Dynasty Tight Ends Experts Avoid (Fantasy Football)

We’ll have you covered as you prepare for your 2025 dynasty drafts. In order to dominate your dynasty draft, check out our expert consensus dynasty draft rankings. And sync your dynasty league to practice with fast and free dynasty mock drafts. Below, we dive into dynasty draft picks our analysts are lower on compared to our expert consensus rankings.

Dynasty Draft Advice: Players to Avoid

T.J. Hockenson (TE – MIN)

T.J. Hockenson missed seven games in 2024 while recovering from the devastating knee injury he sustained in December 2023. Upon his return, he had 41 catches for 455 yards in 10 games but didn’t score any touchdowns. Hockenson has been a trusted brand name at the TE position, but he’s entering his age-28 season and has missed 26 games over the last four seasons. Hockenson must share targets with Vikings WRs Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, and those targets will be coming from a quarterback who’s never started an NFL game, top 2023 Minnesota draft pick J.J. McCarthy.
– Pat Fitzmaurice

Dalton Kincaid (TE – BUF)

Dalton Kincaid dealt with injuries last season (knee/shoulder) that derailed his season after Week 9. Last year, in Weeks 1-9, he was the TE15 in fantasy points per game, which is a massive disappointment for a player with his talent in a scoring-rich environment in Buffalo. During that stretch, among 38 qualifying tight ends, he ranked sixth in target share (19.2%) and first-read share (21.3%), 18th in receiving yards per game (36.9), 17th in yards per route run (1.71), and 15th in first downs per route run (per Fantasy Points Data). His market share in the Bills offense is encouraging, but his per-route efficiency is concerning, as well as his 64.9% route per dropback rate (19th). If Buffalo is determined to cap his route share because of Dawson Knox and their offensive design, Kincaid will need to be a hyper-efficient player to reach TE1 land. Kincaid is a TE2 bet on talent and the hope that his role grows in 2025.
– Derek Brown

Travis Kelce (TE – KC)

Travis Kelce finished with the fewest receiving yards of his career since becoming a starter in 2014. He still gobbled up targets, but he was hopelessly inefficient last year, and entering his age-35 season, I’m not sure if that changes. Last year, he finished as the TE6 in fantasy points per game, which was aided by Andy Reid’s pass-happy offense and Kelce having the third-most targets among tight ends. Among 47 qualifying tight ends, Kelce ranked fourth in target share (22%), fifth in receiving yards per game (51.4), and first in red zone targets, but that’s where the good news stops, as he was also 18th in yards per route run (1.62), 40th in yards after the catch per reception (3.86), and 18th in first downs per route run (per Fantasy Points Data). Kelce will be peppered with volume again this year and finish as a TE1, but the days of him being a top-three fantasy tight-end option are gone.
– Derek Brown

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