Week 1 is always pretty vanilla when it comes to rankings, no matter the position. Because we don't have a good grasp on new offensive systems or defensive matchups, we have to judge mostly on talent and track record. As such, our Week 1 fantasy TE rankings are pretty boring -- George Kittle, Travis Kelce, Zach Ertz, shrug, yawn, snore. You know how it goes. Of course, you also know that a sleeper like Noah Fant could have a 40-yard touchdown or potential breakout like Mike Gesicki could get 10 targets, but unless you drafted them as your starter, chances are you have a more proven tight end option when making your start 'em, sit 'em decisions.
Tight end is always a tricky position because "bad defenses" might do a decent job at limiting TEs (possibly because RBs or WRs are running all over them) and good defenses might be most vulnerable against them. We looked at last year's fantasy points per game (FPPG) allowed to TEs, but obviously we can only take so much from last year. Arizona was historically bad, while Washington, the Raiders, Seahawks, and Titans were in a close race for second worst. The Browns, Bucs, Cowboys,Texans, and Jaguars rounded out the top 10.
WEEK 1 STANDARD RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | D/ST | Kicker
Some bona fide studs are facing those 10 teams, starting with our top four -- all of whom would likely be the top four regardless of opponent. Hayden Hurst (vs. Seahawks), Tyler Higbee (vs. Cowboys), and Jared Cook (vs. Buccaneers) all get slight bumps up, but, again, they were all likely to be started anyway.
WEEK 1 PPR RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker
Two of the TEs facing a a top-five defense against TEs last year -- Ravens, Vikings, Eagles, Jets, Panthers -- were likely drafted a starters. We still have Darren Waller (@ Panthers) in the top 10 because he's a targets machine, but Austin Hooper (@ Ravens) has dropped because of not only the matchup, but also questions about his role in a new offense.
WEEK 1 DFS CASH LINEUPS:
Yahoo | DraftKings | FanDuel
Unless you have a top guy (and sometimes even if you have a top guy), TE tends to be a boom-or-bust position. Given how little we know about players and teams heading into Week 1 this year, you can make a case for virtually anyone in our top 20 to be started this week, depending on your other options. Our advice is to play it safe if you have a top-10 guy, but if you're one of the owners in your league who really waited at the position, go with your gut and hope for the best. It's 2020 -- what could go wrong?
WEEK 1 DFS TOURNAMENT LINEUPS:
Yahoo | DraftKings | FanDuel
Note: We'll continue to update our tight end rankings to throughout the week, so check back for updates.
Week 1 Fantasy TE Rankings (Standard)
These rankings are for non-PPR leagues
| Rank | Player |
| 1 | George Kittle, SF vs. ARI |
| 2 | Travis Kelce, KC vs. HOU |
| 3 | Zach Ertz, PHI @ WAS |
| 4 | Mark Andrews, BAL vs. CLE |
| 5 | Hunter Henry, LAC @ CIN |
| 6 | Hayden Hurst, ATL vs. SEA. Hurst hasn't done much in the NFL, but he'll take over Austin Hooper's high-volume role in Atlanta. Last year against the Seahawks, Hooper caught six-of-seven targets for 65 yards and a score. That was a pattern for Seattle, who allowed fourth-most fantasy points to the position. Hurst is in good position to have a splashy debut with his new team. |
| 7 | Evan Engram, NYG vs. PIT. Engram is healthy (for now), and he figures to be heavily involved while Golden Tate (hamstring) works his way back. Engram was on pace for an 88-934-6 stat line last year, but he was limited to just eight games because of knee and foot injuries. Pittsburgh is a strong defense, but it was merely middle of the pack against TEs, allowing 7.4 fantasy points per game (FPPG). |
| 8 | Tyler Higbee, LAR vs. DAL. Higbee was among the very best TEs in the NFL over the final five games last year, averaging 11.2 targets, 8.6 receptions, and 104.4 yards per game. Smack dab in the middle of that rune was a 12-catch, 111-yard performance against Dallas. Gerald Everett missed that game and is back now, but Higbee still figures to be the primary TE. Dallas allowed the eighth-most FPPG to TEs and still has issues in the middle of its defense, so Higbee looks like a safe start unless Everett plays more than we expect. |
| 9 | Jared Cook, NO vs. TB. We're not all that high on Cook this year, but he has a chance to start with a big Week 1. Emmanuel Sanders is still working on his chemistry with Drew Brees, but Cook is a trusted target. He posted touchdowns in both games against the Bucs last year, and he has the potential to pop a big play or another score in this one. |
| 10 | Darren Waller, LV @ CAR. Waller doesn't have a particularly good matchup based on last year's stats, as Carolina allowed 5.6 FPPG to TEs, but he should still see steady targets and proved he can produce against anyone. Oakland has a lot of new mouths to feed, so it wouldn't be a surprise to see Derek Carr lean on an old reliable in Week 1. |
| 11 | Jonnu Smith, TEN @ DEN. Smith is a big-play guy who could be boom-or-bust this season, but we like his matchup against a depleted Denver defense. |
| 12 | Jack Doyle, IND @ JAX. Doyle has been dealing with a neck injury this preseason, but he appears to be in no danger of missing this one. However, Trey Burton (calf) is out, leaving Mo-Alie Cox as Indianapolis's only other TE. That should lead to plenty of targets for Doyle from a quarterback who has shown over the years he loves throwing to tight ends. Throw in a plus matchup, and Doyle is a worthwhile starter. |
| 13 | Eric Ebron, PIT @ NYG. Ebron has received a lot of buzz this preseason, being called a "matchup nightmare." We'll take that with a grain of salt, but we do know that Ebron is athletic and a menace in the red zone. The Giants have a subpar defense even though they defended TEs fairly well (7.5 FPPG). Ebron is more than TD-or-bust player, but he's still probably better suited for standard leagues over PPR leagues. |
| 14 | Austin Hooper, CLE @ BAL. It's still unclear what Hooper's role will be with his new team, but it's safe to say Cleveland didn't acquire him to merely block or be a decoy. Even with that said, Baker Mayfield never showed much interest in throwing to TEs despite having an athletic guy in David Njoku. Hooper has proven to be an adept receiver, but given the matchup and uncertainty, we've left Hooper outside of the starter's tier. |
| 15 | Rob Gronkowski, TB @ NO. Gronk is as healthy as he's gonna be all season, so he'll likely be started by everyone who took him. But he's likely a "touchdown-or-bust" player, so there's risk to using him against a solid defense. It will help Gronk's cause if Mike Evans' mysterious soft tissue injury forces him to miss the game. |
| 16 | Noah Fant, DEN vs. TEN. Fant is similar to Jonnu Smith in that he's a boom-or-bust, big-play guy. The difference is there are less mouths to feed in Tennessee. Both teams have a legit No. 1 WR in A.J. Brown and Courtland Sutton, respectively, but Denver added a second running back who's an adept receiver (Melvin Gordon), a first-round WR (Jerry Jeudy), and a second-round WR (KJ Hamler). Hamler (hamstring) might not play in this one, but it's still unclear how second-year QB Drew Lock will divvy up the targets. Fant has a lot of upside and certainly isn't a bad choice, but he comes with risks. |
| 17 | Ian Thomas, CAR vs. LV. Thomas (toe) is reportedly healthy and should get the majority of snaps at TE. The Raiders allowed the second-most fantasy points to TEs last year, so Thomas is in a good spot, but given his preseason injury, new role, and new QB, it's tough to count on him in starting lineups to open the season. |
| 18 | T.J. Hockenson, DET vs. CHI. Hockenson should be better in his second season, but after a subpar rookie year, it's tough to trust him in Week 1 against a solid Bears defense, To be fair, Chicago was below average in terms of defending TEs last year (7.8 FPPG allowed), but Hockenson is still a risk. |
| 19 | Mike Gesicki, MIA @ NE. Gesicki is a popular sleeper this year, but this isn't a great matchup to start the season. New England allowed just 6.6 FPPG to TEs last year, and even though Gesicki scored in Week 17 against them, he'll now have to contend for touches with a revamped running game and the return of Preston Williams at wide receiver. |
| 20 | Dallas Goedert, PHI @ WAS |
| 21 | Greg Olsen, SEA @ ATL |
| 22 | Chris Herndon, NYJ @ BUF |
| 23 | Blake Jarwin, DAL @ LAR |
| 24 | O.J. Howard, TB @ NO |
| 25 | Irv Smith Jr., MIN vs. GB |
| 26 | Dawson Knox, BUF vs. NYJ |
| 27 | C.J. Uzomah, CIN vs. LAC |
| 28 | Kyle Rudolph, MIN vs. GB |
| 29 | Darren Fells, HOU @ KC |
| 30 | Tyler Eifert, JAX vs. IND |
| 31 | Jace Sternberger, GB @ MIN |
| 32 | Taysom Hill, NO vs. TB |
| 33 | Jimmy Graham, CHI @ DET |