We are still months away from the start of the 2022 season, but there are always things happening in the NFL. Redraft leagues may not be on the horizon, but dynasty fantasy football startups certainly are. PFN’s fantasy team (Tommy Garrett and Jason Katz) has assembled our top 30 dynasty TE rankings. The following is an updated breakdown of the top 15 tight ends following the wild and crazy moves of free agency.
For a complete list of intriguing dynasty tight ends, make sure to check out our breakdowns in PFN’s top dynasty TE rankings.
2022 Dynasty TE Rankings | 1-5
Who are the top five tight ends in our 2022 Top 15 TE Dynasty Rankings?
1. Mark Andrews, Baltimore Ravens
Travis Kelce may still be the No. 1 tight end in redraft, but in dynasty, he must step aside. There’s a new king dynasty TE king in town, and he plays for the Baltimore Ravens.
Mark Andrews finished as the overall TE1 in 2021, averaging 17.5 PPR fantasy points per game. At just 27 years old, he is poised to dominate the TE position for at least the next half-decade.
2. Kyle Pitts, Atlanta Falcons
There’s a legitimate argument to put Kyle Pitts above Andrews. He checks every box in an elite fantasy tight end. Pitts is a superb talent. He’s young (21 years old). He isn’t really used as a blocker. And, at least right now, he’s the clear projected target leader on his team.
Andrews’ proven production and better offense keeps him at the top, but I’d be surprised if Pitts didn’t find himself in that top spot within the next couple of years.
3. Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs
Kelce is still the best tight end in fantasy football. His short-term outlook is even brighter now that he has no competition as the clear top target on his team following the Tyreek Hill trade.
Since 2016, Kelce has never finished lower than the overall TE2 in ppg (minimum eight games played). While dynasty managers often overvalue age, it does matter. Kelce will turn 33 years old during the 2022 season. He may be the TE1 for this year and next year, but Andrews and Pitts will dominate long after Kelce is gone.
4. George Kittle, San Francisco 49ers
What’s great about George Kittle is that he’s the best tight end in football. What’s bad about George Kittle is that he’s the best tight end in football. This is where fantasy and reality diverge a bit.
Kittle is a fantastic blocker, which is a skill the 49ers utilize. For fantasy, we want our tight ends running routes as much as possible. Kittle will never be used as a receiver the way the three guys above him are. He’ll turn 29 years old during this season and is still a great fantasy tight end. He just lacks the ceiling of Andrews, Pitts, and Kelce.
5. Darren Waller, Las Vegas Raiders
Since before the start of the 2021 season, I was on team Darren Waller > Kittle. Recent events have forced me to change my tune. Waller’s status as the clear best pass catcher on his team and dominant red-zone option elevated his fantasy value. Now, Davante Adams is in town. That’s just not something we can ignore.
Waller is coming off an injury-plagued season where he averaged just 12.1 ppg and will turn 30 years old this season. He still has plenty of quality football ahead of him, but his target share will inevitably drop because of Adams’ presence.
2022 Dynasty TE Rankings | 6-10
Who are the next five tight ends in our 2022 top 15 TE dynasty rankings?
6. Dallas Goedert, Philadelphia Eagles
Dallas Goedert averaged just 10.9 ppg last season. But don’t let that fool you into thinking he doesn’t have high-end upside. Still just 27 years old, Goedert now enters a season as his team’s clear TE1 for the first time in his career.
At this point in the tight end rankings, everyone is several notches below the top guys. Goedert is one of the few who has the same weekly upside as the elite tight ends. Goedert had games last season with 28.5 and 20.5 fantasy points. The Eagles will likely draft a wide receiver early, but Goedert is poised to see at least a 20% target share for the foreseeable future.
7. T.J. Hockenson, Detroit Lions
I’ve always felt T.J. Hockenson was overrated in fantasy circles. When he was drafted, managers saw the “next Travis Kelce.” All I saw was a guy who was “fine.” And that’s exactly what Hockenson has been.
Last season, Hockenson averaged 11.9 ppg. The season before, 11 ppg. This is who he is. He’s a safe, reliable tight end that you can confidently start in fantasy every week. At just 25 years old, that’s valuable in dynasty. While I don’t see him ever being a consistent top-five option, there are, after all, only five of those guys. Hockenson is a tight end you can deploy that you know won’t lose you weeks.
8. Dalton Schultz, Dallas Cowboys
One of the biggest risers of 2022 NFL free agency is Dalton Schultz. 12.2 ppg doesn’t seem like a lot, but it was good for a TE5 finish in 2021. He did that with just a 16.4% target share while sharing a field with Amari Cooper, CeeDee Lamb, Michael Gallup, Cedrick Wilson Jr., and Blake Jarwin.
Three of those five guys are gone, and Gallup might open the season on the physically unable to perform list. Schultz enters 2022 as a clear top-three option in the passing game. He might even be second. At just 26 years old, Schultz is likely a bit undervalued in dynasty circles.
9. Pat Freiermuth, Pittsburgh Steelers
Once you get past the top tight ends, the rest are primarily touchdown-or-bust hopefuls. Pat Freiermuth exemplified that as a rookie in 2021. The Muth caught 60 passes for 497 yards and 7 touchdowns. His utilization in the end zone is very encouraging for his long-term prospects.
The Steelers still don’t have their long-term answer at quarterback, but Freiermuth will turn just 24 years old during the 2022 season. He’s talented and has the physical build of a guy who will score many touchdowns for the better part of the next decade.
10. Dawson Knox, Buffalo Bills
Dawson Knox is never going to be a consistent fantasy producer. At least not on a weekly level. He’s far too dependent on touchdowns, scoring 9 of them in 2021 despite posting just 49 catches and 587 receiving yards. That’s enough to make him a viable back-end TE1 in fantasy, though.
Knox is tethered to Josh Allen and this elite Bills offense. He’ll be just 26 years old during the upcoming season. You can certainly do far worse than Knox as your starting TE in fantasy.
2022 Dynasty TE Rankings | 11-15
Who are the final five tight ends in our 2022 top 15 TE dynasty rankings?
11. Albert Okwuegbunam, Denver Broncos
Since our last update, the only big change is the rise of Albert Okwuegbunam. After two years of playing behind Noah Fant, Okwuegbunam is now the Broncos’ clear starting tight end. With Russell Wilson at quarterback, Denver’s passing attack should be far more prolific, and Albert O. is talented enough to produce TE1 numbers.
12. Noah Fant, Seattle Seahawks
New home, same terrible quarterback situation. Unfortunately for Fant, he doesn’t get to benefit from Wilson in Denver, as Fant was part of the trade that got Wilson there.
Fant averaged a tick under 10 ppg last season and just hasn’t displayed the fantasy upside we know he could have in the right offense. It doesn’t appear to be happening anytime soon, as he’s poised for another season with Drew Lock at quarterback.
13. Zach Ertz, Arizona Cardinals
Now here’s a guy I was ready to write off before the 2021 season. Yes, I thought Zach Ertz was done. While he’s clearly not the dominant guy we saw in Philly, Ertz is still a reliable option in the passing game, which gives him fantasy value.
Ertz averaged 10.6 ppg last season and just signed a three-year extension with the Cardinals. The Cardinals are largely bereft of pass catchers behind DeAndre Hopkins. Ertz could be looking at a 120-target season. He’ll turn 32 this year, but he should still be able to produce for the duration of his current deal.
14. Mike Gesicki, Miami Dolphins
Mike Gesicki is the ultimate t-shirt and shorts superstar. The man is super athletic but not nearly as good on the field as he looks in practice.
At just 27 years old, he’s too young and athletic to write off. While I don’t ever see him becoming a reliable TE1, the 9.6 ppg he averaged last season has fantasy value. I do worry about his target share decreasing with Tyreek Hill in town, Jaylen Waddle’s continued ascent, and the addition of Chase Edmonds and Wilson.
15. Cole Kmet, Chicago Bears
The Bears should improve offensively in Justin Fields’ second season. They have a new general manager and a new head coach. While they will undoubtedly draft at least one wide receiver, Darnell Mooney can’t do everything. Kmet is poised to enter the season as the likely third option in this passing game. At just 23 years old, he has nowhere to go but up.