NFL Fantasy – Top 5 Tight Ends 2022
After articles about quarterbacks, running backs and wide receivers, it’s time for the fourth article about NFL fantasy on our website.
In this article, we’ll break down which tight ends you should pick for your fantasy team, which tight ends you should avoid and which tight ends are the best sleepers.
Top 5 Fantasy Tight Ends 2022
Travis Kelce
For several years now, Travis Kelce has been a top 2 tight end in every important fantasy statistical category. He finished second overall behind Mark Andrews last season and that’s the least expected of him this year.
Now when Tyreek Hill is gone to the Miami Dolphins, Kelce will become Patrick Mahomes’ first target in all actions and especially in red zone situations. His numbers can only go up in 2022.
Mark Andrews
After being a top 5 tight end in 2019 and 2020, Mark Andrews exploded even more last season. He played the best football of his life. With 1,361 receiving yards, he was the best in the NFL, looking at all tight ends.
Andrews may not be number one this year, but if he stays healthy, he will definitely be a top 3 tight end. Having him on your fantasy team can be a huge asset, especially if you manage to draft him in the third or fourth round.
George Kittle
George Kittle had a lot of problems with injuries in the last two years but despite that, he finished 2021 season as fourth best tight end according to fantasy numbers.
If he can stay healthy, he will almost certainly be in top 3 again. Simply, Kelce, Andrews and Kittle are in a class of their own and very often in recent years it has been a crucial difference if you have one of them in your fantasy team.
Darren Waller
After a slightly weaker season last year due to a knee injury, Darren Waller is ready to play at the top level again. He finished 2019 and 2020 with over 1,000 receiving yards and that will be his target this time as well.
Now when Davante Adams is here, all defenses will have to focus more on him, which means Waller will have even more space. In an ideal scenario where all tight ends played 17 games, Waller would likely finish fourth.
Kyle Pitts
The fourth pick from last year’s draft fully lived up to expectations. Kyle Pitts finished his rookie season with over 1,000 receiving yards but only had one touchdown.
Matt Ryan is no longer a member of the Atlanta Falcons, and Marcus Mariota will surely be downgraded at the quarterback position. However, it will be a sensation if Pitts isn’t top five tight end at the end of the season.
Five „Good“ Tight Ends You Should Avoid This Season
Mike Gesicki
Mike Gesicki had a career-high 780 receiving yards last year, and that was enough to rank him as only the 11th best tight end in fantasy numbers. Now, with Tyreek Hill in Miami, Gesicki will have even fewer targets, and it could very easily happen that he ends this season with less than 600 yards.
He may be an option in more red zone situations, but Gesicki will have a hard time finishing this season as a top 15 tight end.
Pat Freiermuth
The Pittsburgh Steelers tight end had a great rookie year with seven touchdowns. He was one of Ben Roethlisberger’s favorite targets in the red zone, but Big Ben is no longer there, and the situation will be much more complicated with Mitchell Trubisky under center.
The Steelers offense will experience regression, and their games will be on fewer number of points. This will affect all players in the offense, including Freiermuth. He is much more likely to fall out of the top 15 than to be in the top 10 tight ends.
David Njoku
David Njoku finished last season in 19th place looking fantasy rankings. He had 475 yards and four touchdowns, and those numbers will be hard to repeat. Considering the situation related to Deshaun Watson, the Cleveland Browns will be without their starting quarterback for a certain period of time.
This will have an impact on all players in the offense including Njoku. That’s why it’s not smart to have him in your fantasy team this year, at least not while Watson is out of the team.
Logan Thomas
In the last few years, Logan Thomas had a lot of injury problems. He played only six games last season. This problems continued during this year’s training camp as he was put on PUP.
It’s not yet known when he will be ready to play, but considering his age, it is hard to believe that he will be able to play more than 10-12 games. In those circumstances, it’s much wiser to avoid him in your fantasy team this season.
Noah Fant
After three years with the Denver Broncos, Noah Fant was traded to the Seattle Seahawks. Quarterback Drew Lock went in same direction, but according to media reports, Geno Smith will get the job as starter.
Knowing how many problems the Seahawks have on their offensive line, Fant will often have to help out. Smith’s targets will mostly be DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett, so Fant’s numbers will likely drop and he’s unlikely to finish the season as top 15 tight end.
Sleepers
Cole Kmet
Cole Kmet should have the biggest fantasy upside of all fantasy tight ends this year. Last season, he finished 21st overall in fantasy points despite having 612 receiving yards.
The reason for such a thing is zero touchdowns. Now when Allen Robinson is gone, Kmet will be the second option in the Chicago Bears offense, which means even more targets and more yards. Plus, it’s impossible to imagine him not catching a few touchdowns.
C.J. Uzomah
After seven years with the Cincinnati Bengals, C.J. Uzomah signed a three-year, $24 million contract with the New York Jets.
He is expected to be an important part of this team’s offense and Uzomah has the potential to go over 500 yards and at least six touchdowns for the first time in his career. Tyler Conklin will also play in his position, but Uzomah will be still the first option.
Gerald Everett
Gerald Everett should pick up where Jared Cook left off. The former Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks tight end could have a very important role in the Los Angeles Chargers offense and a season with at least 600 yards and 5 touchdowns should be expected.
Something like that could be enough for him to be a top 10 tight end. If that’s the case, it’s not a bad option for your fantasy team if you decide not to select a tight end in the early rounds of the draft.
Robert Tonyan
Davante Adams left the Green Bay Packers, so this team currently doesn’t have superstar in their offense at wide receiver or tight end positions. The audition is open and many hope they will become Aaron Rodgers’ favorite target.
In 2021, Robert Tonyan was a top 5 tight end in the NFL with 586 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns (the most in the league). Unfortunately, he was injured last year and he is still recovering. Tonyan should be ready for Week 1, but it’s a bit risky to have him as a starter on your fantasy team. Still, if you can draft him as a second option, that would be a top move.
Evan Engram
Evan Engram left the New York Giants after a couple of disappointing seasons and almost everyone will be looking to avoid him in the fantasy draft this time around. He was a bust several times before. Things might be different in Jacksonville, though.
In previous years, almost every player in the Giants offense underperformed and it was more due to bad system, bad coaches and Daniel Jones than to everyone else. Engram certainly won’t be a top 5 tight end, but he could find his way into the top 10, especially if Trevor Lawrence explodes.
