2026 TE Tiers DISCUSSION! Rankings, Projections & Draft Strategy (07/16 Fantasy Football Podcast)

Summary

Fantasy Football Today Podcast Summary

Episode: 2026 TE Tiers DISCUSSION! Rankings, Projections & Draft Strategy
Date: July 16, 2026
Hosts/Analysts: Adam Aizer (C), Dave Richard (D), Jamey Eisenberg (A), Heath Cummings (B)

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Overview

This episode dives deep into 2026 fantasy football tight end (TE) tiers, rankings, projections, and the strategic implications for your draft. The crew breaks down each analyst’s tiers, debates strategic value across draft rounds, analyzes statistical outliers, assesses breakout potential, and offers practical advice for maximizing the notoriously unpredictable tight end position.

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Key Discussion Points

1. 2025 Recap & The State of TE Strategy

• Top five TEs in 2025 were drafted anywhere from round 3 to 12: Trey McBride (3), Kyle Pitts (12), Travis Kelce (6), Jake Ferguson (12), Tyler Warren (8).
• "Great or late" continues to be the dominant draft strategy for tight ends—either draft a top guy early or wait for value.

  “It was in effect again last year.” (C, 01:21)

• Emphasis on efficiency and being top-2 in team targets as a major factor for TE fantasy success.
• Stat: Only four TEs in the last ten years finished top five without being first or second on their team in targets.

2. Offseason Stats, Trends & Quirky Notes

• Trey McBride had 15 more targets last season than Tucker Kraft has had his entire career, but Kraft has more yardage and touchdowns on fewer targets.

• Packers’ targets are historically bunched, rarely giving one pass-catcher a large share.

• Notable quote:

  “Tucker Kraft is basically the new George Kittle...That Packers offense, man, they just deliver on a per play basis.” (C, 02:54)

• Efficiency notes:

  • Tucker Kraft: 9.1 YAC/reception, most since True Media tracked the stat.
  • Harold Fannin Jr.: 15.9 PPR points per game when David Njoku was out/pulled early.

3. TEs Likely to Lead Their Teams in Targets [04:00-05:00]

• Strongest candidates: Brock Bowers, Trey McBride, Colston Loveland, possibly Tucker Kraft and Tyler Warren.
• “If Malik Neighbors starts the year on PUP, Isaiah Likely might [lead his team].” (B, 04:28)
• Several teams lack a clear #1 WR, opening the door for a TE target leader.

4. Touchdown Ceiling & Projections

• Kyle Pitts’s projected TDs: a running joke that he's "obviously six" because his TDs have increased by one each year of his career (B, 06:17).
• Touchdown rates dependent on offensive environment—Atlanta’s low passing TD volume has capped Pitts’s upside.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Adam (C, 01:21):
  “Top five tight ends in fantasy in 2025 were drafted in rounds three, 12, six, 12, and eight last year...So great or late was in effect again last year.”

• Heath (B, 18:12):
  “I have Colston Loveland much closer in my rankings and projections to McBride and Bowers than to the guys behind him…If there’s a guy who makes the leap and outscores McBride or Bowers, Loveland is definitely the most likely.”

• Dave (D, 19:45):
  “If you’re not comfortable taking the tight end there and you love the other players, wait. The talent pool is deep enough to find value later.”

• Jamie (D, 28:32):
  “The chance for Tucker Kraft to be a superstar is there. As the reports get better, he may even jump Laporta for me.”

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Tight End Tier Breakdown

Tier 1: Elite Assets [18:00–20:00]

• Bowers, McBride (All analysts agree)

• Colston Loveland (Heath includes in Tier 1, others see as just beneath)

  “If there’s a guy who makes the leap and outscores McBride or Bowers, Loveland is definitely the most likely.” (B, 18:12)

• ADP: McBride/Bowers at the 2/3 turn; Loveland often late 3rd or 4th round.

• Strategy Discussion:

  • If you don’t take your guy at the 2-3 turn, you’re unlikely to get a Tier 1 TE.

    “If you want one of those top three tight ends...you’re probably not getting one if you pass at the 2-3 turn.” (C, 22:27)

Tier 2 & 3: Upside & Volume [25:00–32:00]

• Loveland (Jamie), Warren, LaPorta, Kraft, Pitts, Fannin, Likely.
• Split between those projected to lead or be #2 in targets (Warren, Laporta, Pitts) and guys in muddled offenses or with an uncertain QB (Fannin, Kraft).
• Notable rankings divergences:
  • Heath: More separation between high-projected-volume TEs and lottery tickets.
  • Jamie: Groups broader to match typical ADP cliffs.
• Draft Value Highlight:
  • LaPorta, Pitts, Kraft often available in Rounds 6–8.
  • Tyler Warren can be had at a discount vs. TEs with similar upside.

Old Guard & Veterans [41:00–48:00]

• Kelsey, Kittle, Andrews, Goddard, Likely (depending on analyst).
• Concerns:
  • Age, declining volume, injury history (e.g., Kelce, Kittle).
  • Could still be easy top-12/safe floor picks.
• Andrews/Goddard:
  • Belief in touchdowns and efficiency, not volume.
  • Reminder: TEs finishing with lower targets can still crush via TDs.

Late/High-Risk Plays & Streaming Tier [52:00–58:30]

• Schultz, Brenton Strange, Gadsden, Hunter Henry, Juwan Johnson, Ferguson, Dulcich, Mayer, Sadiq
• Don't want as starters in most builds, but strong streaming, handcuff, or breakout candidates.
• Strategy: Don’t reach—land one of the first 14-15 TEs; everyone else is a streamer, not a target.

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Draft & Strategy Takeaways

• Great or Late Proven Again: Secure a stud or wait for upside value; don’t force mid-tier TEs unless it’s a screaming value.
• Volume is King: Prioritize TEs who project first or second in team targets.
• Youth vs. Proven Production: Sophomore TEs have higher upside but often take time to emerge; don’t completely fade veterans like Kelce, Kittle, or Andrews, especially at reduced ADPs.
• Monitor Training Camp: Several TEs (e.g., Kraft, Likely) could rise or fall based on health and WR availability.
• Don’t Ignore the Waiver Wire: Late breakouts and injury replacements often perform as top-12 options for stretches.
• Flex Viability: In 3-WR leagues, double TE flex options are more realistic for 2026 due to increased TE depth.

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Quotes with Timestamps

• ADP Dilemma:
  “If you're up at the 2, 3 turn and you don't take Bowers or McBride, you're probably not getting one of the top three tight ends.” (C, 22:27)

• Separation in Tiers:
  “I have Laporta and Pitts more than a round ahead of Warren, Fannin or Kraft. Targets are just safer.” (B, 26:06)

• Value of Old Guards:
  “Kittle is the hardest one to sort of rank and project because of his injury… But just the track records there.” (D, 43:32)

• Late Tiers Are All About Streamers:
  “Someone from this tier is probably going to emerge. That's the kind of position this is.” (C, 57:07)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• TE Draft Lesson from 2025 [01:21]
• Efficiency/Targets Lead to Top 5 [02:13–05:00]
• ADP & Tier 1 Dilemma [19:45–22:27]
• Mid-Round Value Breakdowns [25:01–35:00]
• Discussion on Old Guard (Kelce, Kittle, Andrews, Goddard) [41:24–48:35]
• Late/Streamer Tiers, Ferguson/Dulcich/Gadsden/Strange et al. [52:42–57:07]

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Humor & Colorful Moments

• Colston Loveland’s Inclusion in Tier 1

  “Because I didn't want to put Colston Loveland in a tier by himself and mess up the graphics for the next 17 tiers." (B, 18:12)

• Fantasy Disagreement on Social Etiquette
  (Bonus at the end: debate about using your own fork with family-style serving at a restaurant.)

  “He used his own fork after he'd taken bites, in the community food!” (C, 60:55)

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Concluding Advice

• Draft for upside—but don’t underestimate established veterans at a discount.
• Use ADP tiers as a guide—don’t reach in murky 5th/6th round, but pounce if value falls.
• Always monitor training camp updates and injury reports; value can shift quickly at tight end.
• The landscape is deeper and more dynamic than past years—embrace flexibility, and treat TE as a position of opportunity, not just frustration.

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For more granular draft talks and mailbag content, check out their July 16 mailbag and upcoming Festivus grievance episode!

Transcript

[A]

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[B]

This is fantasy football today from CBS Sports.

[C]

Wanna play? Can you believe this?

[B]

No, I can't. It's time to dominate your fantasy league.

[C]

Off to the races and he stays at his feet. This is gonna go the distance.

[B]

Now here's some combination of Adam, Dave, Jamie and heath.

[C]

The top five tight ends in fantasy in 2025 were drafted in rounds three 12, six 12, and eight last year. That would be Trey McBride, Kyle Pitts, Travis Kelsey, Jake Ferguson, and Tyler Warren. Those are your top five overall, not per game. That doesn't include George Kittle. Doesn't include Brock Bowers. Those guys were top five per game. But that's just Craft. Tucker Craft. But he was. He was. Let's see what round Tucker Kraft was last year. He was 111th overall. That's around 10 pick for Tucker Kraft. So great or late. It was in effect again last year. What's up, guys?

[D]

Good morning.

[A]

Morning.

[C]

Okay, that's all I have. That's. That's the show.

[B]

Good show. Good show. Let's see how messed up Heath and Jamie's tears are.

[D]

Yeah, it's.

[C]

It's. Once again, it's like there's just one or two tiers early that if they were just combined for one of you, your tears would be almost the same. But tight end. Luckily not as many names to throw at you, but here are some group chat stats to throw at you. All right, first of all, only four tight ends in the last 10 seasons have finished top five at the position and not been first or second on their team and targets. So keep that in mind. Maybe Colson Loveland will be first or second or maybe he will just buck the trend. This I love. Trey McBride had 15 more targets last year than Tucker Kraft has had it his entire three year career.

[D]

Interesting. It's great that, yeah.

[C]

But Kraft has taken those 13 fewer targets and gained 312 more yards than McBride with four more touchdowns. And you know what I was thinking, like I was thinking about Tucker Craft, but also I want to say that over the last three years, Christian Watson and Jaden Reed are both top five in fantasy points per target or something like that. And Tucker Craft is basically the new George Kittle. Is it just Matt LaFleur's offense, Heath? Because Jordan Love has been hyper efficient. I mean that packers offense, man, they just deliver on a, on a per play basis.

[B]

Well, we've seen, yeah, I mean we've seen the 49ers do it for years and it's easier to do it when you're a run heavy team that doesn't throw the ball near as much. And they've taken that to the extreme over the last couple of years. And Jordan Love, I don't think we should give lafleur all the credit. I think we should give Jordan Love some credit. We must give Tucker Kraft some credit. So yeah, they're, they're a very efficient offense.

[D]

How many tight ends do you think will be first on their team? Targets?

[C]

Great question. Two right out of the gate, Bowers and McBride.

[D]

Yeah, I can see Craft leading his team targets.

[C]

You look at the targets on the Packers. I only looked at the last three years. I don't think anyone's reached 100. In fact, I, I'm positive no one's reached 100. It's usually quite bunched up. You have had guys who've been on pace for more than 100. I think Romeo Dobbs had a season like that, but I mean there was one season where like four guys had 70 to 80 targets. So yeah, craft will be, I'm gonna

[B]

say three or four. Who I have, I mean Bowers, McBride are the two obvious ones. I have Colston Loveland tied for the team leading targets. I think there's a chance that Tucker Kraft leads his team in targets. And then if Malik Neighbor starts the year on the pup, Isaiah likely might.

[D]

I think he could see Dolcets lead his team in targets.

[B]

You could, you could see Tyler Warren.

[D]

I think you see Tyler Warren lead his team in targets. You can see Harold Fannin do it again.

[C]

For sure.

[D]

Last year you could see Kittle's a stretch just because of health but Kelsey could.

[C]

Oh man, I don't know. With Rice back. I don't know.

[D]

I mean I'm not. I'm not projecting it that way but Rice has had a hard time playing full season.

[C]

Yeah, Travis Kelsey could be a steal. He was tight end likely could if

[D]

if neighbors misses the first five or six games.

[B]

That's a good point.

[C]

Yeah, I just don't think he will. I think he'll fly up the draft boards if if he starts a year.

[B]

Also I was being a smart alec because I said that two minutes ago

[C]

I pulled the Dave well Kelsey Kelsey top six per game with Patrick Mahomes last year. All right, a few more group chat stats. Tucker Kraft has averaged 9.1 yards after the catch per reception in his career. Yeah, I'm guessing that's the most ever in NFL history. But it's the mo. It's the best yak per catch for Tucker Craft. The best jack per catch of any tight end in in since true media has been tracking the stat. Harold Fannin Jr. Averaged 15.9 PPR points per game in five games without David Najoku or with Najok leaving early with an injury. And that doesn't include week 17 where Fanon played 23 of the snaps and caught a long touchdown. Was awesome. Here's one Heath how many project how many touchdowns you have Kyle Pitts projected for?

[B]

Obviously six.

[C]

Yeah, obviously six. Why is that obvious?

[B]

Because every year of his career he scores one more he had won his first year to his second year three, four, five. This is year six. So he's going to score six.

[C]

That's right. The Falcons though have been 24th or worse in touchdown passes in four of Pitts's five seasons. Do you really haven't projected for six?

[B]

Let's look at the actual projections. Like I knew what it was. I have him at 5.5. So basically

[D]

it would be funny if he's at like four going into like week 14 and they just, you know, do the McBride thing that we saw two years ago.

[C]

Yeah, he's never been a big touchdown guy though. For sure.

[B]

I'll say if he scored six in the first half of the season. Sell

[C]

Dalton Kincaid let all tight ends and yards per outrun tight ends with a minimum of 40 targets. And Sam Laporta has been tight end three, tied in nine and tight end seven in his three seasons. And right now he's being drafted. I think his Titans 7, 6 or 7 he's a tight end, 7 95th overall, Sam LaPorta and I know he's gonna really like that one. A couple things to promote. Oh, draftathon, you say? Yeah, it's pretty much that time of year. It's July 16th. And later today we'll have our mailbag episode, our Festivus mailbag episode where Dan and I will air grievances about what we did at FSGA last week. The Fantasy Sports and Gaming Association Conference. But while we were there, our main goal was to recruit people to be in the FFT Open and we're going to have some, some more big names from around the industry. I won't say anything yet until it's official, but I've been talking with some people I think you're going to be really excited about who's, you know, captaining a division in the FFT Open. What is the FFT Open? Well, it's a tournament that's gone from eight leagues to 12 to 24 last year. 36 leagues this year. Do you have that many? 396 spots, I guess that is available and you play in a 12 team division and if you win the division you move on to the tournament rounds. And if you win the FFT Open, you rock. Now this year we're going to give the people who won the division last year the chance to buy a spot in that same division or I guess any division, I don't know, but I think in that same division before the spots are open to the general public. So if you won your division last year, you can get first dibs at being in the FFT Open. Jamie, congratulations. You won your division last year. You can be in the FFT Open this year.

[D]

Thank you you.

[C]

But anyway, it's 250 a spot. It all goes to St. Jude. And if we sell out all of our spots this year, that is $99,000 we'll raise for St. Jude. That's just part of Draftathon which is coming up in the next couple of weeks. It'll start and continue through the rest of draft season. Oh, and Scott Fish is in the chat today. Scott Fish is one of our division captains in the FFT Open. You can be in the Scott Fish division, for example. I invited him on the mailbag show. He hasn't responded yet.

[D]

Oh, let's go Scott.

[C]

It's at 1pm Eastern on Thursday so it's in the middle of a work day so I don't know if he'll

[D]

be able to do it.

[C]

Yeah, he wants to be on the Grievances show, but we'll see. The other thing I want to promote is we had an amazing episode with Scott Turner, former offensive coordinator, a few weeks ago. He's coming on Tuesday for his second edition of fft. If you have any questions for Scott Turner, please email Fantasy [e-mail] that's the letter I. Fantasy Football CBS icon. Put something like Scott Turner question in the subject line and we'll gather them and ask him some good questions next week.

[D]

And don't forget to wish Dave a happy birthday.

[B]

Yes.

[C]

For the entire month. Yeah. News and notes. All right, Jamie. The Saints, they reworked Alvin Camara's contract.

[D]

Yay.

[C]

So he'll be back. He turns 31 next week. He averaged a career low 3.6 yards per carry. He also averaged a career low 5.6 yards per catch. He's been pretty like three years ago, he averaged 6.2 yards per catch and then rebounded with eight the following year. They also had a really bad offensive line last year. But anyway, what does this mean for Camara and etn?

[D]

I mean, for Camara it's really just you're taking a late round flyer on him at this point. So, you know, handcuff pass catching role. You know, you'd love for him to be if both guys stay healthy like Kenneth Gainwell, but that's just not Kellen Moore's offense to throw to his running backs to that level, at least based on his track record in the three previous stops he's been and even last year with the Saints, it just lowers the ceiling for Travis E. You know, I think the, the potential is still there for him to be a very successful fantasy running back because he's going to be in an explosive offense based on what we' we saw last year with Tyler Shuck and obviously Kellen Moore's history. But if you were hoping for him to be, at least for me, you know, top 12 guy, someone that you should take in the first three rounds, I'm out. The earliest I would take a chance on him is round four, and that might even be too soon.

[C]

Heath, what do you think?

[B]

Yeah, I don't really know what I was really kind of thinking about this morning and I've kind of this felt like one of those things where some, somebody in every draft was drafting him, as if Camaro was going to be gone at some point. Like whoever took him in round three was drafting and kind of like commit. Well, Camara is not going to be there. And so now, like I agree with Jamie, that the guy that I'm kind of struggling with him with is Tony Pollard. It's a better offense, but I'm not sure that he's going to have more touches. And I have those two back to back right now. RB21 and RB22.

[C]

I mean, they are not even close in ADP, right? So ETN on CBS is going 38th, Tony ETN Chan and it. And the thing is, I went back and I watched his press conference because people are saying that I was pronouncing it wrong when I said hn and he, he said hn and then he even spelled it out like a Chan. So I just, I hope it's not confusing for people. But Travis e. Is going 38th, I think I said. And Tony Pollard is going 69th. And on fantasy pros, it's basically the same. He's going 39th, Travis A. Chan for the Saints, and Tony Pollard is going 74th. All right, we'll talk more about that some other time. Let's do a few more notes here. Ian Rapaport thinks Patrick Mahomes is on track for Week one. Cool. David Forerunner don't know how to pronounce the name for owners of the Sun Sentinel. Sorry. David said that Jalen Tolbert appeared to be the top target for Malik Willis this off season, and that's not the first time we've heard something like that. So is that the guy? If you were going to draft a Dolphins wide receiver, Jamie, would you draft Tolbert?

[D]

He was the one I had ranked the highest. Then there was the last off season report minicamp or whatever that it was Malik Washington. So I think it's those two guys, based on their track records as the two you want to target. If you're looking for who probably has the best floor, I still think if you're looking for who has the best ceiling, you're hoping Chris Bell is going to be healthy and, you know, able to play Week one. The rookie that they drafted out of Louisville coming off an ACL tear. That being said, it's just such a open canvas of anyone could be the guy for Malik Willis. And really the I think the reality is is like you hope just Devon HN gets a lot of opportunities, but that's what we're skeptical of. We're going to talk about Greg Dulcet's a little bit in terms of what his chances are because he could be the guy from Miami. It's just, I think you get to the end of your draft, it's similar to the Raiders at A lesser scale like just take a shot on a Dolphins receiver and if that guy gets off to hot start, then you may have had a pretty good sleeper and some of you got with a great pick.

[C]

And Jim Wyatt of Tennesseetitans.com thinks that Tajie Spears has a chance for a bigger role as a rusher and a receiver this season. And he also Jim Wyatt expected a bigger role for Spears last season. But then Spears hurt his ankle in the first preseason game. He started the year on ir so it's possible that he just has a bigger chunk. Maybe he just wasn't really healthy last year.

[B]

So after Week 5, because Week 5 is his first game back and he only played 25% of the snaps after that he averaged 9.5 touches per game.

[C]

Not a lot.

[D]

I think when you're, when you're talking, you know we who's going to be the next? This next, that to me Taji Spears could be the next Kenneth Gainwell.

[C]

Yeah, he's their third down guy.

[D]

I mean he had 45 catches on 50 targets and what, 12 games?

[C]

I don't know but we can look it up.

[B]

He had 45 catches on 50 targets in 13 games.

[D]

13.

[B]

So but technically he had zero targets in one of those games. So he did have 45 catches on 50 targets in 12 games.

[D]

I, again, like I, I don't think if Tony Pollard's healthy ties a Spears is great as a standalone running back, but he could be a potential flex in deeper leagues in ppr.

[C]

Yeah, I mean it wasn't a huge difference. If you look at the last two years. Tony Pollard, I mean it kind of is a big difference.

[A]

Right.

[C]

Tony Pollard in 2024 averaged 13.9 carries when pot. When Spears was healthy like played a normal snapshot that so that number went from 13.9 in 2024 to 14.5 in 2025. So it's, that's not, that's not nothing, I guess half a carry per game.

[D]

And there's the wild card of Singleton, the rookie that they drafted.

[C]

Yeah. And there's the break that we're going to take. And when we come back, how many tight ends in tier one. Is it just the two guys or did Colson Loveland sneak in there? Depends who you ask. We'll be right back on fantasy football today, enjoying the World Cup. If you want proper analysis, honest opinions and plenty of laughs along the way, give the rest. Is football a listen? Gary Lineker, Alan Shear and Micah Richards break down the biggest games, the standout moments and everything happening on and off the pitch with brilliant guests joining them throughout the tournament. Whether you followed football your whole life or you're just getting into it, they'll help you make sense of the drama, the tactics, the joy and the heartbreak of the World Cup. Listen to the rest. Is football wherever you get your podcasts?

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[C]

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[B]

Because I didn't want to put Colston Loveland in a tier by himself and mess up the graphics for the next 17 tiers. But turns out that happened anyway. I have Colston Loveland close, much closer in terms of my rankings and projections to McBride and Bowers than I do to the guys who are behind him. I think if there is a guy who who makes the leap and outscores McBride or Bowers, Loveland is definitely the most likely guy to do that. I I would have no argument if somebody wanted to have Bowers and McBride in tier one and Loveland in tier two and then another tier three. But I was just trying to put some guys together.

[C]

So Jamie, how did you approach it with Loveland? He's obviously not in the Bowers McBride's here, but did you think about putting

[D]

him in his own tier Yeah, I agree with Heath. You know, he's, he's the one that's got the most potential to take a leap. I mean, obviously Tyler Warren could. Same laporter could, Kyle Pitts could. You know, all those guys could. But Loveland, just based on the way he finished last season, the loss of DJ Moore, Ben Johnson's offense, his history with tight ends, like, there's just everything to love about this guy. And I do think if there's anybody that's going to be drafted in the first three rounds along with Bowers and McBride, it's definitely Loveland. So I did consider putting him in a tier by himself, but I kind of lumped him with the next group of guys, which I think is where most fantasy managers are going to try and target their tight ends because a lot of people just don't want to reach for Bowers or McBride or McBride Bowers. However, we have it ranked in the first two or three rounds, I guess

[C]

so on CBS right now, looking at average draft position, McBride and Bowers are going at the 1, 2 turn. And Colson Loveland, 1, 2 turn or 2, 3 turn. Thank you. 2, 3 turn. And Loveland's going about 40th overall. On fantasy pros, McBride, it's, it's similar. McBride's going 27th, Bowers is actually going 20th. That's a huge difference and a little surprising to me anyway. And Loveland 44th overall. And I do think that it brings up an interesting dilemma. If you have a pick, you know, around the 1, 2 turn. So you have one of the first three picks, maybe more like the first two picks in the, in the draft and you're up in round two and you're going, there's just no way I can get Colson Loveland 47th, 48th. It just seems like.

[B]

So you're saying the 2, 3 turn again.

[C]

What did I say? I say 1, 2 again.

[B]

You said 1, 2 again.

[C]

Sorry. Thank you. All right. So you're sitting there at the 2, 3 turn and you're like, I don't know if I want McBride or Bowers, but there's almost no way I can get Loveland. You know, what do you do? Are you, Jamie, are you just. What do you do at the, at the 2, 3 turn? When it comes to tight end, I

[D]

think your philosophy makes a lot of sense if it's a two receiver league or a three receiver league. So if you are in the three receiver league, I probably looking wide receiver there. If you're in a two receiver league, I'd be more inclined to take the tight end, you know, so if Bowers McBride there not a bad spot. Look, Loveland has a tremendous opportunity to take a huge step forward. So does Tyler Warren, so does the other guys that I listed. I think if you're not comfortable taking the tight end there and you love the other players, whatever round you're up, but you love the other players there, like you can wait probably around. Laporta is kind of the one that slips. Pitts is the one people are scared of. Likely is still going to be there a little bit later. I think the healthier George Kittle gets, that's a great value pick. Travis Kelsey, as you noted, it was the first 14 games of the season last year because Travis Patrons got hurt week 15. So 14 games of what Travis Kelsey gave you at 35 years old. I know he's 36 and I know Rashi Rice is back, but still great value pick as well. It's just, you know, year of the tight end. We say it every year, but last year was really the year of the tight end and I think it could be replicated based on the talent that we have. So I would probably wait. Unless you just love the potential of what these guys can be and don't love anybody else on the board. Really, that latter part of it, I think is what stands out.

[B]

Yes, that. That's exactly what I was going to say is like if you're at the 2, 3 turn, I'm just not drafting a tight end there and I'm not going to get Colston Love and I'm going to take one of the guys in the next tier in round five or six or seven or eight.

[C]

Okay. Yeah. Just be aware. I mean, I don't think you need me to tell you, but if you don't take, if you want one of those top three tight ends and you're up at the 2, 3 turn and you don't take Bowers or McBride, you're probably not getting one of the top three tight ends just to finish up on Colson Loveland. You know, we've spent a lot of time talking about these guys and there'll be more time to do it. But I, you know, the last three sophomore tight ends that were hyped up all flopped. Kyle Pitts, Sam LaPorta and Brock Bowers all had circumstances that were sort of out of their control. Especially Pitts and Bowers. You know, Bowers, obviously the knee injury in week one. Pitts, he played only 10 games and they had one of the worst Passing offenses you could like. They had Mariota and Ritter and they added Drake, London, Laporta.

[D]

And he was hurt.

[C]

Yeah, he said, yeah, he was hurt. Yeah. Laporta also, I think came into the year.

[A]

He did.

[C]

He came into the year hurt. He got off to a pretty bad start. I think he was tight end 16 in his first 11 games. But Jameson Williams got more involved. That was a big difference between Laporta in his rookie year and his second season. And he wasn't bad or anything. He just, he wasn't great.

[D]

He closed the season fantastically.

[C]

He did, but they all did. And when he closed the season fantastic, like Jared Goff was throwing 40 times a game, was on pace for 5,500 yards. It was just an amazing environment for everyone on that team. But it is worth noting, like these three young tight ends, they just did not live up to the hype in their second season. They all had extenuating circumstances. I don't know if it's. I don't think it really applies to Colson Loveland.

[B]

Hopefully he doesn't get hurt. It's basically my takeaway.

[C]

And they've. Yeah, right. And they've removed a wide receiver that they didn't add a Drake London. They removed DJ Moore who didn't have that many targets.

[B]

And that's kind of like we're going to see that. I'm, I'm trying to just push Harold Fannin back up because I hate after last year being lower than him on everybody else. But that's kind of the difference between the three second year tight ends is Loveland, they removed a wide receiver. Warren, they removed a wide receiver. Fanon. They added two wide receivers at the

[C]

same time for Loveland. Odunze did miss a chunk of time and Luther Burden didn't even have 50 targets. Right. So that, you know, things, things will even out, I guess a little bit from terms of targets. Okay, let's go to tiers two and three here. Oh, yeah. So look at that. Right? So for, for Jamie defeats the whole purpose.

[B]

But you got the, you got the names the same at least, right?

[C]

That's what I'm trying to do for, For Jamie. This is tier two for Jamie, right? It's Loveland. Warren, laporta, Craft pits Fannin. So Loveland, who we, you know, we already discussed Warren, LaPorta, Kraft, Pittsburgh, Fanon. That is eight tight ends deep at this point. For Heath, Tier 2 is the Porta Pitts and Warren, Tier 3 is Fanon, Kraft and Isaiah Likely. So that's the only guy that's just like not in Jamie's second tier. So we'll come back to likely in a minute. But he's the reason I put the, put the graphics up like this with Jamie having Loveland, Warren, laporta, Kraft, Pitts and Fanon all in one tier and Heath having Laporta, Pitts and Warren in one tier, Fannin and Craft in a different tier. I want to talk about that. Why Heath are Laporta, Pitts and Warren in a different tier ahead of Harold Fannin Jr. And Tucker Kraft?

[B]

So for, for the, like, the simplest answer is I have those three guys projected for more targets than the other three guys. Tucker Kraft, if he is a full go in training camp, may jump into that tier. Two for me. Harold Fannin, if Shador Sanders wins the starting job, could move up a little bit for me. I'm, I'm pretty terrified of desean Watson and I also like the Browns offense I think is definitely the worst of all of these guys. So that. Who, who is the third? No, there isn't a third for Jamie, so. Yeah, and I have a hard time putting Colston Loveland in the same tier as Harold Fannin because my expectations for the two of them are not, are not anywhere similar.

[C]

Yeah, I mean, I think Jamie already said he could have put Loveland in a tier by himself, so we understand that. But again, Heath has laporta, Pitts and Warren ahead of Fanon and Craft. Not just ahead in a tier, ahead of Fanon and Craft and Isaiah likely for that matter. Whereas Jamie has Warren, Laporta, Kraft, Pitts and Fannin Jr. All in the same tier. So Jamie. Yeah, I guess you don't see quite as much separation.

[D]

I mean there, there's definitely separation, you know, so there's almost like tears within the tier. But I think just looking at it like this is the, you know, early mid round group of guys, if that makes sense. You know, so like rounds three through six, three through seven of where I expect most of these guys to go. The, the one that is sort of the wild card for me is, is Craft coming off the injury. If he was not hurt, he might be tight end three because of what he accomplished last year or was on pace to accomplish last year. And then you're removing two guys. You know, we talk about the, the other guys that are losing players. Loveland losing somebody, Warren losing somebody. Kraft lost one significant player in Romeo and another part time player and Don Tavian Wicks. But now we're hoping to see concentrated targets in Green Bay. And if Craft is healthy based on what he's done and again was on pace to do as a breakout tight end, was number two in terms of points per game last year. Like, there's just so much to love about the situation for him. So as the reports get better, you know, he may jump Laporta. For me, I don't think he'll get ahead of Warren or Loveland, but I mean, the chance for Tucker Kraft to be a superstar is there.

[B]

I, I did see one of the Twitter. Is it. I don't mean this derogatory. The Twitter doctors talking about the packers being one of the more conservative teams when it comes to bringing players back from injury. So I guess I'm just a little bit more concerned that they slow play it with Craft. And I would say like the other guy that I have in this tier, Isaiah likely is kind of the opposite. If Malik Neighbors is a full go in training camp, he's going to fall out of this tier. But if he's not, then likely he'll be up here.

[C]

And you know, I, I think Kraft himself has said he expects to be full go for week one. So we'll see.

[D]

And for what it's worth, Christian Watson coming off an ACL tear later in the year, yeah, was healthy much sooner than a lot of people expected.

[C]

And also for what it's worth, Watson and Kraft, I think they played one game together, maybe one and a half. So we never really saw them on the field at the same time. However, when Kraft was healthy, you had over 50 targets in eight games for Romeo Dobbs. So you still had that guy. Like Jamie said, that was getting a lot of targets in Romeo Dobbs. And the good thing is, you know, Jamie, you mentioned rounds four through six. Well, on cbs, Sam Laporta is a mid round six pick. Warren obviously is ahead of that. He's around five pick. But Fanon or Pitts, Fannin and Kraft, they're around seven guys. And on fantasy pros, Pitts is 91st, Fanon is 99th, Kraft is 81st and Laporta is 95th. So people are not drafting these guys in rounds four through six, at least according to fantasy pros ADP. And that's pretty cool because even if you don't like some of them, you're like, I'm nervous about cop. It's, I understand the arguments for Pitts, but I'm nervous about him. But at Kyle Pitts's ADP at 91st. Yeah, take him every day, any day.

[D]

Yeah.

[B]

And that, and that makes it really difficult to Take the, the, the top tight ends at the 2, 3 turn.

[C]

However, if we just focus on this tier or the, or these tiers for Heath, I'm going to save likely for a little bit later when we get to him and Jamie's tier. Like, does it make sense? Okay, if Tyler Warren is a mid round five pick, how early would the other guys have to be going for you to say, well, I'm just going to take Tyler Warren. In other words, I'd rather have Warren in the fifth then Sam Laporta, Tucker Kraft, Kyle Pitts and Harold Fannon Jr. In the, maybe the seventh round. But if they're in the ninth round, they're in the eighth round. In the ninth round. I'll just take the, I'll take the non Warren guy. Heath. Does my question make any sense and can you answer it?

[B]

It makes more sense to Jamie because I like Laporta and Pitts more than Warren.

[C]

Okay then Jamie, I'll ask you, how much separation does there need to be between Warren and the other guys for that to say? Like, okay, I'm not taking Tyler Warren anymore. Now I'm just going to wait for the other guys.

[D]

Probably two rounds. And it kind of goes back to the last two shows that we've done because that's the range of some still good running backs and some excellent wide receivers. So you know, again, whatever tight end you want to talk about, if you look at the board and you say because it's still early enough, your, your team is not by any stretch complete and you say, wow, three receiver league. I love this as my second receiver, maybe even more importantly your third receiver or this is the second running back that I want to dive into and you know, put on my roster and I can wait and hopefully get one of these guys later. And again that factors in for, for Heath likely in, in this group for me, likely is just a little bit later. And then Kelsey and Kittle, like there's still very good tight ends that are on the board. So I think if you just don't love the receivers and running backs or you haven't taken your quarterback yet, don't like that guy either, then pull the trigger on the tight end and know that you're getting a potential breakout candidate because Tyler Warren was excellent with Daniel Jones last year and now loses 111 targets with Michael Pittman going.

[C]

They sure do. And guess who led the team in targets? It was Tyler Warren by one over Michael Pittman.

[B]

I was just looking. I have, that's another one. I have Warren projected to lead his team and targets. So I'm going to say four to five tight ends lead their team in targets.

[C]

He also led the team in red zone targets and green zone targets. In the first seven games of the year, he was the number three tight end per game. Then he cooled off a little bit. But in 12 games with Daniel Jones, Tyler Warren was the number seven tight end per game. And then in five games without Daniel Jones he was horrible. He was on pace with 116 targets but no touchdowns.

[D]

Just.

[C]

Just like dreadful.

[D]

I I know Harold Fannin probably should be in this conversation, but as you know Heath alluded to with the receiver receivers that they added, he's probably not but Warren's first half of the season, beginning part of the season, first 10 games with with Daniel Jones. Colston Loveland was miserable during that stretch. Colson Loveland was amazing. At the end of the season, into the playoffs, 10 targets per game. We saw everything that he was capable of doing if Warren had finished the way Colston Loveland had finished. And then you say you're losing Michael Pittman See some comments in the chat about I'll take Warren over Loveland. I'll take Warren at his cost over Loveland. Like it's not hard to see a better season for Tyler Warren.

[C]

Yeah, I, it's obviously I don't really know what I'm doing when it comes to breaking down tape, but when I watched the two of them in college I liked Warren a lot more than Loveland. When I watched the two of them in the NFL, I like Loveland pretty significant. I won't, I don't know about a lot but more than than Warren. I don't really know why. They were very different players. One thing I like about Warren is that they ran, they designed a lot of plays for him, a lot of screen passes, a lot of easy stuff for him. Whereas Loveland was more of a downfield guy. I don't know how he ran a kind of a slowish 40 because he looks super fast out there. Colson Loveland. But Warren at least would get these like easy catches but he just didn't just didn't look as explosive to me as, as Loveland. It was, it was weird and I

[D]

mean I think we have our, our Gronk, Graham, our okay, Gonzalez, Gates. Like like these two guys are going to be pretty special for a long time.

[C]

I hope so. Obviously I think people are going to favor the, the Bears offense. Except I just will remind everyone the Colts were the highest scoring team in football with with Daniel Jones but I also favor the, the Bears offense and that's what it'll come down to before we go to break for a lot of people before we go to break. Heath, the arguments for Laporta and Pitts, you know, how much of it is the new head coach or, or offensive coordinator and their tight end tendencies, that

[B]

is a probably maybe half of it. And then I think it's probably worth saying that rookie year Laporta was better than any of these second year tight ends that we're excited about. Last year Pitts was better than any of these second year tight ends we're excited about. Like that they are not bums who just got new tight end centric coaches. And so now we're elevating them up. They are exceptional tight ends in their own right.

[D]

Porter, I think is the one that you have to have a little bit more, you got to make a little bit more of an argument for. Not because of his talent because I think it is evident, it's just, is there enough opportunities for him because of Amara St. Brown, who's gonna, you know, get the final say in play calling. Because I still think there's some questions that as the season unfolds, I don't think going into the year I think it's going to be Petsing. But like we can see why Petsing has used his tight ends. We can see where he's come from and Kevin Stefanski's offense. But I think, and I know you're not doing this, but I think if, if anybody's like, I love Sam Laporta because Petsing did this with Trey McBride. He did this with Trey McBride because McBride is a different player and that offense is different. And they needed McBride. They don't need Laporta to be McBride. And so Laporta, if he gets back to his rookie level production, which for the most part a lot of his success came from his touchdowns. He scored 10 plus touchdowns. If he can get back to doing that and maybe add a little bit more, he doesn't have to score 10 but you know, a plus if he could do a little bit more and hopefully and this is the, you know, pro con versus Jameson Williams. Keep Jameson Williams a little bit in a sort of third tier type of role because as we talked about with Jameson Williams, he didn't really take off until laporta's back injury. And so if Laporta is healthy, can everybody contribute and be successful? It's hard to imagine that. So you know what St. Brown's going to do and Then it really comes down to what LaPorta does versus Jameson Williams and can both of them coexist and be successful fantasy options. I'm going to lean more toward Laporta. We'll see how it all pans out.

[B]

Adam, we always talk about how tight ends. I think you already said it once on the show. Like tight ends who are good are generally top 102 on their team and targets how. What's your expectation for the target share for Laporta, Jameson and Gibbs? Because he doesn't have to beat out like he's not. He doesn't have to ding Saint Brown at all. He just has to. He has to be the clear number. He has to be the number two. Yeah.

[C]

And he had, he had a. He was in the first in the in before his injury. He was the clear number two. But he still only had 49 targets in nine games. My expectation is, I would say Laporta full season about geez, 100 and 100 to 105 targets at pretty close to Jameson Williams. And then Gibbs maybe 75.

[B]

I've got it. 116 for Laporta, 99 for JMO, 87 for Gibbs.

[C]

Yeah, everything is, everything's on the table there. I like, I like Laporta better than pits. You do we all like Laporta better than pits.

[D]

Yes.

[B]

Yes.

[D]

Okay.

[C]

But Heath has Laporta and pits ahead of Tyler Warren, which is different. And we'll take a break and get to the next tier and good players. Still good players that you might, you might be living in this world at tight end tiers 4 and 5 or 3 and 4, depending on which analyst. We'll be right back on FFT.

[A]

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[B]

That game was so good yesterday.

[C]

Oh, man, the soccer game.

[B]

I'm so happy. We get one more messy game, and it's not France,

[C]

I tell you. Why not? Why are you happy that it's not France? I don't know.

[B]

I just. I really grew to dislike them watching them, so I was. I was cheering against them, and I'm very happy about it. I'm sorry. If you like France, they really.

[C]

This world cup's been incredible. Yes. Listen, I don't know much about. I don't know much about soccer, but I do know it's not usually this good. That's amazing. What'd you say?

[D]

It's been a fun tournament.

[C]

Yeah, it really has. Okay, let's get to the next tier. So this is basically tiers three and four for Jamie and tier four for Heath. And they both have Kelsey, Kittle, Andrews, and Goddard in some order. Kelsey, Kittle, Andrews, and Goddard. And also Jamie has likely in here. So let's just say we're at the point where toward the back end of the top 12 and maybe a little bit past that, we're looking at guys rounds probably nine or later for the most part. Kittle. Or let's say eight or later. Kittle, Kelsey likely, who was a tier earlier for Heath, Dallas, Goddard, and Mark Andrews. But Jamie has Chigo conquo and Dalton Kincaid in here. To have Okonko and Kincaid in the same tier as future hall of famers George Kittle, Travis, Kelsey.

[D]

Not the same tier.

[C]

Oh, damn it. I'm sorry. Right. Because we combine them. Crap. Crap.

[B]

This is how you mess things up, Adam. Yes. Good. You're banished. We have Adam gone. Adam's face gone again. This is fantastic. I actually got a little bit. I maybe shouldn't have done this because there are some guys that are in similar projections with my tier. Whatever this is now from Adam. I think it's my tier four. Oh, it's. You look fantastic, Adam. But I kind of just went with the old guys who might be awesome in. In Kelsey Andrews, Kittle, and Goddard.

[C]

Okay. All right, so, Jamie, I'm sorry to mix that up there. Your tier three is Kittle, Kelsey, and likely. You're tier four is Okonkwo, Goddard, Kincaid, and Andrews. All right, so what are we looking at here, Heath, in terms of old guys likely to be awesome? How. How bad could they be, though? Kelsey, Andrews, Kittle and Goddard, I mean

[B]

I think Andrews and Goddard could be bad just because they're don't score touchdowns. They are the touchdown dependent borderline tight end ones but they also have shown us and especially in their offenses that they can. They may be amongst the most likely guys to score 10 touchdowns in a season even though they may not have a hundred targets. KD could be bad because he's not healthy or his yak's gone which it was last year. I think the worst Kelsey's going to be if he's healthy is just kind of mid like I think he's going to be a top 12 tight end just because he's going to get the targets and at least in full ppr, maybe not none.

[C]

And Jamie, when you consider the fact that based on average draft position Isaiah likely is absolutely in this tier, what's different? You know, why wouldn't I draft from this tier? Kittle, Kelsey likely, Goddard, Andrews compared to you know, the Fannins and the Portas and Pitts's of the world it's fantastic.

[D]

I mean again you know this first time I said this a few weeks ago, first time since Kelsey's rookie season that he's not a top five tight end based on adp. Kittle is the hardest one to you know, sort of rank and project because of wheeze because of his injury, you know, suffering an Achilles tear in the wild card round of the playoffs and you know, I mean it, it's easy to be optimistic about it after you see him with the video footage from tight end you and he's running around and looking fine like that's extremely encouraging. Last year he didn't have the same type of talent around him from a receiver standpoint. You know now they have Mike Evans, they have Christian Kirk, they have a second round rookie and desean's dribbling like there's competition that he didn't have to deal with and listen he's had a hard time staying healthy. Last year he missed you know the first half of the season or a good portion of the first half of the season with a hamstring injury. So at 32 coming off the Achilles tear but his track record is so amazing. Eight straight seasons I we we've posted our our tears. Dave's again I said this yesterday. Dave's are done. Mine will be done this week. I actually wrote tight ends last week so just one little switch that I made after I sent in my my tears I switched Andrews and Kincaid from a ranking standpoint but kittle 8 straight years of 10 +half ppr points per game which is unreal of what is just consistency has been now he misses time so you have to understand that. But just the track records there likely I love the upside. I mean couldn't agree more with Heath of I think where he could end up especially if Neighbors misses part of the season. But we keep hearing this drumbeat about want to run the ball, want to run the ball. And it's not just that they added likely. I think we kind of overlooked the fact I know Dan and maybe he reiterates it today if he still feels the same way. When they signed Darnell Mooney he was so excited about Mooney in the fit for Jackson Dart Malachi Fields is going to I think take away some touchdown opportunities if he does see the field enough and then obviously if Neighbors is there I think likely ceiling could be limited. That being said, he's never had this opportunity before and there's a reason I think he goes with Harbaugh. Harbaugh hopefully will unleash his potential nine games in his career with at least six targets and averaged over 16 PPR points per game in those nine games. You know, so like just give him opportunities and he can be an absolute stud. So if you don't want to go early with the two tight ends you don't want to jump in with that group of Loveland, Warren, Pitts, Laporta, whatever. Like wait for Kittle, Kelce or likely whatever order you think they're going to go and even wait a step further for Okonk was kind of in pencil because I think there could be somebody coming in Washington which would take him out of this group. Goddard 11 touchdowns last year. Top 10 tight end for almost every year of his career. Six years in a row for sure. Kincaid you mentioned targets per route run was amazing last year. He's got to stay healthy. And Andrews no likely a tight end guru in Declan Doyle. I I made the joke half heartedly. He's related to Mike Ditka. He was a tight ends coach in his previous two stops. Like tight end is in his DNA and if he doesn't use Mark Andrews who should be second on the team of targets. I don't know what he's doing with

[C]

this Ravens offense and we don't really talk about Goddard with without AJ Brown enough. I just well maybe we just don't boost him that much. Whereas I feel devonte Smith obviously got

[D]

a huge boost four games without him. He was great.

[C]

Yeah. And obviously all the touchdowns last year. But as you mentioned Jamie, I have him as top 10 per game in five of the last six seasons. Top 13 per game in seven straight seasons and that's in full PPR. He's usually a little bit better and not in half PPR. In, in four seasons with A.J. brown he's been fifth, 12th, 10th and sixth per game. So he's got an opportunity here to be even more involved. He's only at 82 targets in 15 games. Why do we think Mark Andrews Heath can be great with two years in a row of him just really not being targeted.

[B]

Isaiah Likely is gone and Lamar Jackson's awesome and they only threw 420 times last year and they're probably going to throw maybe 20% more this year. And Andrews has shown the ability to score double digit touchdowns.

[C]

Yeah, just two years ago he was eighth per game at the position but he did that with, with 11 touchdowns. I think it was 11 touchdowns on 69 targets in 17 games which is bonkers. Last year he was 26th per game. Mark Andrews. Okay Jamie, quick thoughts on Okonko and Kincaid. I know you said Okonko is in pencil but do you really think he could perform like Goddard and Likely and Kelsey and Kittle and be even close to them? Well, I guess he's in a different tier than Kittle, Kelsey and Likely but Goddard and Andrews and Kincaid I guess. And yeah, Okako and Kincaid discuss.

[D]

So a lot of vacated targets with Debo, Samuel and Zachary. It's gone. You know I think it's like 150 targets in that range. 99 for Samuel. I think it was like 40 some odd for for Ertz. Ertz in 2024 with a healthy Jayden Daniels was a top 12 tight end. And so now you're giving opportunity. You have a quarterback that has leaned on his tight end before. At least that's the track record. Okonko. Similar to what I said about Isaiah Likely. I don't have the numbers in front of me but a small sample size, six plus targets. He's obviously had success so you know again assigning target opportunities to him that should be huge. Look, once you get past for me the first 11 tight ends because I think that's going to be what it shakes out based on average job position. Maybe Cotter sneaks into that group. If people are concerned about kill, I just haven't seen that. Maybe the same thing with Andrews. Again if, if we get a setback for any of the tight ends that are dealing with injuries but tight end 12, I think there's three guys Goddard and Andrews are easy to say because they've done it before. Got her coming off the season just had loses AJ Brown I think Okonkwo there's always these guys that kind of take that step forward and this is his chance now he's had trouble dropping the football. You have Jane Daniel's injury but you said at the start of the show first or second on the team of targets he could easily be second on the team of targets. Not a stretch. And so Goddard has the Makai Lemon potential problem there. Andrews is it just falling off at 30 years old. And let's not forget they also drafted two rookie wide receivers that could be a factor for Lamar Jackson as well as Rashad Bateman being there. So maybe Andrews just is not good anymore but I, I would buy back into him but still I'm looking for upside and that's kind of where I look at with Okonkwo.

[B]

We had a good comment from the chat says I rarely use tied it to tight ends but this year I may flex a second tight end. I remember like my second year at CBS I drafted Kelsey and Kittle or Kelsey or Gronk and Adam told me it was the stupidest thing anybody's ever done in a drift. But just for reference, these, these guys in tier four for me and most of the guys in tier three or four for Jamie. I, I have projected right around wide receiver 44 in full PPR right around RB 33 in pull full PPR. So I don't think it's insane like if you already have a tight end and you and you really really like Kelsey's been there in round 11 of some of our drafts or KD's there and you want to just plan on flexing a tight end. You can do that.

[C]

Sure you can. Please do it in my league.

[B]

I think I, I did do it last year also I think I took Bowers and McBride right in the FFT league.

[C]

Yes.

[B]

And I don't remember how I finished that league but I, I made the

[C]

playoffs and yeah I, I think, I mean correct me if I'm wrong here but going to be more likely to be doing this. Pun and pun intended. I guess if you're in a three receiver league, you know then I could see your flex being a tight end but if you're in a two receiver league, two running backs, two receivers and your flex is a tight end, I think you probably don't have good enough receivers.

[B]

Well if you're in a two receiver league then you should Have a double flex.

[C]

You should, but a lot of people don't. Yeah, Dalton Kincaid, you know, look, the guy's actually. He gets targeted a lot. 27.2, 24.3 target per out run rate the last two seasons. But he just. He's been so bothered by injuries, has not been able to run a lot of routes. Unfortunately, they added DJ More so. But he's. He's still probably a good player. First round pick. All right, let's go to our next tier here. Tier five. Big one for Jamie. It's Jake Ferguson, Greg Dulcich, Arande, Gadsden, Brenton Strange, Gunner Helm, Dalton Schultz, Juwan Johnson and Kenyon Siddiq. Ferguson, Dulcich, Gadsden, Strange, Gunner, Helm, Schultz, Juwan Johnson, Kenyan Sadiq, and interestingly, only two of those guys are in tier five for Heath, Schultz and Strange. But Kincaid is also in tier five for Heath. He's a tier earlier for Jamie. And Heath has Hunter Henry in this tier. All right, we don't. We don't want anyone.

[D]

Thomas.

[B]

I. I don't know. I don't know why. Oh, that's fantastic. You know, he was. Once upon a time. I. I don't know why we. You didn't put my tier six on here so that we could have more of the guys matched up.

[C]

Listen, man, I don't know what I'm doing anymore. Glad tears week is over from a video standpoint. But we don't want any of these guys to be our starters, right?

[B]

Nope.

[D]

Ideally, no. And ideally, you shouldn't have to, you know, especially sorry he got.

[B]

No, I was. I had muted. I was telling somebody that was knocking on my door that I was currently on a podcast.

[D]

I think from the. From the perspective of if you factor in the previous tier, like if you believe in Andrews, Goddard, okonkwo. You know, I guess if you want to throw these guys for Heath, you know, Schultz and maybe Stranger Kincaid as well, like, that's kind of where I think it should cut off 14 team. League's a little bit different. Somebody's gonna take two tight ends, you might get screwed. But, like, you should be able to find one of the. At least for, you know, my list, one of the top 15 guys to be your starter, and I'd be okay with that.

[C]

Okay. So the two players, to me, that sort of stand out as a little different in this mega tier for Jamie, out of Ferguson, Dulcich, Gadsden, Strange, Helm, Schultz, Johnson, Juwan Johnson, and Sadiq. I guess I'd say Dulcich, because he Has a chance to be number one on the team in targets. And I guess I'd say Gadsden because he might be the most expelled. Sadiq is the most. Maybe the most explosive.

[D]

But.

[C]

But, you know, he's a rookie. Gonna be tough.

[B]

Yeah, I. I want to move Gadsden up. The Chargers are not making things easier. It's like every week they leak another player's name that they are to get this ball too. Like we. We've got now, Amarian Hampton, Kamani Vidal and Keaton Mitchell are all going to have a role at running back. We've got three wide receivers, We've got three tight ends. It was Charlie Kohler week this week. I think they have David Najoku on the team also. It's just it. I really. I don't like their lack of clarity.

[D]

If they had not signed Najoku, Strange would have been two tears up.

[B]

Gadston.

[D]

I'm sorry, Gaston would have been tears up.

[C]

Strange is so much. So much target competition that I don't even know that he would be worth starting if there was one injury at wide receiver.

[D]

Right.

[C]

You know, whereas Jake Ferguson could be a top five guy if there was one injury at wide receiver.

[D]

It's funny to think about, like, Ferguson's year last year because it was so quiet in the second half of the season.

[A]

Yeah.

[D]

He still had 100 targets. He was last year.

[B]

He was outperforming George Pickens early in the year.

[C]

He was Kyle Pitts, man. He did everything when Lamb was out, right?

[D]

Yeah.

[C]

And Pitts did it all when London was out.

[B]

I thought Ferguson had a little success early in the year when everybody was healthy.

[D]

It was Lamb early in the season before Pickens became a thing. And then it was a little bit of. Before Lamb came back or. Sorry. Right. When Lamb came back when he still wasn't 100 healthy.

[C]

Well, okay. There's only two games before. Before Lamb got hurt. And, you know, he had six targets at Philadelphia at 7.3 points, Jake Ferguson. And then he had nine catches for 78 yards on 12 targets in an overtime shootout against the Giants. And then, yeah, he went bonkers and he went with Lamb out, he scored 21.2, 17, 23.9 and 12.3 points. And then he had 21.9 points in Lamb's first game back against the horrible Washington team. And then he was pretty bad. Like, really bad. Rest of season. Didn't even reach 12 points the entire rest of season. So, Yeah, I mean, Ferguson would be like if Lamb or Pickens missed Any time Ferguson would be the head, the lead of the waiver wire column. Jamie, I'll write it for you now. But it's tough. He's in that season a tough spot in that regard.

[B]

I, I think you might have been discounting strange just a little bit. They do have too much target competition. But he's gonna play, he's a pretty much a full time player. He's gonna play 80% of the snaps, most weeks and, or 75. And, and so I think he, he might be a borderline top 12 tight end even if nobody gets hurt.

[C]

And look, it happens every year. Someone from this tier is probably going to emerge and be really good. It's just that's the kind of position this is. Obviously injuries will play a big part of it because targets are everything at this position. What about Hunter Henry Heath? You have him in your fifth tier.

[B]

He just kind of seems like he's always in this range. He's probably going to average nine fantasy points per game and he's going to have some touchdown weeks where he's a good streamer. I'm not excited to draft him.

[C]

Tight end, 14 per game last year. Obviously the AJ Brown edition hurts Hunter Henry. What's that?

[D]

And Dobbs.

[C]

Yeah, yeah. Do we have time for another tier? We even have another tier? Let's see some, some guys on this list that used to be in earlier tiers like Najoku, Hawkinson and Ingram. So Jamie's tier six is Hunter Henry, Najoku, Hawkinson, Ingram, AJ Barner, Terrence Ferguson, Michael Mayer, Pat Friarmuth, Kate Otten. I know a lot of names there to digest if you're listening. And for Heath it's Juwan Johnson who was in tier five for Jamie. Greg Dulcich who was in tier five for Jamie. TJ Hawkinson who's also in tier six for Jamie. Chigo Conquo, who was in tier four, I believe for Jamie. And Arande Gadsden who was in Tier 5 for Jamie. When you look at Hawkinson and Ingram, who's most likely to bounce back? Hawkinson.

[D]

I hope Hawkinson.

[B]

Evan Ingram's gonna have to bounce back to like eight years ago.

[D]

And

[C]

let's see, is it disappointing to you that some of the year two tight ends are not in, you know, like you do have Terence Ferguson in here, but, but Arroyo is not in here.

[B]

I mean the tier two tight ends were in tier one, we're in tier one and two.

[C]

No, but there was like Mason Taylor.

[D]

Elijah got crushed obviously. For today's edition, Ferguson and Arroyo are interesting. I. I think Ferguson's just got so much. You know, the fact that they added another tight end from Michigan in the draft, that they still have Parkinson, that they still have Higby. Like, you talk about his talent all you want to. It's just not opportunities there.

[C]

All right. I don't have much to say about this, but, Heath, you don't need to.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Give me your thoughts on Juwan Johnson. We haven't talked about him.

[D]

I'm.

[B]

Jordan Tyson's there now.

[C]

Yeah. Okay. Well, that was a good show. Let's get tier seven up there. Thomas. Just kidding. That's it for. For the tight ends. Oh, very. Jamie, how excited are you for the mailbag?

[D]

I was just gonna say I'm very excited. I was gonna ask Keith. Who do you think is going to. I'm gonna. I guess I'll play the role of judge, like, in the airing of grievances. Who do you think I'm gonna side with?

[B]

So I, I hope Scott Fish is there because he's so nice, and these guys are going to be so unbearable. Scott's gonna have a hard time being nice. But I, you know, I think you'll probably side with Dan because Dan usually sides with you when he's on the show, and so that. That'll help. And I. It probably also depends as well, is like, whether Adam brings the booster seat back or not because he has a more commanding presence when he sits a little higher in his chair.

[C]

I don't have a booster seat. Okay. One of my airing of grievances is used own fork for family style serving. So I'm really excited to talk about that. Well, what a disgusting.

[D]

He has his own fork in the community food.

[C]

We were out at dinner, like, a nice dinner in Philadelphia, and he used his own fork at Family Style after he'd taken bites. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah.

[B]

Okay.

[C]

Yeah, that's.

[B]

That's a good one. You win. You win that one.

[C]

No, but there's more to it than that. I won't.

[B]

He's. He's George Costanza.

[C]

That's it.

[D]

Yeah.

[C]

That's a little unfair to him.

[D]

Him.

[C]

It's a little unfair to him that I, I, I'm leaving out some of the context, but that is the head.

[D]

That's funny how you. You get upset about that.

[C]

Why would I. What do you mean? What's that?

[D]

Because that's my thing is I'll usually leave out a key point.

[B]

Oh, you are?

[C]

Oh, yeah, for sure. Jamie will just be like, Adam stole something from another company and then it'll be like the most innocuous thing. All right. Anyway, Festivus episode, If you're a YouTuber, it's on Thursday. If your audio, it'll be on Friday. We'll air our grievances and we will talk to you later on Fantasy Football Today,

[A]

Paramount podcasts.

[C]

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