Week 4 fantasy TE rankings: 15 best tight ends for fantasy football in NFL Week 4

The big question for Mike Gesicki is what his opportunities look like with Tee Higgins back. The return of the Cincinnati Bengals’ No. 2 receiver makes it improbable we see another 91-yard performance. However, facing one of the league’s worst defenses, Gesicki at least gives you a shot at 40 yards.

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After drawing 12 targets for 109 yards in Week 2, Hunter Henry fell back to earth on Sunday Night Football with just 2 receptions for 9 yards. The matchup here is even worse, with the San Francisco 49ers surrendering just 39 receiving yards on the season to tight ends. Still, he’s a trusted option for Jacoby Brissett so we’re just throwing a dart on the chance of 5 receptions for 30-45 yards.

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Pat Freiermuth is an excellent reminder of just how low the floor is at tight end for fantasy relevance. In three games this season, he’s never cracked 40 receiving yards and he still hasn’t found the end zone. However, if you play in PPR leagues, Freiermuth has also given you at least 6 points in every start. That makes him a back-end starter in our eyes.

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Mark Andrews has played just 58 percent of the Baltimore Ravens offensive snaps this season, per Pro Football Reference and he wasn’t on the field much against the Dallas Cowboys. We’re willing to attribute some of that to Baltimore’s desire to run it 40-plus times. That likely won’t be the case against the Buffalo Bills in Week 4, but Andrews still ranks 24th among tight ends in targets (8). There’s more volatility with him than ever before.

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One of the best and most consistent tight ends in fantasy football history, Travis Kelce has been a huge disappointment in 2024. Patrick Mahomes offered some rationale for the lack of touches – 8 receptions for 69 receiving yards in three games – but there’s another reason. Kelce, age 34, needs to be preserved by the Kansas City Chiefs for the playoffs. So, with Rashee Rice playing so well, the target volume just isn’t there for Kelce. There’s always a chance the Chiefs change things up and force-feed him targets, but we’re not willing to bet on when that will happen.

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Kliff Kingsbury and Jayden Daniels are helping 33-year-old Zach Erz maintain his fantasy value. Because of the Washington Commanders’ conservative play-calling, a byproduct of a woeful offensive line, Daniels is forced to make a lot of short throws. Ertz is averaging 45 receiving yards per contest and in a potential shootout against the Arizona Cardinals, there should be plenty of targets coming Ertz’s way against his former team.

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After seeing just one target in the season opener, Chicago Bears tight end Cole Kmet now has 14 receptions for 124 receiving yards and a touchdown on 16 targets in his last two games. It’s certainly not wise for Chicago to maintain its current pace of pass attempts, but the team seems committed to its plan. So, we’ll take advantage especially with Kmet facing a Los Angeles Rams defense that is allowing the fourth-most receiving yards per game (57.6) to tight ends this season.

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A hamstring injury and real uncertainty for Sunday’s game is the only reason George Kittle drops this far down in our Week 4 fantasy TE rankings. He can be a target hog with Deebo Samuel and Christian McCaffrey sidelined, but only if he’s healthy. There’s a real chance the San Francisco 49ers could play it safe and have Kittle inactive for Week 4 or limit his reps. If he practices on Thursday and Friday, getting close to 100 percent, then he becomes a top-3 option against the New England Patriots.

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There’s nothing like a 170-yard performance to erase those wondering if you’re best days are behind you. Dallas Goedert obliterated the New Orleans Saints defense in Week 3 and with A.J. Brown likely to miss another game, the Pro Bowl tight end should remain a prominent fixture in this Philadelphia Eagles’ passing game. Goedert obviously won’t replicate last week’s line but we do like him as a safe fantasy starter who can get you 5 receptions and 50-plus receiving yards.

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Jake Ferguson might be the most underrated tight end in fantasy football. After missing Week 2, he rebounded this past Sunday with a 95-yard performance against the Baltimore Ravens defense on a whopping 11 targets. He is now averaging 8 targets per game this year, similar to the volume that made him a breakout player in the second half of last season. The New York Giants defense is fine against tight ends, but we’re rolling with the Dallas Cowboys’ second-best pass-catcher and he’ll be among our top tight ends in the weeks to come.

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Kyle Pitts isn’t seeing the target volume we were hoping for this season in the Atlanta Falcons offense, clearly not having the chemistry that Kirk Cousins did with T.J. Hockenson. With that said, we saw some positives on Sunday Night Football in a box score that could’ve been even better. Pitts had a 50-yard catch-and-run where he was dragged down just short of the end zone. Then in the fourth quarter, a potential touchdown was prevented by a DPI that wasn’t called. Still, Pitts finished with 59 receiving yards on 5 targets. Facing a New Orleans Saints defense that has allowed the third-most receiving yards (217) to tight ends, we feel confident in Pitts’ spot in our Week 4 fantasy TE rankings.

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Brock Bowers fell short of expectations in Week 3, but he still finished the game with 41 receiving yards on 3 receptions. Even after that relatively ‘disappointing performance, the Las Vegas Raiders rookie is tied for the lead in targets (21) at his position and he has the second-most receiving yards (197) among tight ends. The Cleveland Browns’ defense is middle of the pack against tight ends – 10 receptions for 123 receiving yards – but Bowers’ role as a central part of this Raiders’ offense makes him one of the best tight ends in fantasy football.

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Managers will have to keep an eye on the Week 4 NFL injury report following Sam LaPorta’s sprained ankle against the Arizona Cardinals. He did see a reduced snap count after the injury but does have the benefit of having an extra day of rest with the Detroit Lions playing on Monday Night Football. The target share – 5 in the past two games – is far from ideal, but LaPorta is averaging 11.8 yards per catch this season. Far more importantly, this Seattle Seahawks’ defense has allowed the fifth-most receiving yards (172) to tight ends this season. Considering how stout the Seahawks’ secondary is against wide receivers, LaPorta could be much more involved in Week 4.

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The first two weeks of the season were a huge disappointment for Dalton Kincaid’s fantasy managers. He received just 6 total targets and never eclipsed more than 33 yards in either starter. Fortunately, better days are ahead. We’re betting on the matchup here with Kincaid in our Week 4 fantasy TE rankings, seeing a golden opportunity against a Baltimore Ravens defense that has allowed the second-most receiving yards (280) to tight ends this season. If a defense is allowing over 90 receiving yards per game, that’s the definition of fantasy relevant.

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Trey McBride is the best tight end in fantasy football. The Arizona Cardinals third-year offensive weapon did have a quiet Week 3 performance, but it was his third consecutive game with at least 6 targets. Now, McBride takes on a Washington Commanders defense that is abysmal against the pass. McBride probably won’t go off for 90-plus yards, but 5 receptions for 50-plus yards and a score is very doable.

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