Fantasy football 2024: Top 10 TE values

Projected draft position: Round 4 (TE3)

To be clear, I'm OK with McBride being the TE3, below Travis Kelce and Sam LaPorta ... I'm just happy to take him a round earlier than he's going in drafts (around the seventh pick of Round 4 right now). Why? Well let's look at what he did after Kyler Murray's return to the field in Week 10 last season: 8.3 targets per game, 67.3 receiving yards per game, 14.9 fantasy points per game. If McBride's numbers with Murray were projected to a full season, that would translate to 140 targets, 113 catches, 1,143 yards and four touchdowns -- which would have made him the TE1 in 2023.

Granted, I expect the raw target volume to drop a bit with the arrival of rookie receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., but McBride will still be in the top three at the position in that category, and the quality of his opportunities could increase, with Murray healthier and Harrison demanding attention from opposing defenses. Locking up an elite tight end is huge in fantasy, and you can feel confident reaching several spots on McBride to do so.

Projected draft position: Round 5 (TE6)

I know, I know. This again? Yes, this again. But unlike in the years when Pitts failed to live up to his fantasy promise, the one consistent handicap that's been holding Pitts back -- abysmal quarterback play -- has finally been removed.

Between 2021, when Pitts entered the NFL, and 2023, Atlanta quarterbacks ranked 25th in the NFL in passer rating and tied for 23rd in touchdown rate. Last season, 22.3 percent of the Falcons' passes were deemed uncatchable by Pro Football Focus, the fifth-worst mark in the league. Even so, Pitts has totaled 2,961 career intended air yards, trailing only Mark Andrews in that category over the past three seasons.

Now, Pitts and the Falcons will have the extremely capable arm of Kirk Cousins dealing out targets (and touchdowns, finally). The 23-year-old tight end is one of very few with triple-digit target upside, and he's already flashed the talent to capitalize on that kind of opportunity. For me, he's the last and least expensive of the "stud tier" at the position.

Projected draft position: Round 7 (TE9)

Last season, Ferguson broke out to the tune of 71 catches, 761 yards and five touchdowns, finishing as the TE9 on the year in total fantasy points scored. It feels odd to be disappointed with any of those results ... but I am. The Cowboys tight end led the entire position with 23 red-zone targets, which tied Amon-Ra St. Brown (10 touchdowns) and DK Metcalf (8) for fifth-most in the entire NFL. And yet, Ferguson's touchdown total fell far below St. Brown's (10) and Metcalf's (eight). Ferguson even saw six targets from the 3-yard line or closer, and he scored just one touchdown on those targets.

Simply put, by the laws of math and common sense, I expect Ferguson to score more in 2024. He's still the No. 2 target behind CeeDee Lamb, and very little else has changed in Dallas. Plus, he's only entering his third season, which means he could develop further as an NFL tight end.

Projected draft position: Round 11 (TE15)

New Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith is very good at two things: confusing us with his personnel usage and targeting his tight ends. Last year, with Smith as head coach, the Falcons targeted their tight ends on 34 percent of pass attempts (highest rate in the league), and they ranked top four in that category in all three seasons under Smith. Now Smith takes his talents (and targets) to Pittsburgh ... and Freiermuth. As a rookie in 2021, Freiermuth scored seven touchdowns and finished as the TE11 in fantasy points. Not coincidentally, that was Ben Roethlisberger's final season in Pittsburgh. Since then, Freiermuth has been severely hampered by atrocious quarterback play.

Now he gets either Russell Wilson or Justin Fields, both of whom have proven they can support fantasy weapons at a much higher level than previous Pittsburgh QBs Kenny Pickett, Mason Rudolph and Mitchell Trubisky. With Diontae Johnson out of the picture, Freiermuth is the clear-cut No. 2 target on this team and is a near-guarantee to return value on his ADP of TE15. Expect a TE1 season with stud-tier upside.

Projected draft position: Round 9 (TE11)

I'm typically not a fan of drafting rookie tight ends in fantasy football (unless we're talking dynasty leagues). But after four of them finished as top-12 TEs in fantasy points over the past three years (Pitts and Freiermuth in 2021 and Dalton Kincaid and TE1 Sam LaPorta last year), I'm warming up to the idea -- and scouting Bowers turns that temperature up in a hurry. Bowers posted 882 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns as a freshman for the national champion Bulldogs in 2021. He led the team in receiving yards all three seasons and won the John Mackey Award as the nation's top tight end in back-to-back years -- the first player ever to accomplish that feat. His most common NFL comp, for very good reason, is George Kittle.

Moreover, the Raiders drafted him 13th overall to presumably be their No. 2 target behind Davante Adams in the short term and possibly their top target of the future. Bowers may be the most pro-ready TE prospect we've ever seen and has the makings of a fantasy star right out of the gate.

Projected draft position: Round 18 (TE26)

Why does the fantasy community insist on ignoring Hill, as if the rarity of his usage makes him some sort of bigfoot? He might not actually be a tight end -- he’s really some sort of positionless hybrid -- but he counts as a tight end on most fantasy sites, and that’s what matters. He finished as the TE12 last year and the TE9 the year prior -- and despite all the talk of “unpredictability,” scored 144 and 146 fantasy points in those two seasons. He’s scored five or more scrimmage touchdowns in five straight years (along with a handful of passing TDs) -- the only other tight ends to do so are Travis Kelce and Mark Andrews.

Believe it or not, Hill is doing even more in new OC Klint Kubiak’s scheme, which means he could see an increase in snaps in 2024. Hill is an undeniably valuable asset in the New Orleans offense and that makes him a valuable pick in what is likely the last round of your draft.

Projected draft position: Round 15 (TE20)

For three straight seasons, Conklin has played in all 17 games, snagged between 58 to 61 receptions and averaged right around 600 yards. It hasn’t been revelatory, but it’s been enough for TE16, TE16 and TE17 in those seasons. So someone needs to explain why he’s going as the TE20 in drafts with Aaron Rodgers returning at quarterback in 2024. After Garrett Wilson, the receiving depth chart in New York is muddy, so there’s a decent chance Conklin is one of the top targets on a team whose offense should be finally functional. Don’t get me wrong, he doesn’t have the “stud tier” upside that some of these other names do, but if you end up waiting on tight end well into the double-digit rounds, Conklin is a relatively reliable streamer that should finish ahead of his draft price.

Projected draft position: Round 14 (TE19)

We’re all used to drafting handcuffs for elite running backs, but Likely might be the first handcuff tight end worth our consideration. In the six games Mark Andrews missed at the end of last season, Likely totaled 21 catches for 322 yards and five touchdowns. That was good for 13.9 fantasy points per game, which would be enough to slot in as the TE4 in PPG on the season, behind Travis Kelce, T.J. Hockenson and Sam LaPorta.

Obviously with Andrews healthy, Likely is an afterthought … but if anything should happen to the Ravens’ TE1, you would suddenly have a stud alternative acquired in the 14th round. If you have the roster space to stash Likely as a backup, he could be a major value at this price.

Projected draft position: Round 16 (TE21)

When asked during mandatory minicamps about his previously uninspiring usage of tight ends, Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel said, "Some people think that just 'whatever it was, it will always be'. … There’s opportunities there, for sure." When specifically asked about newly acquired Jonnu Smith, McDaniel said, "He has become a master of YAC, not only because of speed, but because of a mindset." I want all possible pieces of McDaniel’s offense, and I definitely want pieces of the offense that he’s identified for YAC opportunities. Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle are the clear one and two in Miami, but the franchise has been searching for a third option for Tua Tagovailoa -- the athletic Smith might be the guy. If he can repeat his 50 catches and nearly 600 yards from 2023, while finding his way into the end zone a few more times, there’s no reason he can’t be a budget TE1 in 2024.

Projected draft position: Round 17 (TE23)

A second rookie tight end? Have I lost my mind? Maybe, but see my comment about rookies in the Brock Bowers section and then take a gander at Ben Sinnott’s profile. The 6-foot-4, 250-pound athlete out of Kansas State exceeded draft expectations with his Round 2 selection, after turning in a stellar performance at the NFL combine that included a 40-inch vertical jump, a 10-foot-6-inch broad jump and a 6.82-second 3-cone drill.