Tight End Rankings for 2026 Fantasy Football: Does Dallas Goedert Rise Without A.J. Brown?

We close out our positional rankings with a look at the tight end rankings, focusing on the TE2 options in fantasy football.

Yes, you only start one tight end. And yes, the position is often very top-heavy. But I’m holding out hope that this position is actually sort of, kind of, maybe actually deep for once!

With that being said, let’s take a look at the consensus fantasy football rankings.

2026 Tight End Rankings (TE2s) Rankings For Fantasy Football

13) Jake Ferguson | DAL

In the TE1 rankings article, Ferguson, at the time, was ranked as a top-12 tight end by the Fantasy Life staff. Recent updates have seen him fall into the TE2 range, and while I still have my concerns with Ferguson, I’m definitely more comfortable with this ranking.

Ferguson finished seventh among tight ends in targets last year (102), but his volume was inflated by games CeeDee Lamb either missed or left early. In the five games that Lamb played less than 50% of snaps (or missed entirely), Ferguson averaged eight targets and 17 fantasy points per contest. Two of his three highest-scoring outings came with Lamb sidelined. Just take a look at his utilization from Weeks 3-6 in particular:

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Meanwhile, when Lamb and George Pickens played in full, Ferguson averaged just 5.6 targets, 4.3 catches, 32.6 receiving yards and 9.5 PPR PPG. A dip in targets is especially notable for Ferguson since he doesn’t make the most of his looks to begin with. Ferguson recorded just two plays of 20-plus yards last year, while sporting an aDOT of just 5.0. In this offense, Ferguson will give you a solid weekly floor of receptions. But if Lamb and Pickens are healthy, there isn’t a very enticing ceiling.

14) Isaiah Likely | NYG

After spending his first four seasons as a part-time player in Baltimore, Likely finds himself a new home with the Giants. But not everything is new. He’ll reunite with head coach John Harbaugh and Greg Roman (senior offensive assistant), this time with likely (sorry) a much larger role. The Giants gave Likely a three-year, $40 million deal this offseason, and after mostly operating as Mark Andrews’ understudy, Likely is primed for a lead role.

Since entering the NFL in 2022, Likely has been targeted on about 19% of his routes with Andrews off the field. There was also a six-game stretch with Andrews sidelined to end 2023. In those contests, Likely averaged 53.6 yards, 0.83 touchdowns and 13.87 PPR PPG (TE5). Of course, we can’t simply copy and paste that production to 2026, but the offensive scheme is going to be very similar—multiple tight end sets, run-heavy and tons of play-action. Likely has only cleared a 60% route rate once in his career, and even with Theo Johnson around, he should be able to eclipse that mark in 2026. And with Malik Nabers possibly sidelined to open the season, Likely could be the Giants’ top pass catcher early on.

He’s clearly a high-end TE2, but has top-seven upside if this offense takes that next step.

15) Dallas Goedert | PHI

Like the aforementioned Ferguson, Goedert was also ranked as a TE1 the last time I highlighted the position, but has now moved down to TE15. It’s interesting because since then, the Eagles finally traded A.J. Brown, but this Philadelphia passing attack simply might just be less concentrated. Oh, and there’s also one more thing.

Touchdown regression is about to hit Goedert like a ton of bricks.

After failing to catch more than five touchdowns in any season through his first seven years, Goedert exploded for 11 scores last season. He accounted for 40.9% of the Eagles’ targets from inside the 10-yard line, good for the second-highest rate in all of football. With the tush push losing effectiveness, the Eagles pivoted to the Goedert shovel, which also sounds like an awesome dance move. The Eagles often dialed up designed underhand/shovel passes to Goedert at the goal line, which accounted for five of his total scores. Goedert ultimately finished as fantasy’s TE5, despite ranking outside the top-ten tight ends in routes, targets and receiving yards.

Goedert has been targeted on over 25% of his routes with AJ off the field since 2023, but again, the Eagles added more pass-catchers this offseason, including second-round rookie tight end Eli Stowers. At 31 years old, a mid-range TE2 ranking feels more appropriate for Goedert.

16) Kenyon Sadiq | NYJ

The Jets selected Sadiq with the 16th overall pick of the NFL Draft.

So… yeah. This ranking feels appropriate.

Sadiq is an awesome athlete and can be schemed up designed looks that are so useful for fantasy purposes. At 6-foot-3, 241 pounds, Sadiq ran the fastest 40-yard dash by a tight end in combine history (4.39) and was the focal point of Oregon’s offense. His 34% screen rate was one of the highest we’ve seen from a tight end, while Sadiq made plenty of defenders miss after the catch. Some question how much he’ll be able to do down the field, while his run-blocking uncertainty could limit some early playing time. But when he’s on the field, there’s a great chance he earns more targets than anyone in this Jets offense not named Garrett Wilson.

17) Oronde Gadsden | LAC

Gadsden began to emerge as the Chargers’ top tight end in Week 3, and from then on, the rookie logged 65% of the routes. That ranked just 24th among all tight ends during that span, as Gadsden was essentially used as a huge slot receiver. Given the moves the Chargers have made this offseason, we can expect new offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel to deploy plenty of 12 personnel, and probably a sprinkle of 13. Play-action targets can be very fantasy-friendly for tight ends, and if Gadsden isn’t out there in heavier personnel, those looks won’t be headed his way.

Even when the Chargers are in multiple tight end sets, it isn’t as if Gadsden can’t earn targets alongside Ladd McConkey, Quentin Johnston and David Njoku/Charlie Kolar. We also have to remember that Njoku is 30 years old and is coming off a season where he missed five games. And it’s fair to wonder if Njoku is on the decline:

	YPRR	% of 1st Down or TD
2023	1.7	28.50%
2024	1.34	23.70%
2025	1.06	22.90%

Given how difficult his week-to-week usage may be to project, Gadsden is a high-upside, though risky TE2.

18) Chig Okonkwo | WAS

This year’s Harold Fannin Jr.?

Hey, it could happen.

Okonkwo has always been a talented player who has flashed in smaller stretches. Since entering the NFL in 2022, Okonkwo ranks fifth among 38 qualified tight ends in YAC/reception (5.7), while sporting the ninth-most total YAC, despite ranking just 18th in receptions during that span. During his time in Tennessee, Okonkwo was only fantasy-relevant for periods of time. His career-best target share in a season is 16%, while he’s yet to even reach 8.0 PPR PPG.

So why the appeal?

Okonkwo found a new home this offseason, signing a three-year, $27M deal with the Commanders. If he can assume the role that Zach Ertz leaves behind, Okonkwo is going to be more than fantasy relevant. This past season, Ertz, at 35 years old, was as involved as most tight ends in the league:

79% routes (10th)
20% TPRR (13th)
21% target share (5th)
24% EZ target share (7th)

And sure, Terry McLaurin missed a ton of last season due to injury. But even if you go back to 2024, Ertz still played a huge role, logging 78% of the routes, while posting an 18% TPRR and 19% target share. During that season, Ertz averaged the 11th-most PPR PPG. I mean, seriously. Imagine Okonkwo in the Ertz role, but with actual YAC.

With Jayden Daniels healthy, perhaps Washington can return to top-10 offensive status. But honestly, anything is a step up from what Okonkwo is accustomed to. During his tenure in Tennessee, the Titans ranked 28th, 27th, 27th and 30th in PPG.

Okonkwo is arguably my favorite late-round TE to draft, and my bet to emerge as a low-end TE1.

19) Hunter Henry | NE

Henry isn’t always going to see an insane amount of targets (5.1 per game in 2025). But he does see high-value targets, which can make all the difference.

Over the past two seasons, Henry has averaged 0.48 end zone targets per game, which ranks fifth-best among tight ends. The only tight ends above him on that list? Trey McBride, Brock Bowers, George Kittle and Mark Andrews. And even if you date it back to when he joined New England in 2021, Henry ranks seventh, averaging 0.50 end zone looks per game. That was during some times when the Patriots' offense was average to below-average at best.

Now led by Drake Maye, they’re legitimately good.

Of course, his inconsistent usage has capped his overall fantasy upside, as Henry has lived around TE13-16 as of late. And with the Patriots adding A.J. Brown and Romeo Doubs, Henry likely settles in as the third target in this passing game, making him more of a touchdown-or-bust fantasy option.

20) Juwan Johnson | NO

Johnson is coming off a career-best season, hauling in 77 balls for 889 yards and three touchdowns on 102 targets. With the Saints having a massive hole at WR2, Johnson filled that void, sporting a healthy 18% target share and 19% TPRR. Of course, the Saints drafted Jordyn Tyson, likely signaling the end of Johnson’s WR2 duties. But we know this team plays as fast as anyone, giving us a ton of plays. That alone can help Johnson remain in the 80-plus target range, but his lack of touchdown upside keeps him as a fantasy TE2.

21) Brenton Strange | JAX

Fresh off a contract extension, Strange is also coming off his best season. He set career-highs in receptions (46), targets (60), receiving yards (540) and touchdowns (3). He played well in his first season as a starting tight end, but it didn’t exactly translate to a ton of fantasy relevance. His 9.8 PPR PPG ranked 17th at the position, while his 16% target share ranked 20th among all tight ends. Strange didn’t eclipse six targets in a game, but was a fairly efficient and reliable option for Trevor Lawrence.

Among qualified tight ends, Strange ranked 12th in yards per route run (1.71), seventh in yards per reception (11.7) and 11th in air yards per target (6.9). As we enter 2026, Strange doesn’t exactly have the clearest path to consistent fantasy production. For starters, the Jaguars are expected to increase their use of multiple tight end sets, especially after adding both Nate Boerkircher and Tanner Koziol in the draft. Jacksonville ranked 20th in 12 personnel rate last season (19%), while ranking 19th in plays in 13 personnel. But more importantly, Jacksonville has a crowded wide receiver room filled with talented pass-catchers who command targets. More often than not, Strange is going to be fighting for, at best, third in targets.

Still, this is a very good, ascending offense, which makes Strange a mid-range TE2. He’ll have some very strong weeks, but consistency could be an issue.

22) T.J. Hockenson | MIN

Once a top-tier fantasy tight end, Hockenson has fallen off since his late-season 2023 ACL tear. Since then, Hockenson has finished as the TE25 and TE16 in points per game, scoring just three total touchdowns in 25 games.

No one could produce in last year’s putrid Minnesota passing attack, and while things should be better this year, what will Hockenson’s usage look like? His 4.4 targets per game from a season ago were the fewest of his entire career, while the Vikings recently added Jauan Jennings, on top of already having Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison on the outside.

23) Dalton Schultz | HOU

With Schultz, you know exactly what you’re going to get.

And that’s the problem.

Schultz saw a career-high 106 targets last year, the sixth-most among tight ends. And yet, he was only the TE14 in fantasy PPG, while scoring just three touchdowns. You know for a fact that Schultz is going to run all of the routes virtually, while providing a safe weekly PPR floor. He caught at least five passes in 10-of-17 games, but given the young talent the Texans have at wide receiver, it is fair to wonder if Schultz’s usage takes a step back in 2026, especially if Houston gets anything from Tank Dell, who essentially made Schultz irrelevant in fantasy two years ago.

24) AJ Barner | SEA

This time last year, many (myself included) were hyping up Elijah Arroyo. But it was Barner who emerged as the top tight end on Seattle’s depth chart, catching 52-of-68 targets for 519 yards and six scores. The volume wasn’t strong, as Barner ranked 26th among tight ends in target share (14%) and 40th in TPRR (16%). However, he did make the most of his looks, averaging the seventh-most fantasy points per target (2.17) and 12th-most YAC/reception (5.2).

There’s also even some (emphasis on some) rushing production to be found with Barner, who Seattle uses as their QB sneak option. He scored a rushing touchdown last year and with Kenneth Walker gone and Zach Charbonnet sidelined, who's to say Barner can’t add one or two more in 2026?