McBride ended 2023 on a tear. From Week 6 on, McBride recorded 746 of his 825 receiving yards and scored all three of his touchdowns. McBride benefitted from being the No. 1 target in Arizona's offense. He proved that he can be an alpha tight end.

Trey McBride’s three-step process:

1. Catch ball
2. Get two feet in
3. Count it for 6 pic.twitter.com/qQeXehe9G0

— Cardinals Corner (@AZCardsCorner) August 7, 2024

With Kyler Murray coming back fully healthy in 2024, the Cardinal's offense should be more than competent. This team plays hard for head coach Jonathan Gannon and seems to be building a true culture.

With Harrison in the fold, McBride's targets figure to come down. However, the efficiency of the offense should increase, and McBride has significant room for improvement in the touchdown department. A third-year explosion could very well be in the cards for McBride.

Dalton Kincaid, Buffalo Bills

Second-year tight end Dalton Kincaid has everything he needs in front of him to succeed. Kincaid had a solid rookie season finishing with 73 receptions for 673 yards and two touchdowns. With Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis leaving town, Kincaid is in line for a huge role.

As a former first-round pick, the Bills are heavily invested in Kincaid's success. His opportunity will be massive, especially with Diggs and Davis' 241 vacated targets up for grabs. Kincaid has an elite quarterback in Josh Allen, who will be throwing to almost all new wide receivers in 2023. Allen's familiarity with Kincaid bodes well for Kincaid's success.

Tight ends generally take a leap during their second year in the NFL. Look for Kincaid to push for 1,000 receiving yards. Kincaid should be able to push for six or more touchdowns which will also significantly improve his fantasy stock.

Kyle Pitts, Atlanta Falcons

I know, how can we keep beating the drum for this guy? Well simply put we have already seen Kyle Pitts play as a high level, as a rookie no less. In 2021, Pitts finished as the TE6 with a 1,026 receiving yards. Had he recorded more than his lone touchdown, then Pitts would have finished even higher.

Pitts was catching passes from former Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan during his rookie season. Since then, he has been subjected to a combination of Marcus Mariota, Desmond Ridder, and Taylor Heinicke.

During Pitts' second and third seasons, the Falcons also seemed to be allergic to using their excellent skill players in head coach Arthur Smith's offense. Pitts' target share was actually very high but that is a null point when the passing volume is so low and the targets are not catchable. Pitts also tore his MCL in November of 2022. The injury cost him the rest of the 2022 season and hampered his 2023 season.

Pitts is back healthy, with a new coaching regime, and a legitimate quarterback in place in Kirk Cousins. Even if Cousins falters or is injured, the Falcons have a solid backup in rookie Michael Penix Jr. The new Falcon's regime also elected to pickup Pitts' fifth-year option signaling that this team remains invested in his success.

It is completely understandable if you do not want to ride this train again. However, if Pitts unlocks the skill he displayed as a rookie, then he is going to be a smash-hit fantasy play in 2024.

🎥Kyle Pitts easing past Jessie Bates in #Falcons practice
pic.twitter.com/czhKB6cRZr

— DirtyBirds (@DirtyBirds__) August 14, 2024

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