2022 Fantasy Football Rankings Breakdown: Tight Ends

May 19, 2022

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When devising my annual draft strategy, I typically begin with the two “onesie” positions, quarterback and tight end, and figure out who I want to target at each position. I then build the rest of my draft plan (i.e. running backs and wide receivers) around those quarterback and tight end targets. Since I covered quarterbacks in the first 2022 Rankings Breakdown, it makes sense to discuss the tight end position next.

More 2022 Rankings Breakdowns: QB | RB | WR |

I’ve long been an advocate for targeting stud tight ends early in the draft. From a relative value standpoint, they are often overlooked as a way to get a leg up on the competition. The strategy probably peaked in Antonio Gates’s heyday, when you could get him in the late third round in PPR formats. Travis Kelce was available in the third round as recently as 2017.

Those were the days… (shakes fist at cloud)

The fantasy community has caught up in recent years and now the top tight ends regularly go in the first and second rounds. This increased draft capital makes the strategy a bit riskier but it typically pays off, barring injury. (It doesn’t hurt that Travis Kelce has delivered TE1 numbers from 2016-2020 before slipping all the way to TE2 in 2021.)

This season looks a little unusual, so let’s start with the studs and work our way down the rankings.

The Studs

Mark Andrews and Travis Kelce have been flip-flopping at the TE1 spot in my rankings, but Andrews landed on top once the dust settled after the Tyreek Hill and Marquise Brown trades. I do expect the Ravens to go more run-heavy this year, but Andrews will still see a huge target share from Lamar Jackson and he’s in the prime of his career, coming off of the overall TE1 finish in 2021. Brown’s departure ensures that Andrews is in line for another monster season, providing he stays healthy.