2026 Fantasy Football Quarterback and Tight End Rankings & Tiers (Ep. 1968)

Summary

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FantasyPros Fantasy Football Podcast

Episode: 2026 Fantasy Football Quarterback and Tight End Rankings & Tiers
Date: February 21, 2026
Host: Joe P. Zeppia (Joey P)
Guests: Andrew Erickson (FantasyPros) & Jake Seeley (The Athletic)

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Episode Overview

This episode continues FantasyPros’ “Early Ranks Debate” series, focusing on 2026 fantasy football quarterback (QB) and tight end (TE) rankings and tiers. Host Joe P. Zeppia is joined by Andrew Erickson and Jake Seeley, who dissect the expert consensus rankings (ECR), debate upside, downside, and sleepers, and recommend draft strategies for the two most volatile fantasy positions. The trio offers both granular analysis and big-picture advice to help listeners win their leagues.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Early 2026 Quarterback Rankings & Tiers

Reference: [00:40–06:42]

• Top Tier QBs:

  • Josh Allen (#1), Drake May (#2), Lamar Jackson (#3), Joe Burrow (#4)
  • Second tier includes Jaden Daniels, Jalen Hurts (#6), Jackson Dart (#7)
  • Next includes Justin Herbert, Trevor Lawrence, Caleb Williams, Brock Purdy, Dak Prescott

• Jalen Hurts as QB6

  • Erickson’s Take ([02:16]):
    Concerned about the Eagles’ offensive infrastructure—uncertainties at coordinator and offensive line, and possible A.J. Brown departure. “If he does the exact same thing, yeah maybe he can finish in this type of range but where you have to take him relative to the other positions, I think it's much better to go with a late round quarterback approach.”
    • Cites declining fantasy points (under 20 per game); prefers upside like Caleb Williams.
  • Seeley’s Response ([04:25]):
    Values rushing QBs more and trusts Hurts’ proven upside. “Jalen Hurts just needs this much of a bounce back to get 21 fantasy points per game...Burrow needs to do 99% of it passing.”
    • Still worries about Philly's O-line decline.

• Joe Burrow at QB4/6

  • Seeley ([04:25]):
    “I have Allen, Lamar, May, Daniels as my top four. A healthy Daniels with a new offensive system… Those are all runners.”
    • Burrow falls in rankings because he requires prolific passing; less upside with legs than peers.
    • “Love Burrow...It just has to do with the names in front of him.”

• Justin Herbert Disagreement

  • Erickson ([06:42]):
    Ranks Herbert at 6 because if the offensive line’s healthy, he has a high ceiling. Likes Mike McDaniel as OC and Herbert’s dual-threat upside.

    “24 fantasy points per game and five games played with Joe Alt in 2025...I just like the pairing with McDaniel.”

  • Seeley ([07:34]):
    Lower at QB10 due to volume concerns:

    “My concern with Mike McDaniel is you’re not getting plays...Could be like the 31st in plays per game. I don't think [Herbert’s] going to improve on the 500, 510 pass attempts from past two years.”

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2. QBs Outside the Top 12: Risks, Injuries, & Superflex Deep Dives

Reference: [09:00–13:45]

• Patrick Mahomes at 13 (Injury Risk) ([09:00]):

  • Not draftable at this rank unless there's IR; better as single QB stash than Super Flex.

• Baker Mayfield (ECR 18, Erickson’s QB14) ([10:28]):

  • Erickson notes strong stretches when healthy, but “second half decline due to injuries.”

    “With better injury luck, I think that he's a logical bounce back candidate...He adds a little bit as a rusher.”

  • Mike Evans’ return could boost or hurt value.

• C.J. Stroud (ECR 20, Seeley's QB25) ([11:56]):

  • Jake doesn’t see upside even with possible O-line improvement.

    “Reminds me of slightly more athletic Matt Ryan...You need everything firing for him to be top 10. Best-case rookie year: 18 fantasy points per game – not enough rushing upside.”

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3. Notable Bounce-backs, Consistency, and Team Situations

Reference: [15:11–18:24]

• Jordan Love (ECR 16, Erickson’s QB13)

  • Erickson:

    “They just need to let him throw...He's a really efficient quarterback, second in the NFL in EPA per dropback…Coaching staff hasn’t unleashed him.”

    • Needs coaching trust, healthy weapons.
  • Seeley:

    “Jordan Love is just two-faced C.J. Stroud...One week, four TDs, 300 yards; next, 180 and a pick. Upside, but the inconsistency is killer for fantasy.”

• Sam Darnold (ECR 21; both experts lower)

  • Erickson ([18:54]):

    “QB 23 points per game last year...Lost OC Clint Kubiak...Seattle’s run-heavy, good real-life QB, not fantasy.”

  • Seeley ([20:26]):

    “Even Justin Fields and Aaron Rodgers averaged more fantasy points per game last year...Sam Darnold types need everything to break right, and still have a capped ceiling.”

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4. High-Variance, High-Upside QB Outliers

Reference: [21:29–25:26]

• Kyler Murray (ECR 22, Erickson QB19) ([21:39]):

  • “He’s been a top 20 QB every year outside last year; four top-10 finishes. As long as he's starting, he's criminally underrated at QB22. Landing spot matters a lot.”

• Daniel Jones (ECR 28, Seeley QB17) ([23:22]):

  • “He played well and always has rushing equity. If he’s the Week 1 starter, there’s no way he should be rated this low. In the right system (Minnesota, Indy), could be a top-12 per-game guy.”

    “Terrible NFL player, but for fantasy – yay Daniel Jones.”

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5. Tight End Rankings & Tiers: Major Debates and Strategy

Reference: [25:26–35:23]

• Top TEs:
  • Tier 1: Trey McBride, Brock Bowers, Colston Loveland
  • Tier 2: Tucker Kraft, Harold Fannin, Tyler Warren, Sam LaPorta, Kyle Pitts
  • Tier 3: Dalton Kincaid, Orande Gadsden, Jake Ferguson, Juwan Johnson

- Orande Gadsden (ECR 10, Erickson’s TE13) ([26:07]):

• Erickson is “probably too harsh” for knocking his second-half drop-off; admits Gadsden could move up—especially if Keenan Allen departs:

  “Gadsden showed a ceiling with four top-12 finishes...If he gets a full role and Keenan Allen leaves, arrow up.”

• Seeley adds:

  “The splits with and without Keenan Allen were tremendous. If this offense is Ladd McConkey, Trey Harris, and Gadsden, there's a path for a breakout.”

- Dalton Kincaid (ECR 9, Seeley’s TE16) ([29:00]):

• Jake’s harsh:

  “Everyone wants Kincaid to be something he’s not. He’s very touchdown-reliant. Even with the Bills desperate for catchers, that’s all we got. If I’m drafting at TE, I want top-5 ‘break the position’ potential. Kincaid just isn’t there for me.”

- Tucker Kraft (ECR 5, Erickson TE8) ([30:16]):

• Erickson slows his roll as injury recovery remains uncertain:

  “Everyone still loves Tucker Kraft. But we’re not getting an injury discount. If he’s 100% by camp, though, he could be tight end three.”

  • Jake pushes him to chase upside if healthy rather than splitting hairs with “safety” TEs.

- Isaiah Likely (ECR 20, Erickson TE12, Seeley TE13):

Breakout Watch!

• Jake:

  “Isaiah Likely...is a severe matchup problem...If he's the main guy, we've already seen he can be top-10. On the right team, could be TE3.”

• Erickson:

  “When Mark Andrews missed time, Likely was a locked and loaded top five tight end...It's all about landing spot. Chasing that upside is worth it, especially at this volatile position.”

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Jalen Hurts:
  “If he does the exact same thing, yeah maybe he can finish in this type of range but where you have to take him…much better to go with a late round quarterback approach.”
  – Andrew Erickson ([02:16])

• Comparing QBs:
  “Jalen Hurts just needs this much of a bounce back to get 21 fantasy points per game.”
  – Jake Seeley ([05:38])

• On Jordan Love’s volatility:
  “Jordan Love is just two faced C.J. Stroud. In the right light, he’s sexy as can be, in the wrong light, what the heck just happened?”
  – Jake Seeley ([17:27])

• On Sam Darnold:
  “Sam Darnold is a better real life quarterback than fantasy quarterback.”
  – Andrew Erickson ([18:54])

• On Dalton Kincaid hype:
  “Why is everybody’s favorite thing at tight end to make Dalton Kincaid something he’s not?”
  – Jake Seeley ([29:00])

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Key Timestamps for Major Segments

• Opening & Top Tier QB Debates: 00:40 – 06:42
• QB2 Debate (Herbert, Mahomes, mid-tier): 06:43 – 11:00
• Mayfield/Stroud/Risk QBs: 10:28 – 13:45
• Jordan Love Volatility & Coaching: 15:11 – 18:24
• Sam Darnold, Kyler Murray, Daniel Jones, Landing Spot Talk: 18:24 – 25:26
• Tight End Tiers & Debates (Gadsden, Kincaid, Kraft): 25:26 – 32:23
• Isaiah Likely Breakout Discussion: 32:23 – 35:23

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Final Thoughts and Listener Takeaways

• Draft for Upside at QB and TE – Both positions are volatile and often unpredictable. Don’t hesitate to chase ceiling, especially outside the top dozen.
• Monitor Offseason Changes Closely – Offensive line health, coordinator changes, and WR room shuffles can radically change a QB or TE’s fantasy profile.
• Don’t Overrate "Safe" Options Late – At tight end and QB2, high-variance, high-upside options offer more league-winning potential than placeholders.
• Landing Spot & Health Critical – Players like Kyler Murray, Daniel Jones, and Isaiah Likely could swing many spots based on recovery or free agency.

“We always talk about chasing upside and as I'm thinking about this more, I really feel like I do have to move Tucker Craft up my Titan rankings because I just want to chase upside down, right?”
– Andrew Erickson ([34:10])

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For full rankings, projections, and more debates, visit FantasyPros.com.

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Transcript

[Joey P (Joe P. Zeppia)]

This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.

[Daniel Cormier]

This is Daniel Cormier from the Daniel Cormier Show. This podcast is sponsored by Total Wireless, the official wireless partner of ufc. Power doesn't wait in the octagon or outside of it. You either make the move or you miss the moment. That's why you need a network that's just as powerful as you are. With Total Wireless, you get unlimited 5G data keeping you in the action from the walkouts to the knockouts. Now that's a total power move. Make your total power move today. Visit totalwireless.com or stop by your neighborhood Total Wireless store. Additional terms apply. See total wireless.com for details.

[Joey P (Joe P. Zeppia)]

Welcome in everybody to Fantasy Pros. This is the Fantasy Football podcast. It is me, Joey P, Joe P. Zeppia. And today we're continuing our Early Ranks debate series. This time talking quarterbacks, talking tight ends. We're talking with Andrew Erickson and Jake Seeley from the Athletic. The boys are going to talk about the expert consensus rankings on Fantasy Pro. So you can check out right [e-mail] rankings isn't that easy to remember. And we're going to have some debates. Who's too high, who's too low? And talk about where we're going to move these pieces around as we start contemplating 2026. And don't forget, make sure you subscribe to the channel here on Fantasy Pros for the NFL stuff. And of course, our new dynasty channels out as well, so subscribe to that feed also when you get a chance. Gentlemen, let's jump into the ranks here. At number one, no surprise, at quarterback it is Josh Allen. Number two, Drake May, number three, Lamar Jackson. Personally, I think I'd still flip those. I'll still put a healthy Lamar Jackson at number two, but that's just me. Joe Burrow comes in at four. In tier two, Jaden Daniels, Jalen Hurts at six, and number seven is Jackson. Dart. Interesting, because you have Dart, Daniels, Burrow, all kind of injury risk there in that same tier. And then tier three, you have Justin Herbert at eight, Trevor Lawrence at nine, Caleb Williams at 10, Brock Purdy at 11, and Dak Prescott at 12. So Andrew Erickson, let's start with you. Let's talk a little bit about Jalen Hurts because he is ranked at 6 and that tier I mentioned, all the guys that have injury issues. Well, Jalen Hurts is pretty much out there every single game. You know, say two years ago he did miss a little bit of time there for Kenny Pickett, but you've got him a QB9. So why the difference of opinion?

[Andrew Erickson]

I am concerned about the upside case with Jalen Hurts as he's now going in closer to this middle tier because we haven't really seen him be the elite guy that he was in the earlier parts of his fantasy career. He's been QB8 in back to back season so that's not a bad ranking. But when you're looking for how do I get the maximum return on my fantasy quarterback? It's you have to draft the Josh Allen type of season so you take him as one of the first quarterbacks off the board and he scores the most points or you take a player like a Drake May who has a monster leap and finishes the top five quarterback as a late round option. So last year he was QB7 in points per game 19.1 but he was under 20 fantasy points per game. When I'm looking for drafting an elite quarterback, I need to be hitting at least 20 fantasy points per game to feel like I'm actually getting some type of advantage with the Eagles. This infrastructure concerns me greatly. We have another new offensive coordinator coming in, Sean Manion, after a long search because nobody wanted to be the offensive coordinator for the Philadelphia Eagles and I think that the way that Jalen Hurts plays quarterback plays a big role in that. What is the status of this offensive line? Lane Johnson's he is he going to come back? Landon Dickerson is Mullen retirement. Jeff Stoutland, the offensive line coach, he's gone. Cam Jurgens is getting stem cell treatment. I am very concerned about what the blocking is going to look like for Jalen Hurts. A.J. brown, is he coming back? I don't think losing him necessarily helps. Jalen Hurts fantasy production because of how efficient A.J. brown is. Dallas guard, it's a free agent, so just a lot of question marks for a player that if he does the exact same thing, yeah maybe he can finish in this type of range but where you have to take him relative to the other positions, I think it's much better to go with a late round quarterback approach. That's why I have a guy like Caleb Williams ranked ahead of Jalen Hurts because I think Caleb Williams has really strong upside case at a fraction of the cost taking another step in Ben Johnson's offense. So that's why I have Jalen hurts ranked as QB9.

[Joey P (Joe P. Zeppia)]

Now Jake, you've got a difference of opinion too. You've got Joe Burrow who's ranked at 4, ranked at 6. Again, it's not a huge jump here, but in terms of the big quarterbacks, everything does matter and everything does count here. So why a little bit more concern with Joe Burrows? It just the amount of missed time the last few years?

No, it's just I'm going for runners. I mean I have Allen Lamar May Daniels as my top four. A healthy Daniels with a new offensive system where we don't run the same thing back. And once the NFL figures you out, you're like, well, that was my game plan. I have nothing else now. Thanks. So hopefully we see more from Cliff Kingsbury being able to sit under a system and learn that you need more than just quick tempo every single play. So those are all runners. And then we might as well loop it into the conversation. I'm completely on the other side as Erickson because 21 fancy points per game just the previous season which was top five. 21 the previous season, top five was actually top three that year. It's every single year except for last year. So if you do which maybe Andrew's right, maybe they just repeat last year because one of the big things that I will agree on the concern is the offensive line because that's also partly why the Tush push wasn't as successful. It wasn't just the fact that they were giving Goddard snaps and tricking people, which kudos to them. It was the fact that the offensive line had legit questions, you know, no Kelsey, after a second year of him being gone and now the Lane Johnson injuries and the concerns like that. So I agree the offensive line is warranted, but I would still go Jalen Hurts, who has been a much better passer over the past two of his full healthy seasons and his two full healthy seasons again, 21 fantasy points per game. So if he just runs a little bit more, get some of those touchdowns, he doesn't need 14 and 16, he just needs to get back to 11 or 12. But if you don't want to play that risk, I understand it. But that's why, because Joe Burrow needs to do 99% of it passing for him to get 21 fantasy points per game. Jalen Hurst just needs this much of a bounce back to get 21 fantasy points per game. So that's why Burrow, I love Burrow. I actually took him in one of the stack league which all those big names for charity and killed me And I was so ticked off because I was like, you know what, Joe Burrow, it's an industry league.

[Andrew Erickson]

Screw you guys.

[Joey P (Joe P. Zeppia)]

I'm taking Joe Burrow because he's still there in the sixth round. And that went to crap. So he's at six. It just has to do with the names in front of him. Nothing against Joe Burrow?

No, that's fair. All right, let's talk about Justin Herbert, because there's a difference of opinion here because the ECR has eight, and Andrew, you've got him at six, obviously, new offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel comes into town here. Martin Hampton, a healthy season would go a long way, too, and some healthy tackles would be nice. So if you get all those pieces right, I mean, Justin Herbert at 6, I don't think is a tough argument.

[Andrew Erickson]

Andrew, 24 fantasy points per game and five games played with Joe Alt in 2025. I. I think that getting a infrastructure around Justin Herbert where he has an offensive line that's actually going to keep him upright, I think that makes all the difference. And I don't necessarily expect him to repeat career highs in terms of rushing yards and carries, but it's still part of his skill set, right? He has mobility. He can use his legs as a weapon. Mike McDaniel has not seen that from a quarterback in Miami. So I, I just like the pairing with McDaniel, going to Los Angeles with Justin Herbert with these weapons, with a healthy offensive line, I think that he has a really high ceiling. So that's why I have him as QB6.

[Joey P (Joe P. Zeppia)]

All right, now you don't have MCQB6, Jake, and you don't have him where the ECR has him at 8 either. You've got him at 10. So here we go again. Why do you hate Justin Herbert?

Because people already put him in the hall of fame after two years in the NFL. That's why after. After those two ridiculous years where he was throwing 600 and almost 700 times. And that's where my argument pushback is. It's nothing to do with what Andrew said, because it's right. But he just came off the best year since those two years at 17.8 fantasy points per game, QB10 and fantasy points per game, which is right where I have him. I think he's going to be fine. But I think for every potential increase in efficiency, even with a healthy offensive line with Mike McDaniel, you know, you go back to the show that you and I just did with Laquan Joe, and my concern with Mike McDaniel is you're not getting plays. The problem, it's all the running. It's the grinding out the clock. Some of the slowest pace added to what already went from the Chargers before Harbaugh were a top 12 pace offense, and they dropped to 25th, 26th, and that's a huge drop. And now you're adding Mike McDaniel, who bleeds the clock, bleeds the clock, runs the ball, doesn't have a lot of quick plays. And now would you be surprised if this is like the 31st play per team league? Like that's or plays per game. So that's just my biggest concern, is that I don't think he's going to improve on the 500, 510 pass attempts that we saw from the past two years. Maybe the efficiency gets up, but for somebody that needs to get 30, 35 touchdowns to get to where Andrew has them, I just. I also want the 4,000plus yards and I just don't think this is what they need him to do.

All right, let's go ahead and talk about guys outside of the top 12. Patrick Mahomes at 13, by the way, it's amazing, but obviously, even with that injury that he's a 13, I wouldn't have him there because I don't think he's going to be ready for quite some time. We'll see. Everyone's always so optimistic.

Why would you. Why would you stash a quarterback like that unless you have an IR spot?

Well, look, I mean, this is Super Flex rankings too. And then Super Flex rankings. I would not take him as a 13th overall quarterback coming off an injury. I'm not waiting.

I'd actually rather take him as single and stash him than Super Flex.

Yes, I agree with that. 100. 100. Because you're not talking about need, you're talking about just bonus time if it comes back. And then eventually, maybe by the end of November, it looks good again. You got him for the playoff run. That's a totally different.

Well, in Super Flex, the 13th quarterback you're taking in the third round anyway. So then, top of that.

Yeah. Wow. Forget that. All right, let's talk about Matthew Stafford at number 14 at tier 4. Bo Nicks at 15. Again, no matter how many points Bo Nick scores because he doesn't do it for four quarters, everybody just hates Bo Necks. That's fine. It's fair. Jordan Love at 16, Jared Goff at 17. Then Baker Mayfield, 18. Tyler Shuck at 19, C.J. stroud at 20, Malik Willis at 21. And then you've got Sam Darnold, Kyler Murray and Cam Ward. We'll see where Kyle Murray ends up playing his football in 2026. So let's start here with Baker Mayfield, Andrew he has ECR of 18, but you got me 14. Obviously, injuries had a big part to do with some of the second half decline of Baker Mayfield, but for the first six weeks, this guy was looking like an mvp and maybe some people forgot that.

[Andrew Erickson]

Yeah, that's kind of what I'm looking at with Mayfield weeks 1 through 11. So even expanding it a little bit more, he was QB10, 18.5 points per game. Now, I didn't draft Baker Mayfield at all last year, and that's because I was fading his outlier passing touchdown rate. And I felt like an idiot through the first month of the season because he was on fire. And I'm like, okay, he's gonna do it all over again. And that was with, you know, Mike Evans was playing through injuries, but again after week 12, that's when he got hurt. And I think that was with the, the shoulder injury where basically it looked like he wasn't even gonna play the next week. He ends up shooting up anyway. 14.2 points per game in the last seven weeks. The Buccaneers, as we all saw, just completely fell apart. They were favored every single game, every single week. They lost. They blew the chance at winning the division. So I just think that with better injury luck, I think that he's a logical bounce back candidate. Obviously you'd like Mike Evans to return. I think that would ding him a little bit. If Mike Evans does not come back to the Tampa Buccaneers, he's going to explore free agency. But I don't know. I still think Mike Evans is a lifer and truth or to Tampa Bay and I mean, who wants to pay that, that income tax elsewhere? Florida, baby. It's nice and sun. Do you really want to go for. You really want to go to Buffalo and freeze outside? Like, trust me, that lives in New England where it's cold in winter. I would much rather be in Florida. So I think Baker Mayfield again adds a little bit as a rusher that he's seen the last couple years. I don't like that the new offensive coordinator again. But Zach Robinson I think did some nice things in his time with Atlanta. So Mayfield for me, I think is that's why I'm a little bit higher.

[Joey P (Joe P. Zeppia)]

All right, so Jake CJ Stroud is at ECR of 20, but you've got him at 25, so not even that second tier. So you're really crushing CJ Stroud.

[Andrew Erickson]

Now.

[Joey P (Joe P. Zeppia)]

He did have some bad offensive line play around him, obviously again this year. I don't know if he's ever had good offensive line since he's been in the league. So if they address that a little bit, will that help your, your fears of CJ Stroud or do you see something that you were really just off of him altogether because you got him as a third quarterback basically in super flex?

No, because he's been nothing but his rookie season was fine at 18.2, but that was a QB2 and the past two seasons, 13 and 14.9 fantasy points per game. This bounce back season was 14.9 fantasy points per game. Anybody out there listening can do the same thing I've done and make apologies for and like I'm not coming for you. So. But the offensive line, his wide receiver is not staying healthy. The offensive game plan, no, no. It's just like I've done the same thing. There's been various reasons where you could say, you know, what have we seen the best of C.J. stroud? And I think that's a fair question. So I'll give the different answer in this way and say he reminds me of slightly more athletic Matt Ryan. So Matt Ryan needed a freaking offense firing on all cylinders to be a top 10 quarterback. And it happened a few times. But that's what you need with this type of quarterback and that's why he's down here is because even the best case scenario so far for his career and that was three rushing touchdowns his rookie season, it was 18 fancy points per game. That's still not even cracking QB1. So is he going to throw for 4,000 plus yards and 30 plus touchdowns? The touchdowns haven't been there yet. The rookie season again still was the career high at 23, maybe, you know, or three hundreds on the ground. That's why I say slightly more athletic Matt Ryan. But he's basically mostly a pure pocket passer like him. And I think that's my biggest thing is I don't want these quarterbacks down here in fantasy.

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[Joey P (Joe P. Zeppia)]

All right, fair enough. Fair enough. Some good points there from Jake. Let's go to Jordan Love, QB16 in the ECR. Andrew, you're a little bit higher. You've got a MCQ13. So what has to happen for Jordan Love this offseason in terms of weapons, in terms of offseason, for the packers to make you feel better about this ranking, just outside the top 12, they

[Andrew Erickson]

just need to let him throw the ball more. Really. I think. I think it's really that simple. And that's the thing that's hard with ranking Jordan Love, because when I watch him play football and I look at some of the advanced metrics, he's really good. He's a really efficient quarterback, second in the NFL an EPA per drop back. I think that he plays a quarterback position at one of the highest levels, but they don't necessarily. The coaching staff has not really unleashed him in the way that I think that they potentially could and should. Now we can talk about shoulda, woulda, coulda till the cows come home. But I like just trying to be open to buying into quarterbacks I think are really, really good. So last year the packers were fourth highest in rush rate. So that's what obviously hurt his fantasy appeal. He obviously lost his number one playmaker in Tucker Kraft, which hurt his Overall fantasy numbers. 17.8 points per game is 2B14. So I just think that there is a chance that, okay, we have Jordan Love. He's a superstar quarterback. If he doesn't have to deal with like Another weird injury that seems always happened to him mid season whenever he starts to build momentum and it kind of derails him. They're like, all right, let's just feed Josh Jacobs 25 carries. I mean, did that really work this past season? I mean Jacobs kind of hit a wall a little bit. Wasn't as efficient as he's been in past seasons. I don't know. That's kind of how I feel with Jordan Love. It's, it's not a super bullish take where, oh, he's going to take over fantasy. But I just want to invest, especially now into quarterbacks I think are really good. And you have a player like Tucker Kraft coming back. You have Matthew Gold entering year two. You have Jaden Reed who will be fully held again. He doesn't has it. He hasn't had his full array of weapons. It seems like someone's always hurt at some different point. So that's why I'm just a little bit higher. QB 13.

[Joey P (Joe P. Zeppia)]

All right, let's talk about, let's see, let's go to Jordan Love's take here for you, Jay, because you have some feelings about Jordan Love also.

All right, so after that entire diatribe by Andrew Erickson, I'll tell you this. Jordan Love is just two faced C.J.

[Andrew Erickson]

stroud.

[Joey P (Joe P. Zeppia)]

Because if everybody remembers Seinfeld and the two face from Seinfeld in the right light, Jordan Love is sexy as can

be referenced to Andrew.

I think I am.

[Andrew Erickson]

I am.

[Joey P (Joe P. Zeppia)]

Okay, in the right light, he's as sexy as can be in the wrong light. What the heck just happened? I can't believe I'm tying myself to that person. So if anybody's never seen the Seinfeld episode, very good one. But the truth is Jordan Love one week is four touchdowns and 300 yards and then the next week 180 and interception and no touchdowns because so like it's not that I disagree that much with Erickson, it's just that he's very much like C.J. stroud as a passer better, I'll give you that. But the part that I'd rather actually tie myself to CJ Stroud is because if he improves, I'll get some consistency every stinking week in Jordan Love. Like I do not want to tie myself to him in fantasy because it's, I know one week he's going to win it for me and the next week he's going to lose it for me and I'm not playing that game quarterback.

All right, fair enough, Fair enough. We're gonna continue to debate some of these guys here. Let's take a little debate about Sam Darlo because I know you guys have different feelings. He is ECR 21. Andrew, you have him at 23. Jake, you have him at 26. So both of you are a little bit lower on the guy who just took his team to the super bowl. And I think that might surprise some people. Right. So let's talk about the reasons why both of you are fading him a little bit more than the experts are currently on fantasypros.com so let's talk about Andrew. Your feeling first about Sam Darnold, why he shouldn't be ranked quite so high.

[Andrew Erickson]

Well, he was QB 23 points per game last year and I don't think anything is going to work in his favor. Where he should be looked at to improve in his second season with Seattle. He just lost Clint Kubiak who has shown that he makes a significant impact where he goes. If you look at the two teams he's been the offensive play caller for the last two seasons, the Saints and the Seahawks, both those teams entered those years with really bad offensive line projections. And the way that Kubiak has schemed up offensive lines the last two seasons has helped his quarter. I mean Derek Carr looked like he was hosting MVP level numbers before his injury in 2024 because Kubiak was calling the shots. So I think that's a big loss. Darnold also doesn't offer that much as a rushing threat. Again, congrats to Sam Darnold. The Seahawks beating my Patriots. It's a terrible bet betting in the Patriots money line, of course, but Sam Darnold is a better real life quarterback than fantasy quarterback. So in the fact that Seattle, the way they play elite defense doesn't necessarily create game environments where oh, we're going to get Sam Darnold in a shootout. This is one of the most run heavy offenses in the NFL last season. So I, yeah, I don't, I can't get ahead of Sam Darnold as a top 20 fantasy quarterback.

[Joey P (Joe P. Zeppia)]

Understandably so. Look, I think the best argument Andrew laid out there, Jake, is that he had a great year this year and he was still all the way down there. So if anything, you know, typically to repeat or get better would, would take a lot and you're losing your offensive coordinator Clint Kubiak to the, the Raiders as a head coach now. So I'm assuming all of those things got into your psyche as well for your lower ranking than these here.

Yeah, I mean honestly it Comes down to we just talked about CJ Stroud, who averaged over a point and a half points per game more than Sam Darnold. Think about that for a second. If you included all the non qualifiers, the people that played like five games, including Carson Wentz. Sam Darnold is actually QB 27 in points per game, by the way, who averaged more fancy points per game than Sam Darnold, not just Justin Fields. How about somebody that used to play for that team, Aaron Rodgers averaged more fantasy points per game than Sam Darnold. And that's really the end of the argument because yeah, the year before with the Vikings, again, different team, different offense, different style, different attempts. And that's when you know, pocket passers. I will say in super flex, Joe, completely different conversation because these are the guys like the Sam Darnolds of the world and even like a healthy Kirk Cousins with the right team. Kirk Cousins getting back into the top 15, he went to the Vikings. Would that really shock anybody? But the problem is these quarterbacks have to do it all with their arm and all with high touchdown rates. And we just saw how bad it can be when they just aren't needed to be that kind of guy.

All right, let's talk about two more guys here. Let's talk about Kyler Murray. ECR is 22. Andrew, you've got him at 19. So what are you seeing that I'm not When it comes to Kyler Murray

[Andrew Erickson]

in his future, he's going to be starting quarterback week one. Where I don't know, but it's going to be somewhere Jets. I. I just think that he as QB22. I think that's too low.

[Joey P (Joe P. Zeppia)]

I broke Joe for.

No, I'm just trying to think of that first press conference after a loss for Kyler Murray in New York.

[Andrew Erickson]

They can't, they can't make that happen. No, it's such a bad look for both sides. It would be a disaster. So that's probably where I would definitely move him down significantly if he's starting for the New York Jets. But I would say when you just look at Kyler Murray's body of work, he's been a top 20 quarterback every year of his career, except for last year, which obviously things got derailed and he only played a handful of games. But he has four top 10 finishes, five in terms of points per game finishes when he came back from an injury in 2023. So if you're going to give me a guy that has basically a top 10 top 20 resume outside the top 20 quarterbacks. I just think that's good value. And I think the only reason he's ranked this lowly is because we're not sure where he's going to start. But I'm confident he's going to start somewhere. I mean, there's a lot of teams that need quarterbacks, and Kyler Murray looks pretty good compared to the alternative options, just based on his age, that he. Again, he's not necessarily, like, a bridge guy, where if he has a good season, like, he could be a quarterback for the next three or four years for a team versus. Oh, you want Rogers. Okay, well, he might retire next year, so. So that's why I think that he's a good alternative, especially if he ends up, like, somewhere like Minnesota, the Vikings. Like, that's a good system where you.

[Joey P (Joe P. Zeppia)]

Yeah, yeah, that one. That one. All of a sudden, you. You got me. Like, everyone's so nice in Minnesota. If he lost and be like, oh, don't worry. Everything's gonna be fine. Oh, sure is. Everything is going to be okay. Don't worry. You'll get them next time.

[Andrew Erickson]

Unless you're J.J. mcCarthy.

[Joey P (Joe P. Zeppia)]

They're taking J.J. mcCarthy to wood chipper from Fargo. Are you kidding me?

Yeah, I was gonna say it's more Fargo than Minnesota. All right, Daniel Jones, maybe he'll end up in Minnesota. I don't know. Jake, you have him at 17, but ECR is him at 28. I feels like US ECR placeholder right now. Daniel Jones did play well, and he also has rushing equity, which I feel like always gets overlooked when it comes to Daniel Jones every single time. So let's talk about him. Obviously, Murray and Daniel Jones are two guys where landing spot is going to matter a whole lot in terms of their ranking. And both of these ranks right now, and the expert consensus does feel a little placeholder.

Like, I. I don't honestly understand even placeholder how you could have him this low. Because unless Daniel Jones ends up a backup somewhere, what are we doing?

Well, the injury, too. I mean, he's coming off a torn acl.

[Andrew Erickson]

I mean, that's all he's coming off the Achilles.

[Joey P (Joe P. Zeppia)]

Torn Achilles. Pardon me.

[Andrew Erickson]

Because he was playing with a broken leg.

[Joey P (Joe P. Zeppia)]

Okay, fair. But I guess maybe people are tentatively, like, saying maybe not week one. Like, all the reports have been positive about that so far. So they're, you know, obviously, take that out. You know, if he's not going to be available till the end of September, you're throwing this ranking out the window no matter what. You're probably not even drafting them. Because if you're not drafting Patrick Mahomes, there's no way on earth you're waiting on Daniel Jones. But Daniel Jones just putting in a top 12 per game performance with the Colts. He was unlocked essentially with the Colts, similar to basically his best season with the Giants, which still wasn't even that good. But he was a top 10 quarterback that year because why? Because he ran for 707. And I don't think he's necessarily going to do that with the Colts or wherever he ends up. But the thing here is that if Daniel Jones is 100% and whoever signs them, I'm sure are going to make sure of that, that they think that he'll be ready for week one if it's back with the Colts, if it's the Vikings, can you imagine how excited people would be putting Daniel Jones on the Vikings? And by the way, who possibly was the one that taught him how to play better ball? Kevin o' Connell brings him back and has puts him with Justin Jefferson, Addison Hawkinson and all the rest. I just think that Daniel Jones, as much as we love to joke on him as this is, it's the inverse of Sam Darnold. He is a terrible football player. But for fantasy, we're yay, Daniel Jones.

Yeah. Okay, fair enough. Let's transition now to the tight ends here and let's talk about number one, Trey McBride in tier one, then Brock Bowers in tier two, close and level at three in tier one, then tier two, you got Tucker Craft at four. How Fannon at five, Tyler Warren at six, Sam Laporta at seven, Kyle Pitts at eight, Dalton Kincaid at nine, Orande Gadson at 10, Jake Ferguson and Juwan Johnson. So tier two is Craft through pits at eight and then tier three, you've got Kincaid at nine, Gadsden, Ferguson and Juwan Johnson. Let's start with Andrew Erickson. Arunde Gadsden is tight end 10 in the ECR, but you've got them all the way at 13. So you're not loving Mike McDaniel with the tight end, Is that what you're telling me?

[Andrew Erickson]

No, I mean, he's still in the same. I mean, he's in that same tier with those other guys. I guess I just feel more confident about those roles being a little bit more stable where you have Juwan Johnson. I feel comfortable with what he is in the Kellenmore offense in New Orleans now. Jake Ferguson also in this tier. If Pickett's comes back, he's definitely moving behind Gadson because Jake Ferguson splits with Pickens and CD Lamb playing healthy last year are absolutely terrible. So that's something that I would adjust. But when it comes to Gadsden, I guess maybe I was lower on him because I was accrediting his second half fall off. I was kind of punishing him pretty dramatically for that. But I think that's probably being unfair to him just based on he was a rookie 5th round tight end that showed an immense ceiling in a couple games to start the year. And I think maybe I was being too harsh. When you look at he had the same yards per outrun as both Tyler Warren and Harold Fannin, two guys that are going way ahead of him, even though they all had, I mean, pretty strong. Again, Gadson didn't have as good a rookie year as Tyler Warren, Harold Fannon did. But when it comes to rookie tight end performances, I mean Gadsden stacks up just not this particular class because it was such a strong rookie tight end class. So I think that he's a player that could probably move up a little bit more. I guess I was just concerned about how things really kind of derailed in the second half of the season. But that's probably more because of the offensive line and just the offense in general. Not necessarily on Gatson because during the year he showed a ceiling of four top 12 finishes. And when it comes to tight end, if you can just pop in a big way and like make a difference, I think that's worth drafting also too. If Keenan Allen is gone, Keen Allen led this team in targets. So if they don't replace Keenan Allen with somebody else and it's just, well, Gadsden, Trey Harris will take a bigger step in year two. Well, you could see Gatson if he has a full time role in this Mike McDaniel offense. I mean, Darren Waller, to your point, looked pretty good.

[Joey P (Joe P. Zeppia)]

Yeah.

[Andrew Erickson]

Last year, especially in the red zone. So if Gadsden kind of takes over that red zone role, then I would definitely need to, to move him up.

[Joey P (Joe P. Zeppia)]

See, that's, that's where I'm excited about Gaston because to me, he, he, he does give me a little bit of vibes of a younger version of Darren Waller. And I think that that that kind of athlete fits really well into the kind of schemes that Mike McDaniel comes

up with all the time.

Go ahead, Jake. It seems like you want to say something about it.

Yeah, I was going to chime in that with the splits with and without Keenan Allen were tremendous because they actually Gadsden plays a similar role to what Keenan Allen brought to the team. And he also hurt Quentin Johnson at the same time when he was out there because of the touchdown equity that he took away from him. So he actually kind of takes away from two potential wide receivers. Where what we talked about in the other show, Joe, if all of a sudden this is. And Mike McDaniel likes to funnel down his offense. If this is lad McConkey, Trey Harris and Gadson next year.

Trey Harris, another guy we talked about on that last show with Laquan about the sophomores. Check that out on the YouTube channel. It's a really great show. All right, Dalton Kincaid is number nine on this list. But Jake, you have them outside of the top 12 at 16. Why is Dalton Kincaid not a tight end one this year?

So if you want to go watch the RB show and see, like, what is everybody's favorite thing in fantasy is to hate on Kyron Williams. Why is everybody's favorite thing at tight end to make Dalton Kincaid something he's not. Like, he just had his best season. Very touchdown reliant, by the way, because he even played the full season. But in points per game and what did that get him? 10 and 12. Because the freaking bills are 12 12, 12, 12, 12, 12,. And maybe that changes a little bit this year. But Dawson Knox, if they cut him, they can save 10, but he still owed 7.

[Andrew Erickson]

Dead cap.

[Joey P (Joe P. Zeppia)]

But even if not, they'll probably bring in another tight end. And I bring that up to also say Dalton Kincaid did all of that where the Bills were looking for wide receiver. Anybody, Somebody catch the damn ball. Because it's not Keon Coleman, it's Khalil. Shakir is fine as a two, but not the clear number one. And they were trying and trying and trying and that's still the best we can get at Dalton Kincaid. Dalton Kincaid. Just understand this. The Bills tight end is just not a thing. He's going to need touchdowns and maybe he can get 500 yards and eight touchdowns and be a tight end one fringe again. But that's fringe tight end one. I would just rather chase potential top five options. And so I would include Mark Andrews with no likely. I would include Brenton Strange, Goddard potentially back with the Eagles and no A.J. brown. I just, I don't see the upside of Kincaid.

Now. Last year, nobody loved Tucker Craft more than Andrew Erickson. Expert consensus has him at five. But Andrew, you've got him only at eight. Is it just coming off the injury? Is that why?

[Andrew Erickson]

I mean, that's the only thing I can pinpoint about Tucker Craft that I don't like because he was a freaking monster tight end one through eight, eight games, tight end two and points per game. Let all tight ends in yards after the catch per reception. I just was really surprised that how aggressive ECR was. I remember when I did the first tight end ranking show earlier in the year, I had him even lower. Had him at like 12. Like. Yeah. Well this is a great buy low opportunity on Tucker Craft. People are going to be writing him off and that's not the case. I mean where would he be if he didn't tears ACL just like tight end three or tight end to tight end two. So I guess, I mean you're not really getting much of an injury discount. I feel like. So that's, I guess where I'm just pressing pause. And it's not even that he can't overcome this. I mean he's a 25 year old freak athlete coming off a torn ACL, which. But if he was back.

[Joey P (Joe P. Zeppia)]

So you loved him.

[Andrew Erickson]

Yes.

[Joey P (Joe P. Zeppia)]

Let me, let me ask you this, Andrew and I know this is kind of similar to the Brace hall question, but like you loved him. No, no, seriously, if you KNEW he was 100%. Because I want to make the case to put him at three. If you knew he was 100%. Obviously we don't. But if you knew he was, doesn't he have fewer questions than Loveland Fannin, Warren LaPorta, Pitts, Gadson?

[Andrew Erickson]

Like yeah.

[Joey P (Joe P. Zeppia)]

Okay, so okay. And I think that's the case that you can make.

[Andrew Erickson]

But I like your question here because I think that it's framing it where if he does come back healthy then maybe that's all I should be really concerned about when I'm ranking him, him, I'm just gonna rank him like he's healthy to, to your point. And that's where he would be my tight end three. And it's like, okay, if he's not healthy, well then this is a busted pick. Titan's bust all the time. But if it hits, oh boom. I guess for me it's, I'm not seeing as much value on him hitting now because do I go after Tucker Craft as elite tight end with an injury risk or do I just try to find this year's Tucker Craft in round tat row nine, around 10. So I think the ranking is probably more reflective on like my tight end strategy than actually how I view the, the specific players.

[Joey P (Joe P. Zeppia)]

Well, and there's guys outside of the top 12. There's guys like Breton Strange. We'll see what Hunter Henry does if, if he is back with the Patriots, I bring another tight end or draft another tight end with Kenyan Sadiq is a really interesting prospect. But I know one guy you both want to talk about is Isaiah Likely because he is ranked currently as the 20th tight end. So Andrew, you've got him at tight end 12. Jake, you've got him at tight end 13. Jake, talk to me about why you guys both like Isaiah Likely. Jake, why don't you take it off first?

Because Isaiah Likely is going to a team where he's going to be the lead option and we've seen him be the lead option with the Ravens and what that's done and it's top 10 performances and that's really all it's sometimes we don't need to say more. It's that simple. Isaiah Likely is a severe matchup problem for defense. He's a very dynamic tight end. He's been buried behind Mark Andrews. He's also been in an offense that doesn't utilize in the passing game consistently. A number two, three option. They kind of do it by committee and he's going to go to a team because he's a free agent. Somebody's going to pay through the nose for him because he's the best tight end out there and potentially a top 10 talent out there in their free agency. And that's. That's all you really need to say. I honestly we could both sit here and argue that 1213 is too low because if he ends up on the right right team, he'd have fewer questions. You could put him as high as three on the right team and I'd be like, you know what, I get it.

All right, Andrew, what's your case for Mr. Likely?

[Andrew Erickson]

I think that Jake makes the great points about where he goes is so dependent on what his ranking could be. Get Titan 5 or Titan 35 because he could go to a team where he's totally nuked in a three man Titan committee and it's absolutely terrible. Or he ends up going in a place where he can be the tight end one and it's gonna be funny.

[Joey P (Joe P. Zeppia)]

He, he goes back with Harbaugh and he time shares with Theo Johnson because that's what harbor does too.

[Andrew Erickson]

Because, because that, that would be so fun. But you have to remember that before he got injured this past year because this year was terrible for Isaiah Likely and I think actually played a reason in why Mark Andrews got the extension where Isaiah likely got hurt, they were gonna extend him but then he got hurt at the end of the off season, missed a couple games and then he had just like these really weird touchdowns where he caught a touchdown but didn't count as a touchdown. He dropped the ball. Just a bad year overall for Isaiah Likely. But you can't forget that when Mark Andrews has missed time and out his career, Isaiah likely has been a locked and loaded top five tight end in terms of points per game. So we always talk about chasing upside and as I'm thinking about this more, I really feel like I do have to move Tucker Kraft up my Titan rankings because I just want to chase upside down, right? If I can get a guy that can be tight end one, I almost want to throw the injury thing out out the window and be like, I don't care again, it's football. Everybody has injury risks. But if Tucker Craft can be tight end one, then maybe that is worth taking into consideration where I need to move him up my rankings. But with Isaiah likely right, he could be a top five tight end just based on him playing without Mark Andrews if he can get into the right spot. So that's why I'm also high on him with Jake.

[Joey P (Joe P. Zeppia)]

Yeah, and a healthy Tucker Craft goes a long way for liking Jordan Lovemore too. Just saying. For correlate. Good looking or bad looking depending on which version you get. But great debates here all the way around, but we'd love to hear from you. Who are your favorite tight end quarterbacks? Who's too high? Who's too low in the ecr? Drop your comments below and go check out for [e-mail] rankings and subscribe to the YouTube channel and the podcast feed here at Fantasy Pros. That'll do it for us. But the story of the game goes on. For Andrew Erickson and Jake Steely from the Athletic, I'm Joey P. We'll see you next time, kids.

Thanks for listening to the Fantasy Pros Fantasy Football Podcast. If you love the show, the best free way to support us is by leaving a positive review on apple [e-mail] review or on Spotify. Follow us on X Instagram and TikTok Antasypros and subscribe to our YouTube channel at YouTube.com fantasypros.

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[Joey P (Joe P. Zeppia)]

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[Joey P (Joe P. Zeppia)]

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