Week 3 TE Rankings PPR: Tight End Fantasy Stats & Projections

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Tight ends are instrumental to fantasy football success. The position’s fantasy value is quite high, considering there are only a handful that standout amongst the rest of the pack. Having a dominant tight end can make up for other weaknesses you may have on your team. I for one, prioritized choosing my TE1, before I did my RB2 in the draft. While there are the marquee must-have guys at the position, there are also ones who may have hidden value due to other circumstances. One of the common narratives surrounding the position is that young, inexperienced quarterbacks tend to target their tight ends more often. In that case, Steelers’ tight end Vance mcDonald and Saints’ tight end Jared Cook should have heightened value this week. This may be true, but I mention this, to prove my point that week-to-week circumstances can elevate and deflate a tight end’s value. Here are the top 25 ranked tight ends in week 3.

Week 3 TE PPR Rankings

Tier 1

The player who holds the top spot can mine as well hold the 3rd or the 4th. The point is, if you have a player in tier 1, you should expect big performances in most games. I particularly like Zach Ertz this week, as receivers Alshon Jefferey and DeSean Jackson may be out with injury. If that is the case, Ertz will be hogging targets and tormenting the Lions defense. Jefferey and Jackson went out early in week 2, and Ertz went on to see 16 targets. I would expect heavy volume for Zach Ertz if one of, or both those receivers are out. Travis Kelce, who probably holds the top spot on most weeks, will be the same ole’ stud that he always is. As long as Mahomes is his quarterback, Kelce will always be a threat to drop 25 fantasy points on your team. Bad matchups for Kelce and the Chiefs just don’t exist, they are that good. Jimmy Garoppolo’s improved play in week 2, has me feeling a lot better about Kittle’s fantasy production for this season. Kittle personally did not do well in last week’s game, but it’s just a matter of time until him and Garoppolo find their chemistry. You don’t break the single season record for yards by a tight end by being average, Kittle will be an elite TE1. Perhaps my favorite tight end mostly because he is new, is Baltimore’s Mark Andrews. Lamar Jackson and Mark Andrews connection is white hot to start the 2019 campaign. He has 16 catches, 220 yards, and 2 touchdowns in just 2 games. Andrews is Jackson’s No. 1 target, and should continue to be that way moving forward.

Notable Other Tight Ends

I really wanted to put Austin Hooper as a tier 1 TE, but he just hasn’t done enough yet. However, he has all the potential to become that, and by the end of the year should be in that company. Detroit’s rookie tight end T.J. Hockenson is an interesting player to watch in fantasy. He has TE1 ability written all over him, but he is just a rookie and will have his expected inconsistencies. Hockenson would be the most ideal TE to keep on your bench. He will have weeks where he’ll put up TE1 numbers, hopefully that week will come when your starter is on a bye. On the other hand, Oakland’s Darren Waller is one of the safest bets outside of tier 1. Derek Carr loves his tight ends, as Jared Cook had a career year in Oakland just last season. I’d expect a similar result with Waller. He is off to a great start, snagging 13 balls for a 133 yards so far in the season. Another one of my favorite tight ends outside of the elite is Cleveland’s David Njoku. I worry he will be overshadowed at times with the amount of weapons the Browns have, but he has the talent to still produce big. Njoku unfortunately got a concussion in week 2, resulting in a goose egg against the Jets. However, in week 1 he did see 6 targets and was able to come away with a touchdown in the contest. He is a lower end TE1, who could have weeks where he ranks with the best at his position.

Waiver Wire Adds

My favorite free agent add amongst tight ends is Tyler Higbee. He isn’t a focal point on the Rams’ offense by any means, but he has a lot of touchdown potential. He is in his 4th season with just 5 touchdowns to his name, however he is finally getting the chance to be the undisputed No.1 tight end on his team. Last year he was in a timeshare with Gerald Everett, but Higbee has created quite a significant amount of distance on the depth chart from Everett this season. I like him as an add on your bench, and I love it if you were to have Jared Goff on your team as well. Higbee is only owned by 8% of leagues. Seattle’s Will Dissly is another interesting pickup to look at. Coming off a knee surgery, Dissly looks to be one of Russell Wilson’s red zone targets. Dissly had a quiet game 1, but that was his first game back from the injury. Last week, he exploded with 2 touchdown passes against the Steelers. Due to Wilson’s elite play, he may elevate Dissly’s fantasy value. If you had a spot at your disposal, Dissly is a low floor, high ceiling pickup. Dissly is only owned by 6% of all leagues. Another tight end who probably is on your league’s waiver wire is Vernon Davis. He is a veteran who has time and time again, showed that he can still play. Davis received 7 targets and caught a touchdown pass in week 1. He didn’t have as strong of a follow up performance, with just 3 catches for 29 yards, but he is worth considering while starter Jordan Reed is out with injury. Vernon Davis is owned by 27% of leagues currently.