NFL teams are deep into the dog days of training camp, and fantasy football draft season is getting underway. FantasyPros analysts Mike Maher, Derek Brown, Andrew Erickson and Pat Fitzmaurice continue a series of preseason roundtables by discussing tight end strategy. You can find the first two articles in our roundtable series here and here.
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Fantasy Football Draft Strategy: Tight Ends
What is your tight end strategy for 2025?
Stay Flexible
Pat Fitzmaurice: With attractive options at a variety of price points, fantasy managers have the luxury of flexibility at the tight end position this year. It all depends on whether I like the available tight ends more than players at other positions when I’m on the clock.
Brock Bowers came into the league as the best tight end prospect of the modern era and did nothing to diminish that lofty pedigree in his rookie season, so I’m willing to take him in the first half of round two. George Kittle is a fine option in the late third or early fourth.
I think Travis Kelce, David Njoku and Tucker Kraft are early values at their average draft position (ADP). And I’m willing to take two tight ends from a pool that includes Tyler Warren, Dallas Goedert, Jake Ferguson, Kyle Pitts and Zach Ertz.
Top Tier or Middle Class
Derek Brown: My tight end pool is fairly consolidated this year. I’m paying up for one of the top three tight ends in that elite tier (Brock Bowers, Trey McBride, George Kittle), or I’m drafting one of Evan Engram, Mark Andrews or Tucker Kraft later. I want access to elite production from the position or top-five upside that each of those players has for 2025.
Mike Maher: This is a great question because I’m pretty torn on tight end this season. I typically don’t love paying up for a top tight end if I can avoid it, but every year (and every draft) is different.
This year, I have three tight ends in my top 50 overall as of this writing. And I only have three more in my top 100. That Brock Bowers ADP (17) is painful, but I might be willing to pay it depending on who else in that range is already off the board. Trey McBride at 27 is less painful, but George Kittle at 35 might be just right, even though my current ranking is below his ADP.
If I don’t get one of those top three, then tight end will be something I look at every round until I get one to see if I can find the right fit at the right price. But I won’t be waiting very long because once you get beyond my TE6 (T.J. Hockenson), there’s a lot of uncertainty and bust potential waiting for you.
Andrew Erickson: I’m going to be stringent with my fantasy football rankings here. I’m very open to the top three elite options — it’s just a matter of weighing them against the running backs and wide receivers available in that range.
In half-PPR, I’m more interested in George Kittle, whereas I am eyeing both Brock Bowers and Trey McBride in full PPR formats.
But if I don’t draft an elite tight end, I feel good about the later tier of Evan Engram and their ADPs (85), David Njoku (88) and Tucker Kraft (100). Kraft is my favorite. Pair one of these veterans with Tyler Warren or Colston Loveland to round out your tight end room.
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