Fantasy Footballers Podcast Summary

Episode: The TRUTH: Top 10 Fantasy TEs + Wheel of Shame

Date: February 5, 2026
Hosts: Andy Holloway, Jason Moore, Mike “The Fantasy Hitman” Wright

Episode Overview

In this lively finale to their annual “Truth” series, the Fantasy Footballers dissect the 2025 season’s top 10 fantasy tight ends. The trio provides astute context, debates dynasty and redraft value, and delivers unmatched honesty about how wildly unpredictable—and, at times, frustrating—the tight end position has become for fantasy managers. With candor and trademark banter, they break some hard truths about the state of NFL TEs, their relevance, and the pitfalls of relying too heavily on end-of-year rankings.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

The Reality of the Tight End Position

• The tight end landscape is more volatile and unpredictable than any other fantasy position.
• Only the top 5-6 TEs matter; the rest are nearly “kickers in disguise” regarding week-to-week forecasting.
  • Jason (15:03): "The truth of the tight end position is... well about the first five or six tight ends, they matter, and none of the others matter and they suck."
• 64 different tight ends posted a top-12 week in 2025, confirming “tight end 1” status is mostly meaningless except for the true elite.
• The show agrees to cease using “top 12 tight end” as a marker of value; only top 6 deserves “TE1” consideration going forward.
  • Andy (18:16): “Let us all make a vow here on the show…if we decide to throw out ‘he was a top 12 tight end’, that will no longer be accepted.”

The 2025 Tight End Landscape: Top 10 Deep Dive

1. Trey McBride (Arizona Cardinals)

• Unanimously the elite TE1 of 2025, described as the only "standalone" difference-maker at the position.
  • Andy (19:37): "Trey McBride is a very good football player. Number one in consistency...the gap between Trey McBride and the rest—is this the most that you can remember since the great Kelsey years?"
• Historic Usage: Ran 118 more routes than any other TE, broke all-time records for routes, targets, and receptions at the position.
  • Mike (20:24): "Arizona was throwing the ball on every down...Trey McBride draft him as the number one tight end next year, but...this is going to put him into the first round and people are going to be like, 'I got to get him'."
• Outlook: Even with expected regression in passing volume and TDs, remains projected as the 2026 TE1; consensus is to target him in round 2, not round 1.

2. Kyle Pitts (Free Agent / 2025: Atlanta Falcons)

• Ranked #2 by total points, but skewed by a record-breaking single game; plagued by inconsistency all year.
  • Jason (28:47): "[Week] 15 he had so many points that week, in fact he had the most points of any tight end in the history of fantasy football in a single week. And that really skews his season long ranking."
• Dynasty intrigue: Only 25 years old. If he joins a team with a WR2 need, could be more valuable.
  • Mike (31:13): "He is terrifying for fantasy football. Always has been, always will be."
• Will always have a “case” made for him, but viewed as fantasy fool’s gold unless situation changes dramatically.

3. Travis Kelce (Kansas City Chiefs)

• Finished #3, but age (36) showing; only a stabilizing asset, no longer league-winning.
  • Andy (32:31): "Kelsey's 36 years old. Somehow number three...18% great games is your number three overall tight end…"
• Only 53% “good games,” TDs down, future murky.
  • Jason (33:37): "If Travis Kelce is back next year, he'll probably be around my tight end nine or ten."
• Hosts anticipate retirement but acknowledge he may eke out one more season.

4. Dallas Goddard (Free Agent / 2025: Philadelphia Eagles)

• Career-high 11 TDs drove finish, but not repeatable.
  • "He had four more touchdowns than A.J. Brown. That's enough to make you pull your hair out like he clearly has." — Andy (38:46)
• Efficiency and usage were down; bear-trap for fantasy managers in 2026.

5. Tyler Warren (Indianapolis Colts)

• Explosive rookie year cut short by Daniel Jones’ injury; was a difference-maker with a stable QB.
  • "From weeks 1–13...consistency score of TE4. He was a true tight end one for fantasy." — Jason (41:40)
• Dynasty value hinges on Indy’s quarterback situation; likely in competition with Loveland/Bowers for TE2 in 2026.

6. Harold Fannin Jr. (Cleveland Browns)

• Another rookie breakout, thrived despite QB chaos.
  • "He makes people miss." — Mike (48:46)
• Only 21 years old; forced 14 missed tackles (2nd-most among TEs).
• Dynasty upside compelling but baked in with concern about Browns' overall offense.
  • "That's talking about wins and losses, not fantasy production. But wins and losses...that's correlated to your quarterback and screwing up decisions." — Jason vs Mike (49:32–49:39)

7. Hunter Henry (New England Patriots)

• Standard “streamer” archetype: fine for bye week fill-in, limited upside.
  • "He is a very good veteran tight end for the Patriots...He will have games with touchdowns next year." — Jason (50:36)

8. Jake Ferguson (Dallas Cowboys)

• Inconsistent, valuable only when operating as the #2 read.
  • "If he's the second option for this offense, he's awesome. If he's the third option...there's not enough to go around." — Jason (51:40)

9. Brock Bowers (Las Vegas Raiders)

• Stellar rookie, missed five games; only healthy a handful of times, but "that dude" when on the field.
  • "If he's drafted significantly behind Trey McBride, that's the better value next year." — Jason (53:09)

10. Other Notables

• George Kittle (San Francisco 49ers): Achilles injury clouds 2026; only worth a very late pick if healthy.
• Tucker Kraft (Green Bay Packers): Breakout year cut short by ACL. Second-most consistent TE in 2025 before injury; if healthy for camp, a strong upside swing.
  • "Tucker Kraft will be in consideration mixed in with those 2025 rookie tight ends..." — Jason (57:30)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Jason, on tight end volatility:
  “There are good arguments to get rid of the tight end position. I don't like that. But tight ends still matter. Tight ends are a difference maker at the top.” (16:51)

• Mike, on the “TE1” label propaganda:
  “If you finish there, that means you had a couple spike weeks...Can we just change the verbiage of a tight end? 1 is a top 6 tight end.” (16:00–16:05)

• Andy, on the state of the position:
  “This entire discussion to me...is not to make the tight end position seem less exciting...It's just to say, let us all make a vow...that if we decide to throw out he was a top 12 tight end—that will no longer be accepted.” (18:16)

Dynasty/Tiers Discussion

• Post-McBride, the hierarchy is “Bowers, Loveland, Warren, Fannin, Kraft” in some order. Injury and QB situations the key tiebreakers.
  • “If you told me to bet…it's Loveland for me because of stability of quarterback and head coach." — Mike (49:39)

The Wheel of Shame (58:32)

• Andy loses the Fantasy Face Off and dons full construction gear (plastic tools included), sparking laughter.
  • “This is the dumbest thing you guys have ever done.” — Andy (59:52)
• Banter and bits abound as usual, keeping the tone fun and irreverent even when discussing a position as bleak as TE.

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Tight End Truth Introduction: 14:30
• Trey McBride Deep Dive: 19:31–25:41
• Kyle Pitts Reality Check: 28:13–31:27
• Travis Kelce Aging Curve: 32:08–34:23
• Dallas Goddard: 36:48–39:19
• Tyler Warren & Rookie TEs: 40:01–43:16
• Harold Fannin Jr.: 45:32–50:11
• Rapid Fire: Henry, Ferguson, Bowers, Kittle: 50:25–54:08
• Tucker Kraft & Injury Updates: 57:05–58:26
• Wheel of Shame (Fantasy Face Off): 58:32–64:53

Tone and Final Words

Classic Fantasy Footballers—honest, statistical, and self-effacing, with plenty of running jokes (“famously fat,” clothing bits) and digressions. The message: Roster construction at TE is about identifying the rare elite, streaming opportunistically, and not chasing last year’s fool’s gold.

• Andy, on what to do with most TEs:
  “You take the first one...then you say some stuff about the player and then we don’t talk about them again.” (50:26)

Summary Table: 2025 Top Fantasy TEs

| Rank | Player | Memorable Notes | Timestamps | |------|-----------------------|---------------------------------------|---------------| | 1 | Trey McBride | Historic usage & target leader | 19:31–25:41 | | 2 | Kyle Pitts | Fools gold, TD skew, still young | 28:13–31:27 | | 3 | Travis Kelce | Aging, no longer elite weekly impact | 32:08–34:23 | | 4 | Dallas Goddard | Outlier TD surge, regression coming | 36:48–39:19 | | 5 | Tyler Warren | Rookie excitement, QB-dependent | 40:01–43:16 | | 6 | Harold Fannin Jr. | Dynamic rookie, Browns risk | 45:32–50:11 | | 7 | Hunter Henry | Good veteran streamer, limited upside | 50:25 | | 8 | Jake Ferguson | Only good if high in target order | 50:46 | | 9 | Brock Bowers | Rookie star, missed games, big 2026 | 52:01–53:09 | | 10 | (Others: Kittle/Kraft)| Injuries, dynasty lottery tickets | 54:08–58:26 |

For Listeners Who Missed the Episode

This episode is an honest, stat-filled reality check on 2025's tight end madness. The Fantasy Footballers’ frank analysis will prep you to avoid “TE trap” picks, target true difference-makers, and maintain your sense of humor about the least predictable spot in fantasy football.