2018 Fantasy Football Rankings – Tight End Rankings

Fantasy Football Is Back!

The Chicago Bears and Baltimore Ravens kick off the preseason this week! That is right, we are only 5 weeks from regular season NFL football. And that means we are less than 5 weeks away from your fantasy football draft. Luckily for you, I have you covered. There is no need to stress over who to take in your upcoming draft. Yes, ideally you should do some research of your own. However, if you just use my rankings you will be a step ahead of your friends. Why is that? Because my tiered positional rankings are simple to implement during your draft, and I have even included a small write-up of my favorite plays for each tier so you know something about your picks.

This post is all about the tight end, but stay tuned to FantasyCPR.com for my Running Back and Wide Receiver rankings. My position rankings will be released during the week of July 30 – August 2 in honor of the Hall of Fame Game on Thursday, August 2nd. In case you missed my Quarterback Rankings, you can check them out here.

Top Tight End Targets

Rob Gronkowski, NEP – ADP 27 (3rd round)

Deciding between Travis Kelce and Rob Gronkowski is not an easy choice. Kelce has been more dependable on the injury front, but Gronk has been superior when he is on the field. Gronk edged Kelce last year with 158 fantasy points in 14 games vs Kelce’s 151 in 15 games. I like Rob Gronkowski this year to continue his fantasy dominance. The Patriots did not do enough to address the weakness at the WR position, and Julian Edelman will miss the first part of the season due to a PED suspension. Additionally, I am not as sold on Patrick Mahomes as the rest of the fantasy community is.

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Jimmy Graham, GBP – ADP 66 (5th round)

I really feel that Jimmy Graham has the lowest floor of any tight end not named Kelce or Gronkowski. Just look at Graham’s numbers when he had a future Hall of Fame quarterback throwing him the ball: four straight years of 80+ receptions, 900+ yards, and 9+ TDs. Yes, he is no longer in his 20’s, but I love that he has another future Hall of Fame QB throwing him the ball.

Charles Clay, BUF – ADP 181 (15th round)

Charles Clay probably will not even go drafted in your league, but I think he holds solid value. Clay finished as the 19th fantasy tight end last season, but was only on the field for 13 games. Also, Clay will have a new QB throwing him the ball. I think that signal-caller will be AJ McCarron, who is the king of the check down. If Clay can stay healthy all 16 games this season, then he is a perfect security blanket / fantasy producer for the Bills / your roster.

Jared Cook, OAK – ADP Undrafted

If you read my Quarterback Rankings article, you know how high I am on Derek Carr. Jared Cook gets a boost due to Carr’s resurgence. Cook finished as the 14th overall fantasy tight end last season, coming off one of his best years in the league. This will be the 10 year pro’s 2nd year in Oakland, and I believe that continuity with Carr will enable Cook to improve upon his solid 2016-17 campaign.

Jake Butt, DEN – ADP Undrafted

Jake Butt is another player that is going to benefit from heightened quarterback play. The second year “rookie” has not played a snap in the NFL due to a right ACL tear against Florida State in the Orange Bowl on Dec. 30, 2016. Reports out of Broncos camp have been extremely positive, and I think that you should hop on the Butt bandwagon before things get too full.

Tight End Rankings

The rankings on this list are meant to be used for standard scoring, 0.5ppr redraft leagues.

Check out more articles by the author and make sure to follow @Mystery_Main for up-to-date fantasy football information and advice. Also, follow @FantasyCPR for your daily fantasy fix.