When drafting your Fantasy Football team for 2024, you should never do it based just on one list. Whether it's rankings, projections, tiers, or average draft position, using any of these by themselves is going to lead to value missed. With that in mind, I have created tiers below that are mostly based on my projections. If you use these in conjunction with ADP, you'll be on the right path.
At the tight end position, I have to start by saying these are loosely tied to my projections as my tight end projections, rankings, and tiers diverge more than at any other position. That's because there are only five tight ends I am sure are going to matter in all formats, six if you count Evan Engram in full PPR. After that, there are a bunch of guys I believe will or could be in the 10 Fantasy points per game range.
The two obvious exceptions are Dalton Kincaid and Kye Pitts. Well, they're kind of exceptions. Because in my projections, they do come out very close to 10 FPPG. The difference between them and everyone below them is that they have the upside to join the top tier of tight ends.
For Pitts, that upside should be evident. He was drafted top 10 in the NFL Draft, produced 1,000 yards as a rookie, and possesses all of the physical traits of an elite pass catcher. He has been plagued by terrible quarterback play, but the arrival of Kirk Cousins is supposed to fix that. We expect Pitts to rank top two on his team in targets as well. The only reason his breakout isn't a foregone conclusion is the colossal disappointment of the past two seasons.
Kincaid also sits in an enviable position with Josh Allen as his quarterback and no discernible WR1 on the roster with Stefon Diggs gone. Kincaid is also a former first-round pick, and he shows 110-target upside in the second half of 2023. His efficiency left much to be desired, but at the very least we expect serious regression from his paltry 2.2% TD rate.
My problem with Kincaid is that he's being drafted as if he has already broken out. This is a mistake we've seen Pitts drafters make over the last three seasons. That ADP makes me more fond of drafting Pitts than Kincaid, but I still prefer George Kittle over both of them in all formats.
Here are my 2024 tight end tiers:
