In standard fantasy football leagues, the bottom half of the tight end barrel becomes about who might occasionally catch a touchdown. Things shift a bit in point-per-reception (PPR) formats, though. As such, you need different rankings for your cheat sheet if you're in a PPR league. The draft strategy doesn’t change much -- but it does change.
Take a player like Vance McDonald in Pittsburgh. More than 200 targets left the Steelers this offseason in the form of Antonio Brown and Jesse James. Someone has to soak up those throws from Ben Roethlisberger. McDonald hasn’t shown to be a big-play guy or touchdown weapon in his career, but for PPR owners, he doesn’t need either of those as much if he’s simply catching the ball more. Similarly, someone like Atlanta's Austin Hooper, who will always take a backseat to Julio Jones and Calvin Ridley, can continue to haul in short throws like last season when he ranked fourth in receptions among all TEs.
DOMINATE YOUR DRAFT: Ultimate 2019 Fantasy Cheat Sheet
Someone like Greg Olsen falls a bit in this format, though. At least in the realm of TEs, Olsen has always had more of a propensity for the occasional big play. In any given week, though, Olsen might not have caught as many balls as the other top options. And coming off injury, Olsen should be fine for his occasional burst, but he may not get the simple catches as frequently.
2019 PPR RANKINGS:
Running back | Wide receiver | Top 200
If you find yourself in a PPR league, don’t change your thinking on the tight end position too much. How many passes they catch relative to their positional peers is more significant than any big shift in relation to other players. The top three are still the top three, and maybe the only ones worth reaching for in drafts. The middle guys, really from Nos. 4-15, are more likely to be on your roster but aren’t worth picking too early.
DRAFT STRATEGY AND RANKINGS TIERS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST
If you somehow end up with none of the top 15, just look for some level of opportunity. (Maybe draft-and-stash Rob Gronkowski as a backup on the chance he returns at some point this season, which we think he will?) A few more caught passes each week will get the job done in PPR leagues.
Check back for frequent updates to this list throughout the preseason, and for analysis of individual TEs, go here.
2019 STANDARD RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide Receiver | Tight End | D/ST | Kicker | Top 200
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2019 Fantasy Football: TE PPR rankings
Rankings based on full-point PPR leagues
| 1. Travis Kelce, Chiefs |
| 2. Zach Ertz, Eagles |
| 3. George Kittle, 49ers |
| 4. Evan Engram, Giants |
| 5. O.J. Howard, Buccaneers |
| 6. Jared Cook, Saints |
| 7. Hunter Henry, Chargers |
| 8. Delanie Walker, Titans |
| 9. Trey Burton, Bears |
| 10. Eric Ebron, Colts |
| 11. Jimmy Graham, Packers |
| 12. Austin Hooper, Falcons |
| 13. Kyle Rudolph, Vikings |
| 14. Darren Waller, Raiders |
*We are aware Rob Gronkowski retired. At this point in the rankings, he'd be a worthwhile flier in the event he came back, which seems like a distinct possibility.