We are now just a few weeks away from most of your fantasy drafts. The TE position is a vital one when you structure your roster. Make sure you add the right talent at that position because it’s one of the hardest ones to recover from when depleted. Below, you will find the top-10 TEs to draft this season in redraft leagues. Make sure to check out the five TEs to avoid drafting as well.
Notable Mentions: Hunter Henry (Patriots), Mike Gesicki (Dolphins), Irv Smith Jr. (Vikings), Rob Gronkowski (Buccaneers), Jonnu Smith (Patriots)
10) Tyler Higbee – Los Angeles Rams
| Year | Team | Games Played | Receptions | Yards | Yards/Catch | TDs |
| 2016 | LAR | 16 | 11 | 85 | 7.7 | 1 |
| 2017 | LAR | 16 | 25 | 295 | 11.8 | 1 |
| 2018 | LAR | 16 | 24 | 292 | 12.2 | 2 |
| 2019 | LAR | 15 | 69 | 734 | 10.6 | 3 |
| 2020 | LAR | 15 | 44 | 521 | 11.8 | 5 |
Through three NFL seasons, Higbee has been a serviceable TE in the league. After a decent rookie season, he really took off and made a name for himself in the fantasy football world. During the 2019 season, Higbee finished as the TE8 in PPR leagues, but he served as the TE1 between Weeks 11 and 17. Most thought he would carry that momentum into last season, but he ultimately finished as the TE17 with only three double-digit point performances (six in 2019 and five straight to end the season). Higbee did only play in 11 games last year, and he split time with Gerald Everett as well. You also have to realize that he will now play with an improved QB, Matthew Stafford. Higbee figures to be an underrated TE who can bring a ton of fantasy value if you pass on the others below.
Higbee’s 2021 Prediction
Receiving: 56 receptions, 634 yards, 6 touchdowns
Fantasy Points: 155.4 PPR Points
9) Dallas Goedert – Philadelphia Eagles
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/69416859/usa_today_13828793.0.jpg)
| Year | Team | Games Played | Receptions | Yards | Yards/Catch | TDs |
| 2018 | PHI | 16 | 33 | 334 | 10.1 | 4 |
| 2019 | PHI | 15 | 58 | 607 | 10.5 | 5 |
| 2020 | PHI | 11 | 46 | 524 | 11.4 | 3 |
Now entering his fourth season as a pro, Goedert has more hype surrounding him than ever before. He’s respectively finished as the TE10 and TE20 during the last two seasons. His 16-game pace last season calculated out to about 67 receptions for 762 yards and four touchdowns. Unfortunately, he only played in 11 games, and three of those were with Jalen Hurts. Training camp reports have indicated that Goedert has been heavily targeted thus far, and it should continue to be that way once the regular season comes. There aren’t a ton of established weapons in Philadelphia’s offense right now, so Goedert might have a lot of weight on his shoulders, which is a good thing for us as fantasy football participants.
Goedert’s 2021 Prediction
Receiving: 61 receptions, 683 yards, 5 touchdowns
Fantasy Points: 159.3 PPR Points
8) Robert Tonyan – Green Bay Packers
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/67612425/1278708830.jpg.0.jpg)
| Year | Team | Games Played | Receptions | Yards | Yards/Catch | TDs |
| 2018 | GB | 16 | 4 | 77 | 19.3 | 1 |
| 2019 | GB | 11 | 10 | 100 | 10.0 | 1 |
| 2020 | GB | 16 | 52 | 586 | 11.3 | 11 |
Those of you that enjoyed having Tonyan on your roster at the end of last season may have been relieved as well. There were plenty of you who found yourselves in a pickle at the TE position and were in search of more productivity. Tonyan certainly brought you that down the stretch. After a monstrous Week 4 performance when he hauled in six receptions for 96 yards and three touchdowns (27.8 PPR points), the then third-year pro dropped off in a big way. He failed to reach double-digit PPR points for five straight weeks. Then he went on to serve as the TE5 between Weeks 11 and 17. It’s safe to say that with Aaron Rodgers still as his QB, he will show flashes of greatness. Tonyan may not be on the same level as Travis Kelce, and he may be inconsistent at times. But he’s certainly a guy you can target in the middle rounds and find TE1 productivity this year.
Tonyan’s 2021 Prediction
Receiving: 56 receptions, 678 yards, 8 touchdowns
Fantasy Points: 171.8 PPR Points
7) Noah Fant – Denver Broncos
| Year | Team | Games Played | Receptions | Yards | Yards/Catch | TDs |
| 2019 | DEN | 16 | 40 | 562 | 14.1 | 3 |
| 2020 | DEN | 15 | 62 | 673 | 10.9 | 3 |
It sort of seems like Fant has been in the league longer than two seasons. Some may consider him a disappointment in the fantasy world thus far, but he’s actually been very productive. He finished as the TE16 during his rookie season and the TE9 last season. Fant’s biggest issue is that he doesn’t produce enough touchdowns. He finished sixth amongst TEs in receiving yards last season, but 21 TEs finished with more receiving touchdowns than he did. With a plethora of talent surrounding him in Denver’s offense, Fant will struggle at times with consistency, but he should have more opportunities to find the end zone this season. Expect a heavy target rate inside the 20, and expect better receiving numbers if Teddy Bridgewater wins the starting QB role.
Fant’s 2021 Prediction
Receiving: 65 receptions, 793 yards, 5 touchdowns
Fantasy Points: 174.3 PPR Points
6) Kyle Pitts – Atlanta Falcons
| Year | Team | Games Played | Receptions | Yards | Yards/Catch | TDs |
| 2018 | Florida | 3 | 3 | 73 | 24.3 | 1 |
| 2019 | Florida | 13 | 54 | 649 | 12.0 | 5 |
| 2020 | Florida | 8 | 43 | 770 | 17.9 | 12 |
There has NEVER been a rookie TE with more hype coming into the league than what Pitts carries with him right now. He’s absolutely sensational when it comes to skill set and athleticism. Eventually, he could become one of the more dominant TEs in the league, but for now, he’s still a rookie, and rookie TEs tend to struggle. He may break rookie TE records this season, but the players below him are more established, and they have better projections for the 2020 season. The departure of Julio Jones helps Pitts in a way where he should see more targets, but he could’ve used Jones as a teacher and a mentor. Calvin Ridley is the clear top receiving option on this team, and Pitts has every opportunity to become the team’s second leading receiver. Hayden Hurst does hurt his value a little, but he shouldn’t affect his production too much.
Pitts’ 2021 Prediction
Receiving: 64 receptions, 864 yards, 5 touchdowns
Fantasy Points: 180.4 PPR Points
5) Mark Andrews – Baltimore Ravens
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/67102406/1198943580.jpg.0.jpg)
| Year | Team | Games Played | Receptions | Yards | Yards/Catch | TDs |
| 2018 | BAL | 16 | 34 | 552 | 16.2 | 3 |
| 2019 | BAL | 15 | 64 | 852 | 13.3 | 10 |
| 2020 | BAL | 14 | 58 | 701 | 12.1 | 7 |
Don’t get distracted by the fact that Baltimore added Sammy Watkins and drafted Rashod Bateman this offseason. Sure, they added good receivers to their WR room, but Andrews is clearly Lamar Jackson’s top target, especially in the red zone. Two seasons ago, he finished as the TE5 and led all TEs in receiving touchdowns. He followed that productive season with a TE6 finish last year and seven receiving touchdowns as well. Expect him to continue his dominance in the red zone, but he “could” see a dip in targets. If you can draft Andrews in the late-fourth, early-fifth rounds, you should be set up very nicely. Keep in mind, Andrews missed two games last season and still finished as the TE6. Imagine what he can do if he plays a full 17-game season.
Andrews’ 2021 Prediction
Receiving: 68 receptions, 877 yards, 7 touchdowns
Fantasy Points: 197.7 PPR Points
4) T.J. Hockenson – Detroit Lions
| Year | Team | Games Played | Receptions | Yards | Yards/Catch | TDs |
| 2019 | DET | 12 | 32 | 367 | 11.5 | 2 |
| 2020 | DET | 16 | 67 | 723 | 10.8 | 6 |
Here’s the dicey prediction that some of you may disagree with. Hockenson finishing as the TE4 would shock a lot of people this season. But think about it; how is this out of the realm of possibility? After a somewhat disappointing rookie season, the former Iowa Hawkeye finished as the TE5 last season. Both Logan Thomas and Robert Tonyan finished ahead of him, and he actually didn’t put together a consistent effort. He finished with less than seven PPR points four different times. He also had Marvin Jones Jr., Danny Amendola, and Kenny Golladay (minimally) catching passes in the same offense last year. All three of those pass-catchers are gone, and guys like Amon-Ra St. Brown, Breshad Perriman, and Tyrell Williams have replaced them. Sure, Jared Goff is a downgrade at the QB position, but with one of the worst looking receiving groups on paper, Hockenson should flourish and lead this team in nearly every receiving category.
Hockenson’s 2021 Prediction
Receiving: 77 receptions, 916 yards, 5 touchdowns
Fantasy Points: 198.6 PPR Points
3) George Kittle – San Francisco 49ers
| Year | Team | Games Played | Receptions | Yards | Yards/Catch | TDs |
| 2017 | SF | 15 | 43 | 515 | 12.0 | 2 |
| 2018 | SF | 16 | 88 | 1,377 | 15.6 | 5 |
| 2019 | SF | 14 | 85 | 1,053 | 12.4 | 5 |
| 2020 | SF | 8 | 48 | 634 | 13.2 | 2 |
After two incredible seasons in 2018 and 2019, Kittle struggled with injuries last year, and he was very disappointing for your fantasy team(s). He finished as the TE3 three years ago and the TE2 two years ago. In just half a season played, Kittle finished as the TE19 last season. That’s pretty good considering he only played in eight games. His 16-game pace calculated out to 96 receptions for 1,268 yards and four touchdowns. After missing Weeks 2 and 3 early last season, Kittle came back and put together his best career game in Week 4. He hauled in 15 receptions (career-high) for 183 yards (also career-high) and one touchdown. That game alone shows what he’s capable of, and it’s hard to imagine him being drafted outside the top-three amongst TEs. The reason why he isn’t higher on this list is simply because of San Francisco’s QB room. Is Jimmy G. going to start every game the entire season? Or is Trey Lance going to eventually take over? That question remains to be answered, and for now, Waller and Kelce are higher on this list.
Kittle’s 2021 Prediction
Receiving: 82 receptions, 1,132 yards, 6 touchdowns
Fantasy Points: 231.2 PPR Points
2) Darren Waller – Las Vegas Raiders
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/67476064/usa_today_14963062.0.jpg)
| Year | Team | Games Played | Receptions | Yards | Yards/Catch | TDs |
| 2015 | BAL | 6 | 2 | 18 | 9.0 | 0 |
| 2016 | BAL | 12 | 10 | 85 | 8.5 | 2 |
| 2018 | OAK | 4 | 6 | 75 | 12.5 | 0 |
| 2019 | OAK | 16 | 90 | 1,145 | 12.7 | 3 |
| 2020 | LV | 16 | 107 | 1,196 | 11.2 | 9 |
It’s crazy to think that Waller was on the roster bubble with the Raiders before the 2018 season. Although he didn’t do much in his first year in Oakland, he really flourished in 2019. Waller came out of nowhere and finished as the TE3. He followed that season up with a TE2 finish last year, and he did so by hauling in 107 receptions for 1,196 yards and nine touchdowns. There were only three different times when Waller finished below double-digit fantasy points. Impressively, he finished with more than 20 PPR points five different times. He also put together an astonishing 45-point game against the New York Jets in Week 13. In that game alone, Waller caught 13 of his 17 targets for an even 200 yards and two touchdowns. Like Kittle’s career game above, Waller shows what he’s capable of, and there aren’t a lot of great pass-catchers on his team that pose a threat at diminishing his productivity. It’s always a race to finish behind Travis Kelce, and right now, Waller is slightly the favorite to finish as this year’s TE2.
Waller’s 2021 Prediction
Receiving: 102 receptions, 1,163 yards, 7 touchdowns
Fantasy Points: 260.3 PPR Points
1) Travis Kelce – Kansas City Chiefs
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/68782612/1298196116.0.jpg)
| Year | Team | Games Played | Receptions | Yards | Yards/Catch | TDs |
| 2013 | KC | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 |
| 2014 | KC | 16 | 67 | 862 | 12.9 | 5 |
| 2015 | KC | 16 | 72 | 875 | 12.2 | 5 |
| 2016 | KC | 16 | 85 | 1,125 | 13.2 | 4 |
| 2017 | KC | 15 | 83 | 1,038 | 12.5 | 8 |
| 2018 | KC | 16 | 103 | 1,336 | 13.0 | 10 |
| 2019 | KC | 16 | 97 | 1,229 | 12.7 | 5 |
| 2020 | KC | 15 | 105 | 1,416 | 13.5 | 11 |
How would Travis Kelce not be this year’s consensus TE1 going into your fantasy drafts? He’s only finished as the top TE FIVE STRAIGHT YEARS!!! During that span, he’s averaging about 95 receptions, 1,229 yards, and just under eight touchdowns per season. There’s simply no other TE who constantly plays on the same level as he does. Don’t be surprised if he breaks his own TE records this season with an additional game added to every team’s schedule. What’s also impressive for the 31-year-old veteran is that he has missed just two games since his rookie season. He’s dominant, durable, and he plays on the most electrifying offense in the league. And, if Patrick Mahomes is his QB, it’s a safe bet that he will continue to put up insane fantasy numbers.
Kelce’s 2021 Prediction
Receiving: 109 receptions, 1,319 yards, 10 touchdowns
Fantasy Points: 300.9 PPR Points
Did you enjoy this article and want more fantasy content? Make sure to check out my recent posts, and stay tuned for other positional rankings in the future. You can also follow me on Twitter @dirrim23, where I love talking about all things fantasy football!
