Week 6 Fantasy Football Tight End Rankings (PPR & Non-PPR)

Tight ends remain one of the thinnest and most unpredictable positions in fantasy football, making Week 6 rankings crucial for lineup decisions amid injuries and inconsistent production.

Miami Dolphins tight end Darren Waller (83) catches the ball in the first quarter at Bank of America Stadium. | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

The tight end position has been decimated by injuries and inconsistent play, making it even more volatile than in years past. Brock Bowers missed Week 5 and is only the TE17 on the young season, George Kittle has been on Injured Reserve since Week 2, and Trey McBride has failed to live up to his lofty expectations despite coming into Week 6 as the fourth-best tight end in PPR formats. 

Last week, the bye week blues hit us and while only two teams are off this week (the Minnesota Vikings and Houston Texans), fantasy managers will need to find replacements for T.J. Hockenson, Dalton Schultz, and injured starters. 

The Top Fantasy Football Tight Ends After Week 5

While McBride is still producing in PPR formats, his continued struggles to find the end zone has plagued his early-season production. With just one touchdown through the first five games, he’s still the TE4, but the fantasy managers who drafted him were hoping for far more than the 12.5 fantasy points per game he’s averaging. 

Heading into Week 6, it appears that punting the tight end position has been a winning strategy. While rookie Tyler Warren has exceeded expectations, no other tight end selected within the top five is outproducing his ADP. Meanwhile, Jake Ferguson has almost 20 more fantasy points than the next best player at the position. 

Let’s take a look at the top 10 tight ends after the first five games of the season.

1. Jake Ferguson: 86.2 points
2. Dalton Kincaid: 66.7 points
3. Tyler Warren: 66.3 points
4. Trey McBride: 62.5 points
5. Hunter Henry: 60.0 points
6. Travis Kelce: 58.3 points
7. Sam LaPorta: 53.9 points
8. Jake Tonges: 53.6 points
9. Dallas Goedert: 52.3 points
10. Juwan Johnson: 52.1 points

It’s hard to envision a world where Bowers doesn’t rebound but given Geno Smith’s struggles protecting the football, the consensus top tight end entering 2025 is not even among the top 15 options after being sidelined in Week 5. Jake Ferguson will continue to dominate targets with CeeDee Lamb sidelined but Lamb’s eventual return will certainly result in a downtick in production from the veteran. Similarly, there is no way that Jake Tonges can continue to produce at this level, particularly when Kittle returns to the field. 

With Week 6 kicking off Thursday night as the Philadelphia Eagles take on the New York Giants in an NFC East showdown, let’s take a look at the best and worst tight ends of the week.

Darren Waller Enters Top 10

Waller has only played two games this season but has quickly emerged as a must-start option at one of the thinnest positions in fantasy football. The veteran is averaging a ridiculous 18.2 fantasy points per game in PPR formats, which would be good for the top tight end in the entire NFL had he not missed the first three games of the season. In his season debut against the New York Jets back in Week 4, the veteran accumulated three receptions for 27 yards and two touchdowns. Then in Week 5 without Tyreek Hill in the lineup, Waller became a more central piece of the Dolphins’ aerial attack, tallying five receptions for 78 yards and another trip to the end zone.

While his Week 6 matchup is a tough one against a Chargers secondary that is allowing the fifth-fewest fantasy points per game to opposing tight ends, the Dolphins don’t have a ton of pass-catching options. Plus, a negative game script will result in Waller being peppered with targets. He’s locked in as a top-10 option until proven otherwise. 

Mason Taylor Enters TE1 Conversation

New York Jets tight end Mason Taylor (85) reacts to the play during the second half against the Pittsburgh Steelers at MetLife Stadium. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

The rookie tight end in New York is getting better and better as the season progresses. He caught just one pass in each of his first two contests, but he’s seen 25 targets over the past three games. The rookie has now posted 65+ receiving yards in two consecutive contests and is coming off a career-high 17.7 fantasy points in Week 5 after tallying nine receptions on 12 targets for 67 scoreless yards. 

Now, it’s important to note that his recent success came against two horrendous defenses including the Miami Dolphins and Dallas Cowboys. Things will be a lot more difficult in Week 6 when the Jets take on arguably the best defense in the league in the Denver Broncos. However, if you are in need of a streaming option because you have T.J. Hockenson or an injured George Kittle, you could certainly do worse than Taylor, who seems to be establishing solid chemistry with quarterback Justin Fields. And with Patrick Surtain likely shadowing Garrett Wilson, Taylor could be the biggest beneficiary.

Waiver Wire Gem AJ Barner Climbs Into Top 20

Barner carries some risk, given his low target share in the first four weeks, but his breakout performance against Tampa Bay puts him squarely on the fantasy radar. Yes, the Seattle tight end scored twice, but it’s not just the touchdowns fueling his rise—Barner and Sam Darnold finally looked in sync on Sunday, and with Week 6 bringing a matchup against Jacksonville, the potential for another end-zone visit is real. Afterall, Travis Kelce produced seven receptions for 61 yards and a touchdown against the Jags on Monday Night Football.

Seattle’s passing attack is among the league’s most prolific—ranking fifth in overall yardage and first in net yards per attempt—so there’s plenty of opportunity to go around. Even if Barner ends up as a bit of a touchdown vulture, he’s a perfect sneaky streaming option, and expect his ownership to spike as fantasy managers chase this favorable matchup. You might be surprised to hear that Barner has found the end zone more than the best tight end in the world, Brock Bowers. If the Jaguars keep it close, you can bet the Seahawks will be throwing early and often.

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Now, let’s take a look at the best and worst tight ends across the NFL entering Week 6 of the fantasy football season.

Week 6 Fantasy Football Tight End Rankings (PPR, Half-PPR, Non-PPR)