Our Week 1 fantasy football TE rankings begin with Trey McBride at No. 1 for his matchup with the Chargers. Colston Loveland follows at TE2, while Tucker Kraft, Tyler Warren, and Sam LaPorta complete the top five.
Harold Fannin Jr. checks in at TE6, followed by Kyle Pitts, Juwan Johnson, Dallas Goedert, and Michael Mayer. George Kittle sits just outside the top 10 at TE11, while Travis Kelce is TE13 and Mark Andrews is TE19.
The position gets thin quickly once the obvious starters are gone, making the middle of the rankings especially important for managers who waited at tight end or are already streaming. Here are the complete Week 1 rankings, followed by closer looks at Loveland and Kraft.
1) Trey McBride| ARI @ LAC
2) Colston Loveland| CHI @ CAR
3) Tyler Warren| IND vs BAL
4) Tucker Kraft| GB @ MIN
5) Sam LaPorta| DET vs NO
6) Harold Fannin Jr.| CLE @ JAX
7) Juwan Johnson| NO @ DET
8) Dallas Goedert| PHI vs WAS
9) Michael Mayer| LV vs MIA
10) Kyle Pitts Sr.| ATL @ PIT
11) George Kittle| SF @ LAR
12) Isaiah Likely| NYG vs DAL
13) Travis Kelce| KC vs DEN
14) Brenton Strange| JAX vs CLE
15) Dalton Kincaid| BUF @ HOU
16) Jake Ferguson| DAL @ NYG
17) Hunter Henry| NE @ SEA
18) Chig Okonkwo| WAS @ PHI
19) Mark Andrews| BAL @ IND
20) Terrance Ferguson| LAR vs SF
21) Cade Otton| TB @ CIN
22) T.J. Hockenson| MIN vs GB
23) Dalton Schultz| HOU vs BUF
24) Greg Dulcich| MIA @ LV
25) Pat Freiermuth| PIT vs ATL
26) AJ Barner| SEA vs NE
27) Charlie Kolar| LAC vs ARI
28) Evan Engram| DEN @ KC
29) Gunnar Helm| TEN vs NYJ
30) Jake Tonges| SF @ LAR
Loveland enters Week 1 at TE2, and the matchup gives him an opportunity to justify that aggressive ranking immediately. Carolina allowed the second-most yards per target to tight ends last season, creating a favorable spot for one of the primary pieces in Chicago's passing game.
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The Bears have several players capable of commanding targets, including Luther Burden III and Rome Odunze, but tight end requires a much lower weekly scoring threshold than wide receiver. Loveland doesn't necessarily need overwhelming volume to finish near the top of the position.
His matchup only strengthens the case. Loveland has a legitimate path to lead all tight ends in fantasy scoring this week, making him one of the strongest options on the board beyond McBride.
Kraft is TE3 in these rankings after spending the offseason working back from the torn ACL he suffered on Nov. 2. The indications entering the season have been positive, although his workload could still be managed during the first half of the year.
That creates some uncertainty against a Minnesota defense that ranked second in red-zone defense last season. Kraft's usage near the goal line offers a reason to remain confident despite the matchup. He was targeted on 36.4% of his red-zone routes last season, a rate that ranked just behind Brock Bowers and ahead of both Loveland and McBride.
Green Bay also enters the season with a thinner wide receiver room, leaving room for Kraft to maintain an important role even if his overall workload isn't immediately at its peak. As long as he's active, his touchdown potential and efficiency keep him firmly inside the Week 1 TE1 tier.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network .
