Fantasy Football 2019 Tier Tight End Rankings
By Bill Pivetz
This group has either been around for a while or haven’t played enough to have a good sample size of their talents.
Clay is currently on the PUP list with a knee injury and his return time is unknown. He would be the backup tight end when healthy but is losing his spot to Maxx Williams while out.
The Cardinals have Larry Fitzgerald and Christian Kirk as pass catchers. After that is a bunch of rookies fighting for a couple of spots. As a veteran to support Ricky Seals-Jones, he’ll help Kyler Murray as a security blanket. I wouldn’t draft him in anything less than 16-team leagues.
Waller is a big sleeper tight end among fantasy experts. He takes over Jared Cook’s spot in and up-and-coming offense. He had just six catches and 75 yards last season. Cook caught 68 passes for 896 yards and six touchdowns.
With Antonio Brown being out for an unknown about of time due to frostbite, Waller could see a lot of action at the beginning of the season. If you’re looking for a late-draft pick with huge upside, Waller is your guy.
Vannett is the starting tight end in Seattle. I mentioned this when talking about Dissly, but the Seahawks could roll with a two-TE set. Vannett had 29 catches, 269 yards and three touchdowns last season.
I don’t expect him to be better than that, especially with Dissly involved in some capacity. But, at 6-foot-6, he could be a red zone target for Wilson.
Thomas saw a lot of action with Greg Olsen out. In the final five games of the season, he caught 25 passes for 246 yards and two touchdowns. While Olsen has been dealing with injuries recently, he is still the starting tight end.
Should Olsen miss time, though, Thomas will fit right in with this offense. Running back Christian McCaffrey is Cam Newton’s No. 1 target with Curtis Samuel and DJ Moore next in line. He will be a must-add if an injury happens.
RSJ is a player I’d draft last in a league because of the potential upside. He’s a starting tight end in an offense with a rookie quarterback, veteran wide receiver and banged up running back.
Kliff Kingsbury is installing the air raid attack this season, which could see Seals-Jones line up out wide a few times per game. At 6-foot-5 and a 4.69 40-yard time, he could finish as a top-12 tight end on a high-usage offense.
Hurst was a first-round pick in 2017 but missed the whole season with a broken foot. He played some last year, catching 13 passes for 163 yards and a score. Hurst lost playing time to Mark Andrews but they could both see action this season.
The Ravens don’t have the best wide receivers and with Lamar Jackson still trying to improve as a passer, Hurst could be a check-down option. He will on the field more as a blocker, which could see him break away for a pass or two.
The former ESPN commentator returns to Dallas. I wrote about the announcement here. Without giving too much away, the Cowboys offense may improve with him back on the field. He finished with 63 receptions, 560 yards and five touchdowns and finished no worse than 12th in each of those categories.
The Cowboys played four different tight ends last year, combining for 68 receptions, 710 yards and four touchdowns. With Cole Beasley leaving for Buffalo, Dak Prescott is going to need a reliable pass catcher in tough situations.