Week 1 Fantasy Football Tight End Rankings And Projections (PPR & Non-PPR)

Get expert insights, rankings, and projections at the tight end position as we prepare for Week 1 of the 2025 fantasy football season.

Atlanta Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts (8) prepares for a game against the New York Giants at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The NFL season begins this week, and that means the players we’ve been banking on in drafts are finally stepping onto the field to show what they’re made of.

For fantasy managers, Week 1 can be equal parts thrilling and terrifying. One misstep in your lineup can immediately turn your post-draft confidence into a flurry of second-guessing, and that early-season panic is all too familiar. The best fantasy rosters aren’t necessarily packed with the flashiest stars. Instead, they’re built to reduce weekly decision making while maintaining upside depth on the bench—players who might not dazzle immediately but have the potential to win weeks when the stars struggle or get hit with the injury bug.

Each Wednesday, I release updated depth charts and projections designed to cut through the clutter. This week, I released them a day early. Every evaluation is rooted in actual performance trends, injury updates, and matchup context, giving you a realistic baseline while factoring in potential upside. Touchdowns remain the ultimate differentiator in fantasy scoring, especially in non-PPR formats. Identifying which players are likely to hit the end zone each week is a critical skill, and my projections aim to give you a leg up on the competition.

My rankings aren’t a mirror of the weekly consensus. They reflect a balance of analytical insight, real-world context, and strategic perspective. Matt Brandon oversees this process, ensuring that my player outlooks are weighed against public perception, creating a set of rankings that gives fantasy managers an actionable edge. Those positional rankings will be released tomorrow.

Week 1 is just the beginning, but setting your lineup with data-backed confidence can make the difference between chasing points and consistently capturing them. We've seen Week 1 lineups completely fall apart before that team ends up in the championship, do be sure not to panic if your debut matchup doesn't go the way your were anticipating.

Click the image to view our full Week 1 fantasy football tight end projections! | Shawn Childs

As you can see, a touchdown can move a player up quite a bit in the projections. Now, let's take a look at a couple of intriguing plays at the tight end position as we gear up for Week 1 of the fantasy football season.

Kyle Pitts, Atlanta Falcons

My initial assessment of the Falcons’ offense in Week 1 comes with them playing without Darnell Mooney. Pitts should receive the second-most targets for Atlanta this week behind Drake London. A more active role points to a decoy touchdown and at least one long reception.

David Njoku, Cleveland Browns

The Browns’ passing offense could be severely under-projected this week if Cincinnati jumps out to an early lead. I have Joe Flacco attempting 36 passes while also understanding that he could approach balls in the air in a chaser game. Njoku looks poised to have a nice day, with impact ceiling if game flow breaks right for him.

---

CLICK HERE TO VIEW OUR FULL WEEK 1 TIGHT END FANTASY FOOTBALL PROJECTIONS!

Here's the latests tight end updates on 9/5:

• With Jonnu Smith removed from the Steelers’ injury report, I have updated Pittsburgh’s tight projection split.

• Miami downgraded Darren Waller to out. Their lack of front-line tight end depth led me to shift more targets to their wide receivers. Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle were bumped slightly in scoring.

• Earlier in the week, I didn’t expect Cade Otton to play. He was removed from the injury reports and upgraded to his full workload against the Falcons.