The 2022 season isn't over yet with the NFL playoffs about to begin, but we're already looking ahead to next year. We want to make sure you're more than ready for the 2023 Fantasy Football campaign.
With that in mind, here's an early look at our top 12 Fantasy tight ends for 2023 in PPR, and it's very much subject to change. We know a lot is going to happen between now and the start of training camp -- coaching changes, free agency, the NFL Draft, etc. -- and we will adjust our rankings accordingly.
But for now, here's the first look at the top 12 tight ends for 2023 from Adam Aizer, Heath Cummings, Dave Richard, Chris Towers and myself. Start your prep work now -- and hopefully win a championship this season.
Adam Aizer
1. Travis Kelce
2. Mark Andrews
3. Dallas Goedert
4. Darren Waller
5. T.J. Hockenson
6. Kyle Pitts
7. George Kittle
8. Dalton Schultz
9. Evan Engram
10. Pat Freiermuth
11. David Njoku
12. Cole Kmet
Heath Cummings
1. Travis Kelce
2. Mark Andrews
3. George Kittle
4. T.J. Hockenson
5. Kyle Pitts
6. Dallas Goedert
7. Darren Waller
8. Pat Freiermuth
9. Evan Engram
10. Cole Kmet
11. Greg Dulcich
12. David Njoku
Jamey Eisenberg
1. Travis Kelce
2. Mark Andrews
3. T.J. Hockenson
4. Dallas Goedert
5. George Kittle
6. Darren Waller
7. Kyle Pitts
8. Evan Engram
9. Dalton Schultz
10. Pat Freiermuth
11. David Njoku
12. Cole Kmet
Dave Richard
1. Travis Kelce
2. Mark Andrews
3. T.J. Hockenson
4. George Kittle
5. Dallas Goedert
6. Kyle Pitts
7. Evan Engram
8. Zach Ertz
9. Darren Waller
10. Dalton Schultz
11. Greg Dulcich
12. Pat Freiermuth
Chris Towers
1. Travis Kelce
2. Mark Andrews
3. Kyle Pitts
4. T.J. Hockenson
5. Dallas Goedert
6. George Kittle
7. Dalton Schultz
8. Pat Freiermuth
9. Darren Waller
10. Evan Engram
11. David Njoku
12. Chigoziem Okonkwo
Kelce is easily the No. 1 tight end coming into 2023, and he's the biggest difference maker of any player at any position. He's so far ahead of the field that Adam made the case to draft him No. 1 overall in the first PPR mock draft we did for 2023.
In 2022, Kelce averaged 18.6 PPR points per game. The No. 2 tight end, Kittle, averaged 13.4 PPR points per game. Kelce has been the No. 1 Fantasy tight end for most of his career, and he's averaged at least 15.5 Fantasy points per game for six seasons in a row, including three years over 18.4 PPR points per game. He's the No. 1 weapon for Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid, and that should continue in 2023. Now, the downside for Kelce is he'll be 34 next season, and at some point, Father Time will come calling. He also wasn't the No. 1 Fantasy tight end in 2021 when Andrews (17.7 PPR points per game) was slightly better (16.4). However, Kelce has been so consistent and so elite that you have to take the potential risk with the huge reward. He might not be the No. 1 overall pick in most leagues, but he's definitely a first-round selection.
Andrews had a down season in 2022 with 12.7 PPR points per game. But he was still the No. 3 PPR tight end, and he should improve in 2023, depending on what happens with Lamar Jackson. If Jackson stays with the Ravens, it's easy to buy back into Andrews as the No. 2 tight end in all leagues. In 10 games with Jackson in 2022, Andrews had four with at least 22 PPR points. We'll keep an eye on the quarterback situation in Baltimore, but a Jackson-Andrews pairing again makes Andrews worth drafting in Round 3 in all leagues.
Only Dave and I agree on the No. 3 tight end, which is Hockenson for us. Adam has Goedert in that spot, Heath has Kittle and Chris has Pitts. For Hockenson, he was exceptional after joining the Vikings via trade from the Lions prior to Week 9. In his final nine full games, Hockenson averaged 13.7 PPR points per game. I'm excited to see what he can do after a full offseason in Minnesota.
Goedert is the No. 4 tight end for me, and he was having a breakout season before hurting his shoulder in Week 10. He averaged 12.8 PPR points per game in his first eight games, which would have been a career high if he maintained it over a full season. I'll buy into that upside, and Goedert should be able to thrive even in a crowded receiving corps with A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith.
Heath is the high guy on Kittle, and no tight end has been hotter to close the season. In his final four games, all with Brock Purdy at quarterback, Kittle had seven touchdowns and three games with at least 18 PPR points. Now, Deebo Samuel was out for three of those games with an ankle injury, so take that into account. And we need to see who plays quarterback for the 49ers in 2023 between Purdy and Trey Lance, and that will clearly impact Kittle's Fantasy value. But following this past regular season, it's easy to love Kittle given how explosive he was down the stretch.
I hope Chris is right on Pitts, and he can emerge as a top-three Fantasy tight end in 2023, which would be his third season in the NFL. He showed plenty of promise as a rookie in 2021 when he averaged 10.4 PPR points per game. But he regressed as a sophomore in 2022, averaging just 7.6 PPR points per game, and his season ended in Week 11 with a knee injury. We need to see what Atlanta does at quarterback this offseason, and Pitts never played with Desmond Ridder. We also need coach Arthur Smith to show more faith in the passing game, which would help Pitts. I'm more pessimistic on Pitts than Chris, but I'll still draft him as a starter with a mid-round pick.
I'm still drafting Waller ahead of Pitts, and I was glad to see Waller close the season strong after missing eight games with a hamstring injury. He returned in Week 15, and he had two games in his final four outings with at least 13 PPR points. The Raiders will have a new quarterback in 2023, and hopefully he's an upgrade over Derek Carr. We'll see the impact it has on Waller, but I'll still trust him as a top-tier tight end in all leagues.
Engram's offseason will be one to monitor since he's a free agent, but he looked great at times in 2022 in his lone season with Jacksonville. He averaged 10.4 PPR points per game, which was easily his best season since 2019 with the Giants, and where he plays in 2023 will determine if he belongs in the top 10 like all of us have him ranked. I'm hopeful Engram can be a reliable Fantasy starter, and he had seven games this past season with at least 11 PPR points.
Heath doesn't have Schultz in his top 12, but he's in the top 10 for the rest of us. I'm hopeful Schultz can still play at a high level in 2023 after an inconsistent season in 2022. However, in 12 games with Dak Prescott, Schultz still had six games with at least 13 PPR points. And in 2021, he averaged 12.2 PPR points per game. I'm still confident he can be a solid No. 1 Fantasy tight end in all leagues.
Freiermuth showed growth in his second season in 2022, averaging 9.3 PPR points per game, and hopefully he'll continue to improve with Kenny Pickett moving forward. I'm willing to gamble on Freiermuth as a No. 1 tight end in all leagues in 2023, and we all have him ranked as a starter. The key could be his touchdowns, which dropped from seven as a rookie to just two last year. I'm confident that number will rise as Pickett improves, and Freiermuth could be a bargain on Draft Day.
Njoku averaged 10.6 PPR points per game in five games with Deshaun Watson, but that's skewed by two outings where he scored at least 14 PPR points. I'm hopeful Njoku can play at a consistent level in 2023, and he looked good at times in 2022. He had eight games with at least six targets, and he scored at least 10 PPR points in six of them. He's worth drafting as a low-end starter in all formats.
For me, Adam and Heath, we all have Kmet in our top 12. A lot will depend on the quarterback situation in Chicago if the Bears stick with Justin Fields or not, and the team will hopefully revamp its receiving corps. But Kmet should remain a primary target in Chicago, and he looked good at times in 2022 with at least 10 PPR points in five of his final nine outings of the season. He's worth settling for as a low-end starter in all leagues.
Heath and Dave both have Dulcich ranked at No. 11, and he's an intriguing prospect for 2023. He played 10 games in his rookie campaign, and he scored at least 11 PPR points in five of them. I love his upside, and I hope the Broncos find the right head coach to unleash his talent. He might eventually crack the top 12 this offseason for me, and he's a great tight end to target with a late-round pick in all formats.
Another young tight end with upside is Okonkwo, who Chris has ranked at No. 12. He closed his rookie campaign in 2022 on a high note, scoring at least 10 PPR points in three of his final six outings. There could be a lot of changes in Tennessee this offseason -- a new offensive coordinator and potentially a new quarterback -- but Okonkwo should be a primary target for the Titans. Even if you don't value Okonkwo as a starting Fantasy tight end to open the season, he's worth drafting as a high-end backup with a late-round pick.
The only other tight end ranked among us is Ertz, who is No. 8 for Dave. I can't see myself drafting Ertz, who at 32 will be coming off a significant knee injury (he suffered a torn ACL and MCL in Week 10), and Kyler Murray (ACL) also isn't expected to be ready for Week 1. The Cardinals will also have a new coach and could look dramatically different in 2023. But Dave is clearly more optimistic for Ertz, and we'll see if he can play at a high level again. In 2022, before getting hurt, Ertz averaged 11.6 PPR points per game. However, most of his production came before DeAndre Hopkins returned from his six-game suspension.
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