Week 6 Tight End Rankings for Fantasy Football

I’m not going to say that order was restored to the tight end position in Week 5. In reality, do we even know what order is anymore? Each week brings with it something new to digest, but the hope is that we find some consistency. As Mason Taylor had another strong week, along with Theo Johnson, we might have something brewing in New York. Injuries (Brock Bowers) and bye weeks were an issue, but at least Sam LaPorta and Travis Kelce returned to relevance. You know this is going to impact our Week 6 Tight End Rankings, so let’s take a look.

Week 5 Top-Five Performances

AJ Barner – 7 catches, 53 yards, 2 touchdowns
Jake Ferguson – 7 catches, 49 yards, 2 touchdowns
Theo Johnson – 6 catches, 33 yards, 2 touchdowns
Sam LaPorta – 5 catches, 92 yards, TD
Travis Kelce – 7 catches, 61 yards, TD

Week 6 Bye Weeks

Minnesota Vikings – TJ Hockenson
Houston Texans – Dalton Schultz

Injury Notes for Week 6

Brock Bowers, Las Vegas Raiders

Above all, this is where our attention lies at the tight end position. Drafting Brock Bowers was supposed to give you a true advantage, but it looks like you’ll be without him for a second straight week.

After missing Week 5, there’s a chance Bowers can return, but it looks like he might need another week or two to recover. The other issue is that Michael Mayer is dealing with a concussion. He’s missed the last two games, and it’s unclear whether he can make his return for Week 6.

Brenton Strange, Jacksonville Jaguars

What has been a solid start to the 2025 season has come to a pause as Brenton Strange is headed to injured reserve. The good news is that he should be able to return relatively quickly from his quad issue. While Strange doesn’t have a touchdown this season, he was leading Jacksonville with 20 catches for 204 yards.

Hunter Long will step into Strange’s role, but I’d look elsewhere from a fantasy perspective.

Tyler Higbee, Los Angeles Rams

After missing Week 5 with a hip injury, it’s unclear whether Tyler Higbee will return for Week 6. The tight end position is a mess in Los Angeles and is a situation I’d look to avoid.

Tight End Notes

Sam LaPorta, Detroit Lions

This is what we’ve been waiting for from Sam LaPorta. For three straight weeks, LaPorta couldn’t even break 40 yards before getting back to what we know he’s capable of.

LaPorta took advantage of a favorable matchup against the Bengals by catching five passes for 92 yards and his first touchdown of the season. It’s not a great matchup against Kansas City this week, but the expectation is that the game will be a shootout. And that plays right into production for LaPorta.

Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs

Travis Kelce is a primetime player. The veteran showed that he can’t be counted out on Monday with a strong effort against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Kelce caught seven passes 61 yards and his second touchdown of the season.

Yes, Kelce isn’t the player he once was, but he’s also still one of the better options at the position. Through five games, Kelce has 22 catches for 243 yards. The Chiefs are showing some cracks in the foundation, but they are also still the Chiefs. Patrick Mahomes didn’t forget how to play quarterback, and Kelce is still one of the better tight ends. He might not be as valuable as he once was, but don’t overthink things. This week against the Lions, I’d also expect offense to be in full supply.

AJ Barner, Seattle Seahawks

There are more players than just Jaxon Smith-Njigba who can catch the ball in Seattle. In fact, this is becoming a situation where a rising tide lifts all boats as Sam Darnold becomes more comfortable in the Seahawks offense.

That was on display in a Week 5 shootout against Tampa Bay as Barner had a strong performance. Drafted in the fourth round last season, Barner is proving to be someone we can’t overlook. On Sunday, he caught all seven of his targets for 53 yards while doubling his touchdown total on the season, which brought him to four. He also doubled his receptions total in a shootout.

Barner deserves some respect following his success, but I’m still treading carefully here. Until we see continued success, there’s no need to go all in, although, in deeper leagues, Barner is a fine option.

Darren Waller, Miami Dolphins

Give the man credit. Alright, Darren Waller popped back up on our radar two weeks ago and caught two touchdown passes. Yes, it was against the Jets. Tyreek Hill also exited with a knee injury, so there was a lot going on.

Miami does need to fill the production gap left by Hill, and in Week 5, that assignment looked to go to Waller. And he even managed to have success without playing the New York Jets.

After catching all five of his targets for 78 yards and his third touchdown of the season, Waller should firmly be on our radars. It’s like he never missed last year, as Waller reverted back to the prime of his career. I’d look for this trend to continue.

Check out all of our Week 6 Rankings: Flex Rankings | QB Rankings | RB Rankings | WR Rankings | TE Rankings