Fantasy Football Tight End Rankings: Week 1 2026

Fantasy Football Tight End Rankings: Week 1 2026 appeared first on ClutchPoints. Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here. The fantasy football expectations have soared for Brock Bowers. And many people think Colston Loveland will be a beast. But what kind of start will they have? Here are the fantasy football tight end rankings for Week 1 of the 2026 NFL season. A lot of the tight end value depends on how your league scores the position. If your league values tight ends on the same plane as wide receivers, these rankings matter more. Fantasy Football standouts You absolutely cannot go wrong with Bowers in Week 1. He has a tremendous matchup against the Dolphins. And he should light things up with Kirk Cousins feeding him targets. Look at the defense rankings, and you see the Dolphins nestled at No. 23 this week. It's an open door for Bowers.Fantasy managers should look back to 2024 to set expectations for this season, according to Fantasy Pros. "During that season, he was seventh in target per route run rate, sixth in yards per route run, third in receiving yards per game, second in first read share, and seventh in first downs per route run," Derek Brown wrote. "2026 Brock Bowers could be 2025 Trey McBride and be the runaway TE1 for fantasy, with little target competition existing on the Raiders' depth chart to challenge him." Also, keep an eye on Loveland when selecting a tight end this week. And many weeks. He's a relentless guy in the effort department, according to the Bears YouTube page via Sports Illustrated. "That guy is exceptional," Bears receiver Kalif Raymond said. "Just from a talent level, how he runs routes, and his hands. But what I love about Colston is he asks me every off day, 'Hey Leaf, the JUGS machine is open.' He's got one at his house, so I went over, and we caught probably 200 passes together. That's the part people don't see. He's itching to work. That drive is what's going to make him great." Loveland said he's ready for a Year 2 leap, according to NFL.com. "I've had a year under my belt, similar playbook," Loveland said. "You don't have to come learn a new playbook. You know the guys, you know the system, you know how everything's ran. So it's, like you said, it's a head start. "But, having a pretty good year last year and it being not a rookie anymore, you can't make the little mistakes. You can't slack at all. A new standard is set. Just have to burst through that and just keep growing it." Other standouts Cardinals standout Trey McBride fits in this category. The matchup might not be as good as some think. And a new head coach in Mike LaFleur might not funnel targets to McBride this year. You know, in the interest of winning games. Still, McBride is simply too good to ignore unless the matchup is absolutely wretched. And even then, it's probably OK to start him unless you have another stud tight end on your roster. There's no doubt about McBride's ability. He ranked No. 26 in ESPN's top 100 players. "Even on a team with Marvin Harrison Jr. and Michael Wilson, it's not entirely inconceivable that McBride is the Cardinals' top receiving option," Josh Weinfuss wrote. "He spent the offseason refining his ability to read the defense and understand his spacing, which will only make the player with the most routes run in 2025 even more dangerous in space. Throughout training camp, McBride has put his receiving ability on display, a skill that will be amplified in new coach Mike LaFleur's West Coast scheme." It's also OK to roll with Harold Fannin Jr. this week. The Jaguars defense is stout, but the Browns will have to move the ball some way. And who knows if rookie wide receivers KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston are ready to rock? Fantasy Football sleepers Dallas Goedert probably has more fantasy value this week than some are thinking. The Commanders are improved on defense. And they might be able to cover tight ends pretty well this year. However, they will have their hands so full with the Eagles receivers that Goedert may have a chance to shine. Another good sleeper pick is Dalton Kincaid. There is a ton of potential with him this year, according to Fantasy Pros. "If Dalton Kincaid could get a near full-time route share, he would be a league winner and season-defining player at the tight end position," Derek Brown wrote. Fantasy Football Week 9 Tight End Rankings 1. Brock Bowers (LV) vs. MIA2. Colston Loveland (CHI) at CAR3. Trey McBride (ARI) at LAC4. Tyler Warren (IND) vs. BAL5. Harold Fannin Jr. (CLE) at JAC6. Dallas Goedert (PHI) vs. WAS7. Kyle Pitts Sr. (ATL) at PIT8. Tucker Kraft (GB) at MIN9. Dalton Kincaid (BUF) at HOU10. Juwan Johnson (NO) at DET11. Sam LaPorta (DET) vs. NO12. Isaiah Likely (NYG) vs. DAL13. Travis Kelce (KC) vs. DEN14. Mark Andrews (BAL) at IND15. Jake Ferguson (DAL) at NYG Related: Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Rankings: Week 1 2026 Related: Fantasy Football Kicker Rankings: Week 1 2026