When it comes to fantasy football, there isn’t a more volatile position than tight end entering the 2018 season. Part of that is due to some of the big-name stars of years past have seen their careers take a nosedive due to injuries. Tyler Eifert, Greg Olsen, and Jordan Reed were once among the best fantasy tight ends around, but injuries have made them major question marks heading into this next season.
Ranking the top 25 tight ends of the 2018 fantasy football season
The SB Nation crew ranks the top 25 tight ends heading into the 2018 season. Check out our full 2018 Fantasy Football Draft guide!
Then you’ve got Jimmy Graham, once the best fantasy tight end during his time with the New Orleans Saints, but his career with the Seattle Seahawks was largely a disapointment. Now, Graham will look to regain fantasy glory with the Green Bay Packers and Aaron Rodgers, who’s been longing for a capable tight end since the days of Jermichael Finley.
But for the time being, there’s no question the consensus top two tight ends this year are Rob Gronkowski and Travis Kelce. Gronkowski is a touchdown machine when he’s healthy, though it’s Kelce who has scored the most fantasy points among tight ends over the last two seasons combined.
Tight end rankings, preseason
(JM: Jason Marcum; DG: Derek Gordon; SK: Scott Kaliska; AW: Alex Welch)
TE rankings
Rk | Consensus | Tm | JM | DG | SK | AW |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rob Gronkowski | NE | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2 | Travis Kelce | KC | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| 3 | Zach Ertz | PHI | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| 4 | Greg Olsen | CAR | 6 | 5 | 4 | 4 |
| 5 | Delanie Walker | TEN | 4 | 4 | 7 | 6 |
| 6 | Jimmy Graham | GB | 5 | 9 | 6 | 5 |
| 7 | Kyle Rudolph | MIN | 7 | 7 | 8 | 7 |
| 8 | Evan Engram | NYG | 10 | 11 | 5 | 8 |
| 9 | Trey Burton | CHI | 8 | 6 | 9 | 11 |
| 10 | Jack Doyle | IND | 9 | 8 | 12 | 10 |
| 11 | Jordan Reed | WAS | 15 | 10 | 10 | 9 |
| 12 | George Kittle | SF | 11 | 12 | 11 | 12 |
| 13 | David Njoku | CLE | 13 | 16 | 13 | 13 |
| 14 | O.J. Howard | TB | 14 | 15 | 14 | 19 |
| 15 | Austin Seferian-Jenkins | JAC | 12 | 14 | 20 | 18 |
| 16 | Tyler Eifert | CIN | 17 | 23 | 16 | 14 |
| 17 | Charles Clay | BUF | 19 | 18 | 18 | 15 |
| 18 | Benjamin Watson | NO | 16 | 13 | 22 | 24 |
| 19 | Jared Cook | OAK | 21 | 20 | 19 | 16 |
| 20 | Cameron Brate | TB | 20 | 22 | 15 | 20 |
| 21 | Ricky Seals-Jones | ARI | 23 | 17 | 21 | 22 |
| 22 | Austin Hooper | ATL | 18 | 19 | 24 | 25 |
| 23 | Vance McDonald | PIT | -- | -- | 23 | 17 |
| 24 | Eric Ebron | IND | -- | -- | 17 | 23 |
| 25 | Virgil Green | LAC | 22 | 21 | -- | -- |
| -- | Mike Gesicki | MIA | -- | -- | -- | 21 |
| -- | Hayden Hurst | BAL | 24 | -- | 25 | -- |
| -- | Jake Butt | DEN | -- | 24 | -- | -- |
| -- | Blake Jarwin | DAL | -- | 25 | -- | -- |
| -- | Tyler Kroft | CIN | 25 | -- | -- | -- |
