Working through the fantasy football TE rankings is difficult any week, but as the number of options dwindles, the margins are thinner, and the accuracy is even more critical. There is no shortage of elite talent left in play, and they all play an important (albeit different) role in their respective offenses.
Who is set to dominate this weekend, and who could fall short of their lofty expectations? Here are my latest TE rankings to help guide you.
Which TE Should You Start in Fantasy Football?
Of course, every league will offer tweaks (player limits per team, unique scoring bonuses, etc.), so use this as a guide more than anything. Or, hit me up on social media with your specific situation, and I’ll advise as best I can.
MORE: Soppe’s Divisional Round Rankings — QB | RB | WR | DST | K
Before I get to the positional rankings, many fantasy managers may take part in “rest of playoff” formats and/or are just curious as to how I see the remainder of the postseason playing out. Naturally, projecting results is a big part of doing the rankings, so these picks factor into my rankings.
AFC Playoff Picks
- Saturday: Baltimore Ravens over Houston Texans
- Sunday: Kansas City Chiefs over Buffalo Bills
Conference Champion: Ravens
NFC Playoff Picks
Saturday: San Francisco 49ers over Green Bay Packers
Sunday: Tampa Bay Buccaneers over Detroit Lions
Conference Champion: 49ers
Fantasy Football TE Rankings
1) Travis Kelce | KC (at BUF)
2) Isaiah Likely | BAL (vs. HOU)
3) Sam LaPorta | DET (vs. TB)
4) George Kittle | SF (vs. GB)
5) Dalton Schultz | HOU (at BAL)
6) Dalton Kincaid | BUF (vs. KC)
7) Tucker Kraft | GB (at SF)
8) Cade Otton | TB (at DET)
9) Luke Musgrave | GB (at SF)
10) Dawson Knox | BUF (vs. KC)
11) Brevin Jordan | HOU (at BAL)
Top TE To Start in the Divisional Round
Sam LaPorta, Detroit Lions (vs. TB)
The rookie TE found the end zone last week after fears that he wouldn’t even play in the game. LaPorta’s usage was kept in check (three targets), a plan that was aided by WR Josh Reynolds (five catches for 80 yards) producing well above expectations against his former employer.
I’m not sure if the Reynolds role is something we can bank on sustaining. Given the downward trends, he should — especially following the acquisition of WR Donovan Peoples-Jones.
Assuming that regresses closer to projection, LaPorta shouldn’t have a problem returning to the elite involvement that we’ve seen for the majority of this season — health permitting.
MORE: FREE Fantasy Football Start/Sit Optimizer
When these two teams met in Week 6, QB Jared Goff was locked in on his primary playmakers. LaPorta vacuumed in 28.6% of the targets, while he and WR Amon-Ra St. Brown accounted for 63.4% of Detroit’s opportunities through the air.
This is a matchup against a pass-funnel defense with “Home Goff” in full effect. You’re playing LaPorta with the same level of confidence that you had in season-long leagues this year.