2025 Fantasy Football Draft Rankings: Tight Ends (PPR, Half-PPR, Standard)

Explore the 2025 fantasy football tight end rankings, from Brock Bowers’ dominant rookie season to rising stars, sleepers, and busts for your draft strategy.

Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers (89) carries the ball against the Jacksonville Jaguars in the second half at Allegiant Stadium. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Tight end is the most scarce position in all of fantasy football. We saw Brock Bowers break out last season, finishing as not only the top rookie, but the top player in the league at the position with 112 receptions, 1,194 receiving yards, and five trips to the end zone. 

Back in the day, there was a general consensus that rookie tight ends never materialize in Year 1. Bowers put that myth to rest with a record-setting rookie campaign. But can he follow it up and take the torch from Travis Kelce as the new undisputed king at the position? 

With Week 2 of the NFL Preseason ending tonight, fantasy football drafts are heating up in a big way. This is the perfect time to take a look at the best and worst tight ends heading into the 2025 NFL season. Without further ado, let’s take a look at this year’s Tight End Rankings.

Brock Bowers Will Defend His Crown In 2025

Bowers absolutely dominated in his debut season with the Raiders—he took over the tight end position. He quickly became Las Vegas’ go-to target, posting seven games with double-digit targets and shining on the road with 71 catches for 783 yards and four touchdowns on 93 targets. He racked up 263.10 PPR points—the top mark among tight ends. Bowers delivered multiple monster performances, including 13/123/1 and 10/142/1 games, with a couple more strong outings of 8/97/1 and 11/99.

The second-year tight end has an upgrade at quarterback this season with Geno Smith under center and offers a floor of 100 catches and 1,000+ yards, with the upside to score more touchdowns. Last season, only seven wide receivers outscored him in PPR—a clear sign he can be a true difference-maker for any roster.

Trey McBride Remains In The Top Tier

McBride finished 2024 as the second-best tight end in PPR formats, racking up 249.8 fantasy points. Over his final 10 starts (78 catches for 824 yards and two touchdowns on 102 targets, averaging 17.86 FPPG), he scored over 15 fantasy points in six games, including massive performances of 9/124, 12/133, 12/96, 9/87, 12/123/1, and 7/65/1. He did miss Week 4 due to a concussion, but otherwise showed strong consistency.

Arizona Cardinals tight end Trey McBride (85) has been named to the NFL Pro Bowl. | Joe Rondone / The Arizona Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Consistency and explosiveness are key when it comes to fantasy football and McBride delivers on the first front, but boosting his touchdown production will be key to elite output. In 49 career games with 221 catches, he’s found the end zone just six times—roughly a 12% chance per game and 2.7% of his receptions resulting in a score.

McBride will undoubtedly be the second tight end off the board in every draft, mirroring his 2024 finish. 100 catches and 1,000 yards should be his floor, thanks largely to Kyler Murray’s willingness to target him in any matchup. The question for drafters is whether that safety net plus a projected bump in touchdowns is enough to justify a pick at the 2/3 turn of the early rounds.

The Top Rookie Tight End: Tyler Warren

Impact, game-changing tight ends don’t grow on trees, but Warren could be the next big thing at the position. He wins contested catches, finds soft spots over the short and intermediate routes, turns space into yards after the catch, and plays with natural speed and agility. His blocking provides a solid baseline on quick-hitting run plays, though he’ll need to prove he can handle elite pass rushers when asked to chip and hold in pass protection.

Indianapolis Colts tight end Tyler Warren (84) catches a pass Friday, July 25, 2025, during training camp held at Grand Park in Westfield. | Mykal McEldowney/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

In the high-stakes fantasy market, he’s currently ranked 11th at the position, with expectations hovering around 55 catches for 550 yards and five touchdowns. He’s a classic dilemma pick—some drafters will chase his talent and college production, while others will weigh his fit in Indianapolis’ offense more cautiously. He’s currently the TE10 in our PPR Rankings, just ahead of Green Bay’ Tucker Kraft.

Jonnu Smith Continues To Slide Down The Rankings

Smith, who finished as the TE4 with the Miami Dolphins last season, has seen his draft stock take a significant hit since being traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers. He’ll join Pat Freiermuth in the tight end room and move from a pass-heavy offense in South Beach to a run-heavy offense in Pittsburgh. Smith set career highs last season with 88 receptions, 884 receiving yards, and eight touchdowns. However, he’s currently the TE19 in our PPR Rankings and continues to slide in high-stakes drafts.

2025 Fantasy Football Tight End Rankings