The tight end position is one where a tier-based approach makes a lot of sense for fantasy football. The position is a tough one to judge, so knowing your strategy and where you want to target the position going into 2022 fantasy drafts is crucial. Let’s examine the PFN consensus fantasy football TE tiers for 2022 in order to help you judge which part of the position you want to target.
If your approach to fantasy drafts is not tier-based, then our 2022 TE rankings are available in list form. Additionally, if you would like more analysis on the tight-end position, then be sure to check out PFN’s fantasy analysts Tommy Garrett and Jason Katz discussing the latest fantasy football news on the PFN Premier Fantasy Football Podcast. Alternatively, if you want to chat with our analysts, check out our completely free Discord server.
Fantasy football TE tiers 2022
The tiers below are formed from a consensus ranking between PFN’s Fantasy Football Director Ben Rolfe, Senior Fantasy Analyst Tommy Garrett, and Fantasy Analyst Jason Katz. The scoring format for the tiers below is PPR and is correct as of Aug. 17, 2022.
Tier 1
The gap between Kelce and Andrews closed last year to the point where Andrews actually outscored Kelce, both overall and on a per-game basis. The departure of Tyreek Hill should see Kelce get a greater target share this year. However, that could be counter-balanced if he sees more focus from opposing defenses without a second commanding receiving threat in the offense.
Andrews could face a similar issue. The departure of Marquise Brown makes Andrews the clear leader in the offense. Other players should step up to take the targets left by Brown, but will they command the same respect of the defense that Brown did? Andrews should see a similar target share, but he needs to retain the efficiency if he wants to finish above Kelce again.
Tier 2
Kyle Pitts
Darren Waller
Dalton Schultz
George Kittle
Pitts was one of six tight ends to see more than 100 targets and one of just three to have over 1,000 receiving yards. He should be one of the main two targets in the Falcons’ offense, and pure regression indicates he should find the end zone more than once this season. If he finds the end zone more, his ceiling is incredible, while his target share should mean he has a solid floor as a top-10 QB at minimum.
Waller struggled with injuries last year but was still a top-six tight end on a per-game basis. The arrival of Davante Adams will hurt his target share, but it should help draw defensive attention away from him when he is on the field. Schultz could see the opposite problem. Last year, he was the third or fourth pass catcher defenses had to plan for. This year he is the number two in that offense. A potential increase in targets should balance out a loss of efficiency.
Over the course of a season, Kittle is reliable when he is on the field. He has averaged between 14 and 16.2 ppg in PPR consistently over the past four years. There is week-to-week variability and injury concerns, but come to the end of the season, you know what you will have with Kittle.
Tier 3
This is a little tier that bridges the position nicely. Goedert has shown he can have huge games, but there are concerns about consistency. The addition of A.J. Brown somewhat clouds the target share for all three of the Eagles’ main pass catchers.
Hockenson has shown better performances the past two years. Last year, he had eight performances out of 12 with double-digit PPR returns. However, there could be target share concerns with the emergence of Amon-Ra St. Brown and the additions of D.J. Chark and Jameson Williams.
Tier 4
Albert Okwuegbunam
Zach Ertz
Cole Kmet
Pat Freiermuth
Dawson Knox
If you are looking to go for a late-round tight end, then this is the tier for you. Okwuegbunam is seemingly competing with rookie Greg Dulcich but has a lot of upside with Russell Wilson throwing him the ball. Ertz scored over 10 ppg in PPR once arriving in Arizona. However, that is still significantly below his 13 to 17-point ceiling in the prime of his career.
Kmet has a shot to join the 100-target club. However, his efficiency last year was a concern, with just 612 yards and not a single touchdown. Unless that efficiency improves, his upside is capped. However, the Bears should give him every chance to improve on that in his third year.
Freiermuth and Knox were among the leaders at the position in terms of receiving touchdowns. While there might be some regression there, both should still see plenty of targets in that region of the field. Freiermuth has the higher ceiling as you would expect him to develop in his second year. However, Knox plays in an explosive, high-scoring offense.
TE fantasy football tiers 5-8
Tier 5: Hunter Henry, David Njoku, Noah Fant, Mike Gesicki, Tyler Higbee
Tier 6: Robert Tonyan, Austin Hooper, Irv Smith Jr., Gerald Everett, Evan Engram
Tier 7: Hayden Hurst, Logan Thomas, Brevin Jordan, Mo Alie-Cox, Cameron Brate, C.J. Uzomah, Dan Arnold, Jonnu Smith,
Tier 8: Kyle Rudolph, Adam Trautman, Harrison Bryant, Tyler Conklin, Jelani Woods, Ricky Seals-Jones, Daniel Bellinger, Andrew Ogletree, Trey McBride