The world of fantasy football tight ends is stabilizing just in time for the playoffs (in most leagues). The end of NFL byes means every big name will be available, and options for streaming remain plentiful.
Besides your typical must-start group, weeding through the heavy majority of tight ends may be the toughest job remaining for those looking to advance in the battle for their league championship trophy.
A few tough matchups for big names, a notable injury, and shifting roles will have a major say in how this player pool settles into Week 15 action.
Scroll for the Week 15 fantasy tight end rankings and find your best plays for this crucial weekend.
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Fantasy TE Week 16 Rankings PPR: Start 'em, sit 'em tight end lineup tips
These Week 15 tight end player ratings account for point-per-reception (PPR) league scoring, with one additional point awarded for every 10 receiving yards, along with the standard 6 points per touchdown.
Any player's TE Bonus lineup consideration (weighing tight end receptions more heavily in point rewards) is noted below in the Week 15 Value column.
↕️ Fantasy Rankings for Week 16: QB | RB | WR | D/ST | PK | Flex Cheat Sheet
| Rk | Tr | Name | TM | OPP | Week 16 Value |
| 1 | 1 | Trey McBride | ARI | ATL | Elite TE1 |
| 2 | 2 | Kyle Pitts | ATL | @ARI | Elite TE1 |
| 3 | 2 | George Kittle | SF | @IND | Elite TE1 |
| 4 | 2 | Harold Fannin | CLE | BUF | Elite TE1 |
| 5 | 3 | Travis Kelce | KC | @TEN | TE1 |
| 6 | 3 | Tyler Warren | IND | SF | TE1 |
| 7 | 3 | Brock Bowers | LV | @HOU | TE1 |
| 8 | 4 | Brenton Strange | JAX | @DEN | Top TE Streamer |
| 9 | 4 | Darren Waller | MIA | CIN | Top TE Streamer |
| 10 | 4 | Dallas Goedert | PHI | @WAS | Top TE Streamer |
| 11 | 4 | Jake Ferguson | DAL | LAC | Top TE Streamer |
| 12 | 4 | Colby Parkinson | LAR | @SEA | Top TE Streamer |
| 13 | 5 | Oronde Gadsden | LAC | @DAL | TE Streamer |
| 14 | 5 | Isaiah Likely | BAL | NE | TE Streamer |
| 15 | 5 | T.J. Hockenson | MIN | @NYG | TE Streamer |
| 16 | 5 | Dalton Schultz | HOU | LV | TE Streamer |
| 17 | 5 | Hunter Henry | NE | @BAL | TE Streamer |
| 18 | 6 | Dawson Knox | BUF | @CLE | Deep TE Bonus Sleeper |
| 19 | 6 | Colston Loveland | CHI | GB | Deep TE Bonus Sleeper |
| 20 | 6 | Dalton Kincaid | BUF | @CLE | Deep TE Bonus Sleeper |
| 21 | 6 | Ben Sinnott | WAS | PHI | Deep TE Bonus Sleeper |
| 22 | 7 | Luke Musgrave | GB | @CHI | Deep TE Bonus Sleeper |
| 23 | 7 | Evan Engram | DEN | JAX | Deep TE Bonus Sleeper |
| 24 | 7 | Mark Andrews | BAL | NE | Deep TE Bonus Sleeper |
| 25 | 7 | Theo Johnson | NYG | MIN | Deep TE Bonus Sleeper |
| 26 | 8 | Gunnar Helm | TEN | KC | Bench |
| 27 | 8 | Mike Gesicki | CIN | @MIA | Bench |
| 28 | 8 | AJ Barner | SEA | LAR | Bench |
| 29 | 8 | Juwan Johnson | NO | NYJ | Bench |
| 30 | 9 | Greg Dulcich | MIA | CIN | Bench |
| 31 | 9 | Noah Gray | KC | @TEN | Bench |
| 32 | 9 | Drew Ogletree | IND | SF | Bench |
| 33 | 9 | Luke Schoonmaker | DAL | LAC | Bench |
| 34 | 9 | Chig Okonkwo | TEN | KC | Bench |
| 35 | 9 | Michael Mayer | LV | @HOU | Bench |
| 36 | 10 | Adam Trautman | DEN | JAX | Bench |
| 37 | 10 | Josh Oliver | MIN | @NYG | Bench |
| 38 | 10 | Pat Freiermuth | PIT | @DET | Bench |
| 39 | 10 | Austin Hooper | NE | @BAL | Bench |
| 40 | 10 | Cole Kmet | CHI | GB | Bench |
| 41 | 11 | Brevyn Spann-Ford | DAL | LAC | Bench |
| 42 | 11 | Charlie Woerner | ATL | @ARI | Bench |
| 43 | 11 | Tanner Hudson | CIN | @MIA | Bench |
| 44 | 11 | Devin Culp | TB | @CAR | Bench |
| 45 | 11 | Darnell Washington | PIT | @DET | Bench |
| 46 | 11 | Quintin Morris | JAX | @DEN | Bench |
| 47 | 11 | Jackson Hawes | BUF | @CLE | Bench |
| 48 | 11 | Davis Allen | LAR | @SEA | Bench |
| 49 | 11 | Jeremy Ruckert | NYJ | @NO | Bench |
| 50 | 11 | Daniel Bellinger | NYG | MIN | Bench |
| 51 | 12 | Tommy Tremble | CAR | TB | Bench |
| 52 | 12 | Mitchell Evans | CAR | TB | Bench |
| 53 | 12 | Ross Dwelley | DET | PIT | Bench |
| 54 | 12 | John FitzPatrick | GB | @CHI | Bench |
| 55 | 12 | Pharaoh Brown | ARI | ATL | Bench |
| 56 | 12 | Jonnu Smith | PIT | @DET | Bench |
| 57 | 12 | Cade Stover | HOU | LV | Bench |
| 58 | 13 | Mo Alie-Cox | IND | SF | Bench |
| 59 | 13 | Ja'Tavion Sanders | CAR | TB | Bench |
| 60 | 13 | Terrance Ferguson | LAR | @SEA | Bench |
| 61 | 13 | John Bates | WAS | PHI | Bench |
| 62 | 13 | Drew Sample | CIN | @MIA | Bench |
| 63 | 13 | Noah Fant | CIN | @MIA | Bench |
| 64 | 13 | Elijah Higgins | ARI | ATL | Bench |
| 65 | 13 | Taysom Hill | NO | NYJ | Bench |
| 66 | 13 | Foster Moreau | NO | NYJ | Bench |
| 67 | 14 | Julian Hill | MIA | CIN | Bench |
| 68 | 14 | Grant Calcaterra | PHI | @WAS | Bench |
| 69 | 14 | Anthony Firkser | DET | PIT | Bench |
| 70 | 14 | Colson Yankoff | WAS | PHI | Bench |
| 71 | 14 | David Martin-Robinson | TEN | KC | Bench |
| 72 | 14 | Charlie Kolar | BAL | NE | Bench |
| 73 | 15 | Luke Farrell | SF | @IND | Bench |
| 74 | 15 | Josh Whyle | GB | @CHI | Bench |
| 75 | 15 | Josiah Deguara | ARI | ATL | Bench |
| 76 | 15 | Blake Whiteheart | CLE | BUF | Bench |
| 77 | 15 | Eric Saubert | SEA | LAR | Bench |
| 78 | 15 | Jack Stoll | NO | NYJ | Bench |
| 79 | 15 | Payne Durham | TB | @CAR | Bench |
| 80 | 15 | Ben Sims | MIN | @NYG | Bench |
| 81 | 15 | Stone Smartt | NYJ | @NO | Bench |
| 82 | 15 | Durham Smythe | CHI | GB | Bench |
| INJ | -- | Mason Taylor | NYJ | @NO | |
| INJ | -- | Brock Wright | DET | PIT | |
| INJ | -- | David Njoku | CLE | BUF | |
| INJ | -- | Cade Otton | TB | @CAR | |
| INJ | -- | Ian Thomas | LV | @HOU | |
| INJ | -- | Johnny Mundt | JAX | @DEN | |
| INJ | -- | Jared Wiley | KC | @TEN | |
| INJ | -- | Will Dissly | LAC | @DAL | |
| INJ | -- | Nate Adkins | DEN | JAX | |
| INJ | -- | Hunter Long | JAX | @DEN | |
| IR-R | -- | Sam LaPorta | DET | PIT | |
| IR-R | -- | Harrison Bryant | HOU | LV | |
| IR-R | -- | Tyler Higbee | LAR | @SEA | |
| IR-R | -- | Elijah Arroyo | SEA | LAR | |
| IR | -- | Zach Ertz | WAS | PHI |
📋 BEST TE PICKUPS: Week 16 waiver wire
Week 16 fantasy TE injuries to watch
- David Njoku (knee) again may prove to be the most crucial TE injury to watch. If the Browns veteran remains inactive, Harold Fannin Jr. Will get a soft matchup with the Bills as the sole pass-catching TE and arguably Shedeur Sanders' top target.
- The Jets' Mason Taylor (neck) has earned at least four targets in each of his past four games but missed a favorable matchup last week against the Jaguars. Whichever of Brady Cook, Tyrod Taylor (groin), and Justin Fields (knee) starts at quarterback, Taylor could sneak into streamer territory if healthy.
- Cade Otton (knee) was inactive for Thursday Night Football. If the Buccaneers' mainstay can return, he'll draw two acceptable-to-great matchups with the Panthers (top half of TE PPG allowed) and Dolphins (second-most TE PPG allowed).
Who are the best Week 16 fantasy tight ends?
Kyle Pitts' historic Week 15 puts him among the top five names of the week in initial rankings, scheduled to face the Cardinals' weak defense -- a fitting showcase across from fantasy's top tight end Trey McBride.
Fannin sans Njoku would sit among the ranks of George Kittle, Travis Kelce (yes, still playable with Gardner Minshew), Tyler Warren, and Brock Bowers.
Colby Parkinson is on the rise for the Rams, and that came before Davante Adams' hamstring injury. Parkinson has six touchdowns in six games, including a duo of scores from Week 15, but he also has five-plus targets in four of six games. While Terrance Ferguson may become more involved if Adams is inactive, Parkinson has earned a berth into TE1 territory.
Who are the top fantasy Start 'Em tight ends for Week 16?
Matchup boosts go to:
- The Jaguars' Brenton Stange, facing a Broncos defense that lets passing points leak to the position arguably more frequently than any other defense this year. They're tied for tops in PPG allowed to them over the past month (27.0 PPR).
- The other 27 PPG average goes to the Bengals defense, who'll face the Dolphins and Darren Waller -- a deep-league stream candidate.
- The Bills' Dawson Knox is two receptions, 47 receiving yards, and 1 touchdodwn away from locking in $100,000 for each milestone. Expect Josh Allen to feed him with three games left in the season, even if Dalton Kincaid is active.
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Who are the riskiest fantasy Sit 'Em tight ends for Week 16?
I've assigned downgrades to:
- A still-playable Brock Bowers, but that Texans pass defense should swallow up Kenny Pickett. Hope for Geno Smith to return if you want to avoid a subterranean floor for the sophomore physical beast.
- The Ravens have been one of the toughest fantasy defenses versus the position, which means Hunter Henry will remain touchdown-dependent for the Pats. Surrounding his 7-115-1 Week 12 outing are three games with 45 or fewer receiving yards. If you want to roll the dice, it has less of a foundation this week.
Fantasy TEs on bye this week
The NFL no longer has bye weeks. All healthy, active tight ends are available for fantasy lineups.