Fantasy Football Player Notes
2026 Half PPR Draft Rankings
|
1.
Trey McBride
ARI
|
|
2.
Brock Bowers
LV
|
|
3.
Colston Loveland
CHI
Colston Loveland finished the regular season top-5 among TEs in PFF receiving grade and yards per route run (1.97). From Week 7 onward...the Bears TE ranked top-5 in targets, catches and yards (26% target rate and TE4 in PPG at 11.1). Only Trey McBride had more receiving yards per game (61/game) compared to the Bears' TE.
The former Michigan product went NUCLEAR in the first round of the playoffs: Loveland recorded 8 receptions for 137 yards on 15 targets against the Packers, with the majority of his production coming when he created separation. Loveland generated 111 yards on 6 receptions (10 targets) when wide open (3+ yards of separation), while adding 94 yards on 4 receptions (6 targets) on vertical routes. The rookie tight end particularly excelled against zone coverage, where he hauled in all 8 of his receptions for 137 yards on 13 targets via Next Gen Stats. Cole Kmet also has an out in his contract, so the team could move on from him to shift MORE focus toward Loveland. The Bears' offense did so over the team's last four games when Loveland commanded a whopping 28.5% target share (nearly 12 targets per game). |
|
4.
Tucker Kraft
GB
Tucker Kraft ranked as the TE1 through 8 weeks (14 PPG). TE2 in PPG. Lead all TEs in YAC/reception. Kraft was a 'my guy' the last two seasons, and all he did was deliver before he tore his ACL. But I wouldn't completely write off the 25-year-old freak athlete after the season-ending injury. Recall that Packers WR Christian Watson came back in 2025 after a very late ACL injury. He received an All-Pro vote. With no complications in Kraft's surgery, a 2026 Week 1 return isn't out of the question based on the 10-month recovery timeline.
|
|
5.
Tyler Warren
IND
|
|
6.
Harold Fannin Jr.
CLE
|
|
7.
Sam LaPorta
DET
|
|
8.
Kyle Pitts Sr.
ATL
|
|
9.
Dalton Kincaid
BUF
Dalton Kincaid's third season was plagued by more injuries, as he was reportedly playing through another torn PCL (second year in a row). But the Bills TE remained super-efficient despite lackluster usage/playing time (46% route participation and just three games with a greater than 50% snap share). He caught 80% of his passes for 682 yards and a career-high 7 TDs as the TE8 in fantasy PPG (9.6). His 2.7 YPRR led all TEs and ranked third among all receivers. His 27% target rate per route run also ranked first among TEs. If Kincaid can get healthy in 2026, he could leap into elite fantasy TE territory at a fraction of the cost. Dawson Knox might be cut to save money against the salary cap, which could help boost Kincaid's routes/snaps.
|
|
10.
Jake Ferguson
DAL
Jake Ferguson averaged just 7.3 PPG when George Pickens and CeeDee Lamb were both healthy (> 50% snap share) in the lineup during the 2025 season (11 games). Five games without Lamb playing at least 50% of the snaps -> 13.5 PPG. Still, the overall production and career-high 8 TDs resulted in TE13 finishing in half-PPR scoring (per game). Top-5 in cumulative scoring in full PPR formats.
If George Pickens returns....Ferguson is facing a major uphill battle to rise above TD-or-bust TE territory. But if the impending FA cashes big elsewhere...the Dallas TE figures to be another strong option. |
|
11.
Oronde Gadsden II
LAC
|
|
12.
Juwan Johnson
NO
Juwan Johnson finished 5th in catches (77) and third in yards (889) among TEs in 2025, but he only scored three TDs (TE15 in PPG). It wasn't always pretty (tied for league-high 7 drops per PFF), but the WR-TE convert made the most of his sheer volume. The Saints already paid him a decent chunk of change, and there's currently little competition in the receiver room outside of Chris Olave and former 7th-round pick DeVaughn Vele. Johnson was the TE9 in PPG after the team traded Rashid Shaheed (9.1) before the deadline (with Tyler Shough making all but one of those starts). With Shough from Week 10 onward, Johnson averaged over 61 receiving yards per game.
|
|
13.
Hunter Henry
NE
|
|
14.
Dallas Goedert
PHI
|
|
15.
Brenton Strange
JAC
|
|
16.
Dalton Schultz
HOU
|
|
17.
Mark Andrews
BAL
|
|
18.
George Kittle
SF
|
|
19.
Travis Kelce
KC
|
|
20.
Isaiah Likely
BAL
The Ravens opted to sign Mark Andrews for more years instead of extending Isaiah Likely in the final year of his rookie deal. Likely struggled with injuries to both himself and to his QB...that dramatically hurt his 2025 production (along with a few TDs that didn't actually result in TDs). Entering free agency, Likely's stock is nowhere near where it was at this time last year. However, the upside we have seen from Likely when Andrews has missed time in the past - 11 PPG with no Andrews, the TE5 in PPG last year - warrants a shot on Likely if he carves out a TE1 role on a new team. He could reunite with John Harbaugh in NY, Todd Monken in CLE or return to Baltimore one a 1-year deal in an effort to boost his stock further in 2027 free agency.
|
|
21.
Theo Johnson
NYG
|
|
22.
Terrance Ferguson
LAR
Terrance Ferguson will be a stud and possesses an extremely high ceiling. Tyler Higbee is an impending FA. Davante Adams is getting older and is a potential salary cap cut candidate despite the Rams wanting him to return next season. We could very much see the Rams' young TE make a major leap in 2026. His 20.8 yards per reception led all TEs in 2025, along with an extremely high average depth of target (17.6). Per Next Gen Stats...Ferguson averaged more air yards per target this season, by more than six full yards. Ferguson was targeted on 12 of his 37 deep routes (32.4%), the highest rate among tight ends to run at least 15 such routes. He hauled in five deep targets for 144 yards and two touchdowns, good for the second-most deep receiving yards by a tight end.
|
|
23.
T.J. Hockenson
MIN
|
|
24.
AJ Barner
SEA
|
|
25.
Mason Taylor
NYJ
|
|
26.
David Njoku
CLE
|
|
27.
Gunnar Helm
TEN
|
|
28.
Chig Okonkwo
TEN
|
|
29.
Colby Parkinson
LAR
|
|
30.
Pat Freiermuth
PIT
|
|
31.
Evan Engram
DEN
|
|
32.
Cade Otton
TB
|
|
33.
Tommy Myers
FA
|
|
34.
John Bates
WAS
|
|
35.
Jake Tonges
SF
|
|
36.
Noah Gray
KC
|
|
37.
Mike Gesicki
CIN
|
|
|
38.
Kenyon Sadiq
FA
|
|
39.
Darnell Washington
PIT
|
|
40.
Greg Dulcich
MIA
Greg Dulcich could emerge as the 2026 fantasy football sleeper. Flashed with Miami in the second half of the season (second in YPPR among TEs from Week 9 onward), posting his best statistical season after battling injuries since his rookie campaign. The impending free agent finished second among all TEs in YAC/catch - trailing only Tucker Kraft.
Worth monitoring a potential return to Miami, given his rookie year breakout coincided with former Broncos TE coach, Jake Moreland, who has previously coached under new Dolphins OC, Bobby Slowik. Not to mention, the Dolphins' new HC just came from GB, so he clearly knows what a YAC tight end can offer for an offense. |
|
41.
Ben Sinnott
WAS
|
|
42.
Elijah Arroyo
SEA
|
|
43.
Darren Waller
MIA
|
|
44.
Tyler Higbee
LAR
|
|
45.
Ja'Tavion Sanders
CAR
|
|
46.
Jared Wiley
KC
|
|
47.
Michael Mayer
LV
|
|
48.
Cole Kmet
CHI
|
|
49.
Luke Musgrave
GB
|
|
50.
Dawson Knox
BUF
|
|
51.
Elijah Higgins
ARI
|
|
52.
Jonnu Smith
PIT
|
|
53.
Zach Ertz
WAS
|
|
54.
Thomas Fidone II
NYG
|
|
55.
Taysom Hill
NO
|
|
56.
Erick All Jr.
CIN
|
|
57.
Noah Fant
CIN
|
