Fantasy Football TE PPR Rankings 2021: Best tight ends to draft, sleepers to know

Reliable tight ends are always a scarce commodity in fantasy football. In PPR formats, there is a little more hope for productive weeks. Outside of the top-tier TEs in our 2021 fantasy rankings, the position is often used as a middle-or-the-field security blanket or red-zone target, but that still creates more every-week value and potential sleepers in point-per-reception formats.

The guys at the top consist of Travis Kelce, Darren Waller, and George Kittle. Waller may even have a rare chance to challenge Kelce as the TE1 thanks to equal volume (both had 145 targets last year). T.J. Hockenson and Kyle Pitts, who see a rise in rankings compared to our standard rankings, have a chance to join them as tight ends who will finish first or second on their teams in targets. 

2021 PPR FANTASY RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | D/ST | Kicker | Top 200

Outside of those five and maybe Mark Andrews, the tight end position will likely see a lot of fluctuation week to week. The difference in total fantasy points between the very best and the rest is astronomical. Last season, Waller finished at No. 2 in total fantasy points among tight ends in PPR formats. Robert Tonyan finished at No. 3 — a whopping 102 points behind Waller. 

2021 STANDARD FANTASY RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker | Top 200

Of course, touchdown receptions always largely impact the position — see Robert Tonyan — but touchdowns are tough to project and year to year. Last season’s Tonyan might be this year’s Tyler Higbee…or Anthony Firkser…or Cole Kmet…or a host of other similarly skilled TEs.

2021 FANTASY AUCTION VALUES (Standard & PPR):
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker | Overall

That being said, taking a look at strength of schedule and week-to-week matchups provides an edge if you aren’t able to land one of the aces early in the draft. Many fantasy owners opt to stream tight ends week to week, keeping a keen eye on the waiver wire for favorable matchups against defenses that have proven to be weak against the position. It’s OK to wait on TE if the premier tight ends pass you by, especially in PPR. Focusing on solid, high-target, mid-tier players like Logan Thomas or Dallas Goedert, or sleepers who are expected to see a good amount of targets — Blake Jarwin, Irv Smith Jr., Jared Cook — can get you by without costing you nearly as much. If you get lucky and hit on a guy who frequently finds the end zone, you will really be ahead of the game

2021 FANTASY SLEEPERS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Each team

We’ll be adjusting these TE PPR rankings and providing further analysis from now until Week 1, so check back for updates. For individual player analysis, check out our standard-league TE rankings.

DOMINATE YOUR DRAFT: Ultimate 2021 Cheat Sheet

2021 Fantasy TE PPR Rankings

Rankings are based on full-point PPR scoring formats