The final week of byes is upon us, and with six teams off, fantasy football rankings for every position are taking a hit. Fortunately, the damage isn’t too bad at tight end, as zero must-starts and only a handful of legitimate sleepers are idle. Nonetheless, our Week 14 fantasy TE rankings remain top-heavy and relatively low on “safe” waiver-wire streamers.
While we won’t really be missing TEs from the Falcons, Packers, Bears, Colts, Saints, and Commanders too much, injuries to key players like Dallas Goedert (shoulder), Darren Waller (hamstring), Kyle Pitts (knee), Zach Ertz (knee), and David Njoku (knee) are taking their toll. Waller is eligible to come off the IR this week, but until we actually see him on the field, we’ll be cautious about ranking him.
The one good thing about the six teams on bye is we don’t lose many favorable matchups. The Falcons and Colts are both slightly below average in terms of TE defense, but the Saints and Commanders entered Week 13 as the top-two TE defenses in the leagues. Chicago and Green Bay were also in the top 10, so clearing out these tough opponents helps the guys who are suiting up.
WEEK 14 STANDARD RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | D/STs | Kickers
Unfortunately for those without a top option, there aren’t many reliable streamers. Evan Engram (@ Titans), Greg Dulcich (vs. Chiefs), and Hunter Henry (@ Cardinals) are your best bets for targets among widely available TEs with favorable matchups, and Mike Gesicki (@ Chargers), Ian Thomas (@ Seahawks), Trey McBride (vs. Patriots), and Jonnu Smith (@ Cardinals) are in decent spots, too. None are particularly reliable, but Dulcich gets regular looks and has the most big-play ability, which was on display during his big bounce-back outing last week.
WEEK 14 PPR RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers
Thomas and McBride are interesting as boom-or-bust candidates against two defenses that entered Week 13 allowing the most and eighth-most fantasy points per game (FPPG), respectively. Since Ertz’s knee injury, McBride has caught five-of-seven targets, so he’s somewhat involved even though he hasn’t produced much. Thomas has caught five-of-six targets over the past two games, so he’s similarly involved for Carolina. Obviously, the floors are low, but they have fairly solid ceilings.
On the flip side, Hayden Hurst (vs. Browns), who injured his calf last week, Foster Moreau (@ Rams), Dawson Knox (vs. Jets), Tyler Conklin (@ Bills), and Noah Fant (vs. Panthers) are in tough spots in Week 14. Any could grab a short TD or rack up four or five catches, but based on the matchups, they should mostly be left on benches, especially in shallow leagues.
Overall, this is going to be a tough week if you don’t have one of the top five-to-eight TEs. Even among the latter half of that group, things get dicey. If the rest of your team is solid, you’re better off trusting the targets and taking what you can get from a higher-floor option. If you’re an underdog, go for the gusto with one of the low-floor, higher-ceiling guys in a great matchup. Hopefully, you’ll make it through the week and be armed with more options in the postseason.
We’ll be updating these standard TE rankings as needed throughout the week, so check back for the latest changes and analysis.
Week 14 fantasy TE rankings for standard leagues
Rankings based on standard, non-PPR scoring
Rank Player
1 Travis Kelce, Chiefs @ Broncos
2 Mark Andrews, Ravens @ Steelers
3 T.J. Hockenson, Vikings @ Lions
4 George Kittle, 49ers vs. Buccaneers
5 Pat Freiermuth, Steelers vs. Ravens
6 Gerald Everett, Chargers vs. Dolphins
7 Evan Engram, Jaguars @ Titans
8 Greg Dulcich, Broncos vs. Chiefs
9 Hunter Henry, Patriots @ Cardinals
10 Dalton Schultz, Cowboys vs. Texans
11 Tyler Higbee, Rams vs. Raiders
12 Mike Gesicki, Dolphins @ Chargers
13 Hayden Hurst, Bengals vs. Browns
14 Trey McBride, Cardinals vs. Patriots
15 Ian Thomas, Panthers @ Seahawks
16 Jonnu Smith, Patriots @ Cardinals
17 Noah Fant, Seahawks vs. Panthers
18 Austin Hooper, Titans vs. Jaguars
19 Foster Moreau, Raiders @ Rams
20 Dawson Knox, Bills vs. Jets
21 Tyler Conklin, Jets @ Bills
22 Chig Okonkwo, Titans vs. Jaguars
23 Harrison Bryant, Browns @ Bengals
24 Brevin Jordan, Texans @ Cowboys
25 Jack Stoll, Eagles @ Giants
26 Will Dissly, Seahawks vs. Panthers
27 Daniel Bellinger, Giants vs. Eagles
28 Cameron Brate, Buccaneers @ 49ers
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