Dave Richard's tight end tiers provide the blueprint for how to draft TEs in 2026 Fantasy football drafts

I don't mean to spoil things for you if you haven't read the wide receiver half-PPR tiers yet, but tight ends have been making major inroads on becoming bigger parts of passing offenses.

Last season, tight ends as a whole caught 231 touchdowns and saw a collective target share of 23.8%. The touchdowns were the most since 2013, and the target share was the highest rate ever recorded.

You shouldn't be surprised. Offenses have begun utilizing multiple tight ends in their offenses to counter how defenses have been playing safeties back. Doing this not only made running the ball easier to do (more tight ends equals more blockers), but tight ends are bigger and stronger than most safeties and faster than most linebackers, creating mismatches that offenses can capitalize on.

There's also been a steady influx of very athletic tight ends into the NFL, some of whom have only scratched the surface of their potential. For every Trey McBride and Brock Bowers, there's an Isaiah Likely and Chig Okonkwo. The talent is getting better and they'll be leaned on accordingly.

This is why you'll see Fantasy managers willing to take the chance on McBride and Bowers by the back end of Round 2, and on Colston Loveland and Tyler Warren by the end of Round 5 (if not way sooner in the case of Loveland). Most Fantasy leagues ask you to start one tight end, and while there are more than 12 tight ends you can make the case for starting, only a select few have the upside to be difference-makers every week. They're cheat codes.

Always shop for a tight end who you believe can finish first or second on his own team in targets. That tight end should be able to average at least six targets per game -- more would be awesome but less would be detrimental to the player's numbers. It goes without saying that the more catches are worth, the more you should chase high-volume tight ends. In half-PPR, that edge is typically negligible since all but 11 tight ends last year averaged more than four catches per game.

You shouldn't expect anyone atop the TE tiers other than these two. Huge target potential, huge touchdown potential, huge big-game potential. If there's an edge for Bowers, it's that he's a shade more explosive than McBride and isn't in danger of losing a few targets like McBride could. If there's an edge for McBride, it's that he's been outstanding for the past two seasons, something his new coach will obviously gravitate toward; his schedule is a little bit better than Bowers', and he doesn't carry the injury concerns Bowers does.

If you're picking in Pick 8 or later, you probably won't think to draft either guy. And if you're between picks five through seven, you might be reaching for either guy in Round 2 in half-PPR formats. If you're between Picks 1 through 4, the goal should be to get the second tight end off the board. That's assuming you're interested in a tight end advantage and are willing to forego the running backs and wide receivers on the board at the time. I wouldn't pass on either tight end if they made it to Round 3.

We're hoping for at least 13 half-PPR points per game from these two.

The top two tight ends from the 2024 class will be in big demand, especially since they'll come at a solid discount compared to McBride and Bowers. Both have a shot at close to seven targets per game, both have a shot at eight touchdowns, but it's Loveland's explosiveness, quarterback, and schedule that gives him an edge over Warren. It's why I wouldn't wait too long for Loveland if I wanted that edge at tight end.

Both should average around at least 10 half-PPR points per game, a definite drop-off from the first two tight ends.

If you want to have a quality tight end but don't want to pay a top 60 pick price, this is the tier for you. All four of these guys carry quality upside to average anywhere from 5.5 to 6.5 targets per game and produce decent touchdown totals.

But every tight end from this tier on down will come with question marks. How will Fannin do in a new offense with new wide receivers who will command targets? Will LaPorta benefit as much from his new TE-friendly playcaller as we hope, and can he stay healthy? Will Kraft be his old self in September, especially since so much of his game comes after the catch? And can Pitts actually produce a good full season even with Drake London staying healthy (his best games last year came without London)?

If you're locked into drafting a tight end with concerns that could keep their Fantasy stats limited, you might be better off not spending decent draft capital on one of these guys unless they become an unpassable value. If any of them are going around after these expectations, grab them.

You're hoping for nine half-PPR points per game from these players ... maybe a smidge more from Fannin and LaPorta.

It goes without saying that if Kittle is participating in training camp and looking like his old self, then he will be at least two tiers higher. But if he's going to miss the start of the year and be rusty whenever he comes back, then the 33-year-old will get drafted around this range. Speaking of old, Kelce has remained a solid Fantasy starter even though he's not the same athlete he once was, and because the tight end position isn't flush with amazing target hogs, he still warrants attention. But it'll be Likely who draws eyeballs because of his new role with the Giants.

This is a good value tier as any of these tight ends could average at least 9.0 half-PPR points per game, though they all carry more risks than the fellas in Tier 3.

If you're waiting this late to take a tight end, you might as well take two. The whole idea is to strike it rich with a late-rounder who plays beyond expectations the same way Loveland, Fannin, Pitts, Goedert and Hunter Henry did last season. If you take two shots, you double your chances at finding a good starter. You could do worse with a late-rounder.